Luther Lassiter: short story and quick question
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He used to say (and, I paraphrase here). "If I watch someone practice for an hour and they only miss once, I know I can beat them." How do you respond to a statement like that?
He just said that to downplay his game.
He failed to mention that he could also beat those players who didn't miss even once.
Put Wilt on those Celtics teams and he wins at least as many titles as Russell.
Math was probably not Wilt's strong suit.
Those Celtic teams had one of the best 11th man in the game. His name was Auerbach.
He had about a 20 year career. I recall he made the 20,000 statement right at the end of the career. That would be 1,000 different women a year. That's approximately three different women per day.
Often times, simple math will either lend credibility to, or dispell myth. Everyone's choice what to believe.
Eating more processed and fast foods, going to school with a bottle of Ritalin in their backpack, peanut allergies out the wazoo, talking back to anyone who will take it, playing video games and texting until the wee hours...
And yes someday a person will come on here and say this generation could have given Mosconi a 50 ball spot in 14.1.
By the way was Mosconi an athletic person ?
Great thread, always interesting to read about such stories.
Is it true that Mr. Lassiter played with a 13.5mm shaft?
Is it true that Mr. Lassiter played with a 13.5mm shaft?
Disagree, Lonestar, the younger generation is not all like that. I have met some fine fine young people you would be proud of. Can't paint them all with the same brush but I do agree with your Mosconi comment. I have seen players in such bad shape they looked like a heart attack waiting to happen yet had the most beautiful strokes and could do whatever they wanted with the cue ball.
Straight Pool was actually Wimpy's best game, 9-Ball second. He played right up there with Mosconi, Caras and Crane. None of these guys could beat him for money and they wouldn't dare try. Wimpy was a great money player, nearly unbeatable for thirty years. That's why he got the big rep, because no one ever beat him for money. And like Shane he could win tournaments too. He had the best record of anybody playing in Johnston City and at the Stardust.
I would put Wimpy's speed right there with Mike Sigel, because both of them rarely missed a ball. Wimpy cut the balls like Lee Vann Corteza, who is the best at that today. His position play was the equal of Efren, near perfect cue ball control. He had a funny little chop stroke like Allen Hopkins, but just like Allen he made it work for him.
Wimpy was an intense player, totally focused on the match at all times. He didn't fool around or try to shark anyone. He just got up there and played lights out. Closest modern era players with his intensity were Jose Parica and Jimmy Rempe.
There is a reason that Wimpy was acknowledged by his peers at the best player of his era. Every pool player respected him, hustler and tourney player alike. If you woofed at him, you would get a game. But even the best young 9-Ball players of that era didn't want any part of Wimpy. I was there and saw it with my own eyes. Wimpy would sit in that practice room all night hoping that someone would get froggy and challenge him to play. The only man I ever saw challenge Wimpy was Harold Worst.
Wimpy was a legendary player, there is no doubt about that. IMO he could play with the best players today, although the conditions have changed quite a bit. Wimpy ruled in the Push Out era and when we played on slow cloth. Put these modern players under similar conditions and it's very doubtful anyone would play any better than Wimpy.
All that sad, Earl had the highest gear of anyone I ever saw play tournament 9-Ball and Parica was the best money player I ever saw. Wimpy could not run racks like Earl, but maybe Earl wouldn't run so many racks on slow cloth either. As good as Wimpy was, I think Parica would have beaten him for the cash. Jose was the next "unbeatable" 9-Ball player after Wimpy. He moved the cue ball around the table better than anyone else including Earl. And could do it for the cash too! That's why he beat Earl when they gambled. Earl tried to play Jose Ten Ball when he was at this peak and he got drilled.
So there you have it, all great players who dominated their respective eras, each with their own unique skills. Wimpy didn't like One Pocket or Banks and I never saw him gamble at either game. Earl, Sigel and Parica were much more well rounded at the other games, but I would take Wimpy over any of them at Straight Pool (well it's close with Sigel). That's about it, my two cents plus change.
In his prime, Sigel was a monster (in any era you want to compare him in), and at pretty much any game. He also did a lot of what is missing in the sport today, and that's entertain.
