I heard him say exactly that to my friend Bil Large when Bill was playing too much safe actually trying to win. Bill had run like an 80 on him and he didn't like it.
Mosconi exihibitions ?
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I heard him say exactly that to my friend Bil Large when Bill was playing too much safe actually trying to win. Bill had run like an 80 on him and he didn't like it.
Charlie Cacciapaglia
I spoke to Charlie Cacciapaglia before he died. My aunt lives next door to one of his family near Rockford. He was really a neat old guy, said his Rambow was like a part of his arm and nobody would get it from him until he died. I believe he played in the very first Junior national championship and he came in second- he gave me a few photos of it.
As for shows and exhibitions keep in mind that Mosconi had a stroke and so a lot of his later exhibitions were probably not nearly as serious as some would think. And the earlier ones, well, Frank Taberski was called the snail. He went for hundreds and hundreds of exhibitions, years without losing an exhibition, and I am certain it was boring as h#ll. He probably traded safeties forever. Mosconi played fast and these were shows. Everyone loses matches, even the very best, but Mosconi was incredible.
I spoke to Charlie Cacciapaglia before he died. My aunt lives next door to one of his family near Rockford. He was really a neat old guy, said his Rambow was like a part of his arm and nobody would get it from him until he died. I believe he played in the very first Junior national championship and he came in second- he gave me a few photos of it.
As for shows and exhibitions keep in mind that Mosconi had a stroke and so a lot of his later exhibitions were probably not nearly as serious as some would think. And the earlier ones, well, Frank Taberski was called the snail. He went for hundreds and hundreds of exhibitions, years without losing an exhibition, and I am certain it was boring as h#ll. He probably traded safeties forever. Mosconi played fast and these were shows. Everyone loses matches, even the very best, but Mosconi was incredible.
Willie didn't try to talk his opponents into losing exhibition matches against him but he did warn the pool room owners not to put someone up against him who might win. If a pool room owner did that, they were off his tour list and he'd never come back.
Bob Sieber, owner of Rack-Em-Up in New York didn't know Willie's policy at the time and put Steve Marino up against him one year. Steve nearly beat him and Bob got a stern warning from Willie not to do that again. So the following year he put up a green player who could barely shoot ---- me. It was the most fun I'd ever had being humiliated. Willie ran a hundred on me and then missed intentionally to let me shoot. He did have a little humanity in him.
Jamison...If that's what Kevin was saying, then he is correct. On numerous occasions, when someone was running lots of balls on Mosconi, he pulled them aside, and said, I quote: "They're here to see me kid...not you." Tom in Cincy can vouch for this, as he posted in a similar thread, that he had run 99 on Mosconi, when he was basically told to miss...which he obligingly did. Mosconi would frequently peruse the poolroom, prior to his exhibition, saying "I won't play that guy, or that's the guy I'm gonna play." While that may not sit well with you, I can assure you it's the truth.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
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I thought Willie telling people this and setting up easy matches for his exhibitions was fairly well known and I sure didn't post my thoughts to ruffle any feathers. And, Willie was right, the audience did come to see him play.
Anyway, here's my exhibition story. University of Michigan Union maybe 1974, King James Rempe doing his stint as the Brunswick exhibition draw. Rempe was a way cool dude and had partied with us pool maniacs like a pro the night before. Now he's all dressed up and playing me in a straight pool exhibition.
We don't lag, Rempe make a fairly sloppy (probably on purpose) break and I run 3 racks. My heart is pounding, runs in the 40s were a little rarefied for me and here I was with a perfect break shot on my 4th rack in front of a huge crowd of people. I slam the ball in and bust up the rack but I've really hit it too hard the the cue ball falls all the way back frozen on the head rail. Luckily for me, there's a ball in front of a down table corner pocket, which I fire in (too quickly) and follow in for a scratch.
Rempe "you all done?"
Me "yeah"
Rempe "yeah you are done" laughing
Rempe turns to the audience and asks them to give me a hand, explaining that my 40 balls is quite a run and I get my moment of glory.
Rempe then places the cue ball behind the head string and runs 100 and out.
Pool is a cool game.
Jim Rempe is the King.
Thanks
Kevin
Anyway, here's my exhibition story. University of Michigan Union maybe 1974, King James Rempe doing his stint as the Brunswick exhibition draw. Rempe was a way cool dude and had partied with us pool maniacs like a pro the night before. Now he's all dressed up and playing me in a straight pool exhibition.
We don't lag, Rempe make a fairly sloppy (probably on purpose) break and I run 3 racks. My heart is pounding, runs in the 40s were a little rarefied for me and here I was with a perfect break shot on my 4th rack in front of a huge crowd of people. I slam the ball in and bust up the rack but I've really hit it too hard the the cue ball falls all the way back frozen on the head rail. Luckily for me, there's a ball in front of a down table corner pocket, which I fire in (too quickly) and follow in for a scratch.
Rempe "you all done?"
Me "yeah"
Rempe "yeah you are done" laughing
Rempe turns to the audience and asks them to give me a hand, explaining that my 40 balls is quite a run and I get my moment of glory.
Rempe then places the cue ball behind the head string and runs 100 and out.
Pool is a cool game.
Jim Rempe is the King.
Thanks
Kevin
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I would like to hear Tom come on here and say that Willie came up to him and asked him to miss.
Nice story Kevin. I hope you guys are dong well.
I know that in his prime there would not have been many losses to anyone...The man just flat out played better than everyone for almost 20 years no one living human said otherwise. If they did they could lose their money fast...
You guys are talking about years after his stroke, and a ten year period when he didn't even play at all...(Rehabilitation) Even after all that he came back and got 2nd in the world 14.1.
One of our sports greatest players. He brought pool a respect that we players today have never known.
I hope you don't think I am upset Kevin just never heard any of this...Willie has always been my all time hero..
I know that in his prime there would not have been many losses to anyone...The man just flat out played better than everyone for almost 20 years no one living human said otherwise. If they did they could lose their money fast...
You guys are talking about years after his stroke, and a ten year period when he didn't even play at all...(Rehabilitation) Even after all that he came back and got 2nd in the world 14.1.
One of our sports greatest players. He brought pool a respect that we players today have never known.
I hope you don't think I am upset Kevin just never heard any of this...Willie has always been my all time hero..
I weighed in on this thread because I had seen Mosconi play dozens of exhibitions, and that is what they were, exhibitions. These were not match play between two top players. Mosconi never practiced at this point in his life. All he did was travel, visit the local golf course and play the exhibitions. He never warmed up or anything. There was no reason anyone should have expected him to play some blood thirsty local champ looking to make Mosconi a trophy. The guys who knew they were going to play Mosconi would be in the pool room for a week practicing like crazy for their big moment so it is easy to see where Mosconi was coming from. Even at that Mosconi pretty much never disappointed and ran a 100 or more almost every exhibition.
Regarding what he said to my friend I mentioned in my other post. It was after the match when Bill said something like " I thought I had you for a minute Mr. Mosconi" and Mosconi said, " No one came here to see you play". I think Bill just wanted some recognition from the great Mosconi like "Good game, your a good player" or something like that. A comment that would have been a source of pride that would have lasted a life time. Instead Mosconi left him feeling small and embarrassed. Mosconi was just not a nice man most of the time.
Yup, I'm with you. Mosconi played great, he was right, the people did come out to see him, and yeah, Willie probably missed plenty of opportunities in his life to make people feel great that would have cost him nothing.
Ben Hogan, same thing.
I think that sort of why I posted my Rempe story. James played great, certainly not as great as Mosconi, but he went out of his way to make me feel good when he ran all over me.
What did it cost him?
Thanks
Kevin
To be honest, I really didn't think it was about me. I don't do much to piss folks off, so when somebody serves me up a "yeah so what?", I generally just write it off and figure its about them and more than I really want to know.
Willie was a great player
Willie was a dick.
Those 2 statements can completely co-exist.
Thanks
Kevin
Rempe played great.
He was a showman.
He tried his best.
Hogan would shrug the fans with his single-minded focus.
Palmer embraced the fans and went way out of his way to make people feel good.
Different strokes for different folks.
Me ? I prefer the nice friendly happy guys, but that's just me.
Thanks
Kevin
Nice show of respect for the dead...Man you are really bent???
Why?
Hitler was a dick. Hes dead.
Charles Manson is a dick, he isn't dead but may as well be. He isn't going anywhere soon.
The list goes on.
Hitler was a dick. Hes dead.
Charles Manson is a dick, he isn't dead but may as well be. He isn't going anywhere soon.
The list goes on.
My personal Willie story happened in 1983 at the BCA Trade Show in Dallas. I was playing across the street in the BCA Nationals and took a break to visit some friends. It was the middle of the day and there were few patrons attending the convention at that time.
As I walked in the main entrance, there he was! Set up in a booth right in the middle of the main aisle. He was talking to a lady as I walked up. I remember he was nicely dressed and was much smaller than I had expected. I stood a whole head taller than him, but in my mind he was still a giant. He finished what he was doing and said, "Hello", to me. I started to eagerly tell him that I was a big fan of his and relayed a few stories I had heard from an older gent (who was the son of a room owner in Philly). In my excitement I used the word "hustler" to describe Willie as he beat all comers back then.
Now, I don't know why I used that word, but Willie went ballistic! And I quote, "I never hustled anybody in my life! What the hell are you talking about?" I don't remember much more of what was said except for me apologizing 13 times in 13 different ways to calm down the legend.
The few people that were there were all looking at me and wondering why Willie was yelling. I remember watching his face get beet red despite his dark tan and liver spots that dotted his forehead under his receding white hair. I'm sure that day he put a curse on me and I haven't played worth a $hit since! :wink:
I left hurriedly and when I got outside I thought, "Oh great! Now you've pissed off the pool god!" But I did manage to get his autograph before he went off. I was told that the man had a temper. I guess I deserved what I got. I've since learned to choose my words a little more wisely.
Best,
Mike
Fran...Like I said in my post, Tom already posted this in another thread about Mosconi. Maybe he will chime in, but if you want proof, go through his posts. It's there...
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Last i seen of greg reggie he was sitting on a curb on rt7 in front of Mr. lee's pool room naked as a jay bird in 6 inchs of snow with his suit case,they halued him away to the funny farm(white marsh police station). I also remember him playing 9 ball at greenies in pikesville,the other player went over to gregs table to pat his hand in gregs power & greg went balistic screaming thats my coke you a**h**e,big Don had to settel him down but it took a while.Greg had the best eyes i have ever seen for shooting pool, he was scarry like an eagle.