From his instructional, "Billiards for Everyone" I would say no, maybe 12.75?
I have read that in his later years Lassiter tried painting his ferrule red to be able to see it better.
Lou Figueroa
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Just a few words on Lassiter.
I was only about 11 in 1966 or so, when he beat Eddie Taylor in straight pool on ABC's Wide World of Sports. As I recall, Lassiter dominated and won the match.
Then, in 1967, with the help of Bill "Weenie Beanie" Staton, and Red Jones, Luther Lassiter played Eddie Taylor in straight pool in two sessions at my local high school in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Taylor played well, but he was no match for Lassiter. They all did trick shots in the middle of the segment, including Beanie, who was no slouch either.
Most of you won't recognize the name Red Jones. He was a pool enthusiast, who also happened to be an Air Force officer, stationed at the White House in the mid to late 60s. He obviously knew Bill Staton, and they somehow got the event with Lassiter and Taylor together.
Looking back on all the years, Lassiter dominated in all games so much that there's only one player that I'd admit would be his equal although in another generation. That would be Mike Sigel. All the games, and dominating.
I wouldn't do this often, but since I just got my Billiards Digest for April, I'll quote George Fels for his posthumous article on players best on their home turf: "Only Luther Lassiter and the fabled Eufala (Alabama) Kid were universally recognized as unbeatable anywhere."
Agree with George, God rest his soul. I think Luther and Mike were the all-round best.
WW
I was only about 11 in 1966 or so, when he beat Eddie Taylor in straight pool on ABC's Wide World of Sports. As I recall, Lassiter dominated and won the match.
Then, in 1967, with the help of Bill "Weenie Beanie" Staton, and Red Jones, Luther Lassiter played Eddie Taylor in straight pool in two sessions at my local high school in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Taylor played well, but he was no match for Lassiter. They all did trick shots in the middle of the segment, including Beanie, who was no slouch either.
Most of you won't recognize the name Red Jones. He was a pool enthusiast, who also happened to be an Air Force officer, stationed at the White House in the mid to late 60s. He obviously knew Bill Staton, and they somehow got the event with Lassiter and Taylor together.
Looking back on all the years, Lassiter dominated in all games so much that there's only one player that I'd admit would be his equal although in another generation. That would be Mike Sigel. All the games, and dominating.
I wouldn't do this often, but since I just got my Billiards Digest for April, I'll quote George Fels for his posthumous article on players best on their home turf: "Only Luther Lassiter and the fabled Eufala (Alabama) Kid were universally recognized as unbeatable anywhere."
Agree with George, God rest his soul. I think Luther and Mike were the all-round best.
WW
Thanks for the answer, I confused this point with Minessota Fats mentioning about his preference in an instructional video, sorry.
Did Mr. Lassiter paint his ferrule red for optical purposes or for distracting his opponents?..
I would say, second only to Mickey Mantle.
He said something about his eyesight and he thought the red ferrule helped.
Of course Lassiter, though a Southern gentleman through and through, had other ways of "distracting" his opponents, often complaining to anyone who would listen that he was near death with one illness or another, such as ailment involving his gall bladder. He also liked to make up scripture mid-match, as in after a scratch, "Oh,Lord, Thou hast forsaken me. I have been thwarted by a mere amoeba of our species."
Lou Figueroa
Efren is the king, but Wimpy has always been my hero. In my opinion he is a lot like the Philippinos in mindset. The world could be burning down around him, but if he was down on a ball, none of it mattered. He played with all kinds of health problems but it never mattered when it came to pool. Let Wimpy grow up today, on today's equipment, and no one in the world would like it even.
He painted it red so his opponents would wonder why it was red
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From seeing Lassiter up close from 1967 through 1982, no, 13.5 is way larger than he played. It was more like 12.5 at the most. Pictures of Lassiter are rare, but this one seems to show it pretty good with his Martin. His other cues were about the same, whether Bushka, Gina, or Tad, as some think, the shaft is slimmer than that 13.5 rumor, wherever it came from.
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He also was a 7' high jumper and could run world class times in the high hurdles. Plus he had ten or twenty thousand sexual liaison's. Now that's World Class! :thumbup: