Norman Hitchcock was one of the great players from the Okla. City area. Any azers out their have any memories or stories.
Norman Hitchcock
- Thread starter Mr. Wiggles
- Start date
I played Norman in OKC when I was a student at OU.
I had just won the OU snooker tournament.
It was an interesting afternoon.
I would make a ball and run the table.
If I didn't get the first shot he would run out.
After about 6 hours of this we both quit even.
He was a great player.
Bill Stroud
old Norman was a classic and he just kept me in stitches. I thought he was hilarious.
i saw him at the trueloves 1 pocket tournament about 5 years ago. I hadn't seen him in many years and honestly didn't recognize him. I was playing Gabe
and had slopped a ball in. I finally returned to my seat and someone came up stuck a finger in my side and said,"Jus how GD good do you play kid"?
I turned and recognized him and Gabe and I both just cracked up laughing.
i didn't meet norman until about 81-82 ad that was at Truloves, the one Gary Brite now owns.
A bunch were standing around and just doing the BS thing and Norman walks over and asks,"Wanna play some 1 pocket"?
"Sure" I said!
"What do you wanna bet" He asked?
"What's reasonable" i asked?
"how about $50 a game" he askes?
"Okay as I started putting my cue together!
He walks back over to his chair and sits down.
About 20 minutes goes by and he comes over and asks the same series of questions to which I give the same reply. Again he walks back over and sits in his chair.
SUrely enough a few minutes go by and here he comes again.
Same questions, same answers and he begins to walk away.
i ask,"Hey are we gonna play or what"?!
"What here" He says?
"Yeah, it's a 9 foot table with 6 pockkets" i declare!
"Are you drunk, they have a juke box and let women in here as he walked back and sat down.
We all laughed. Then i found out who he was and realized I had gotten lucky.
I never saw norman play in his prime but have heard countless stories from both Grady and Buddy. They speak of him with a reverance and respect.
I believe he finished very high in the 9 ball one year in Johnston City and was hard to beat in OKC!
I thought he passed away several years back, but I don't know for sure. Norman actually won the 9-Ball division in the last Stardust tourney in 1973. First time I ever saw Hitchcock was in 1963 and I was a student at OU as well. Tommy Fisher (who became a very famous high rolling gambler in Vegas) and I traveled to the city (OKC) looking for pool games. Tommy was the best player around OU back then.
We got a couple of small games and then got steered to a spot where we were told bigger games went on. That's where we ran into Hitchcock. Man, did he play good! He must have beat Tommy out of $150 playing $10 9-Ball, before Tommy finally pulled up. We ran back down to Norman (funny, same name) after that. Later on I found out that Hitchcock was the best player in all of Oklahoma and would play any road players that came through.
I always wondered if he was any relation to Wild Bill Hitchcock, another pretty straight shooter.
We got a couple of small games and then got steered to a spot where we were told bigger games went on. That's where we ran into Hitchcock. Man, did he play good! He must have beat Tommy out of $150 playing $10 9-Ball, before Tommy finally pulled up. We ran back down to Norman (funny, same name) after that. Later on I found out that Hitchcock was the best player in all of Oklahoma and would play any road players that came through.
I always wondered if he was any relation to Wild Bill Hitchcock, another pretty straight shooter.
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My favorite Norman Hitchcock story is when he was playing a tournament at Jamaica Joe's around 1998 and KC Massey and I were talking about five tables over. There were music blasting out of a juke box and he misses an easy shot and storms over to KC and me about 50 feet away and says "will you two shut the hell up, you are making me miss". I looked at him and said Norman, shut up, and go catch your legend gear on that punk. He just smiled and went back and won the match.
I lived in OKC from 1985 until 2000 and he did not play his best during the time I lived there, but the level he did play at was still pretty damn impressive. He used to come up with some great off the stack shots in one pocket.
-don
I lived in OKC from 1985 until 2000 and he did not play his best during the time I lived there, but the level he did play at was still pretty damn impressive. He used to come up with some great off the stack shots in one pocket.
-don
twocardchris
Registered
he did pass away a few years back , but he did play pool up until the day he died , he would play several times a week at jamaica joes during the daytime , i was fortunate enough to get to know him pretty well , one of
the things i can tell you about his pool game is that he kicked the balls
as good as anybody ever did , i have seen him hooked before in tournament matches thinking he would never get out of this one , then
he would break out a 3 or 4 rail kick shot , make a good hit and alot of
times hook you back !
the things i can tell you about his pool game is that he kicked the balls
as good as anybody ever did , i have seen him hooked before in tournament matches thinking he would never get out of this one , then
he would break out a 3 or 4 rail kick shot , make a good hit and alot of
times hook you back !
Hitch
Yes, Jay, Norman did pass probably about 5 yrs. ago. Great to hear from you guys, I knew he was a first class player and probably played lots of players. Short story. He gave away a Verl Horn cue to an up and coming lady player. Thought she needed a good cue. Gave it to her!! I was watching him once(not in his prime mind you) and he was shooting these long, full length table banks that went two rails instead of one. I said to my friend, what a lucky shot this guy just keeps shooting these one railers that turn into two railers. He informed me that was his plan. Smoothest stroke I have ever seen.
Yes, Jay, Norman did pass probably about 5 yrs. ago. Great to hear from you guys, I knew he was a first class player and probably played lots of players. Short story. He gave away a Verl Horn cue to an up and coming lady player. Thought she needed a good cue. Gave it to her!! I was watching him once(not in his prime mind you) and he was shooting these long, full length table banks that went two rails instead of one. I said to my friend, what a lucky shot this guy just keeps shooting these one railers that turn into two railers. He informed me that was his plan. Smoothest stroke I have ever seen.
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Hitch
Thanks punter, thats Norman all right, never seen that pic. Cool. Another short story about hitch. He's playing in a bar somewhere, race to 7 or 9 for big money(1000?) and the guy never leaves his chair. Norman ran every rack of 9 ball. He's trying to put his stick up and the crowd says no Norman, keep shooting, lets see how many you can string together. Ran 15 racks total.
Thanks punter, thats Norman all right, never seen that pic. Cool. Another short story about hitch. He's playing in a bar somewhere, race to 7 or 9 for big money(1000?) and the guy never leaves his chair. Norman ran every rack of 9 ball. He's trying to put his stick up and the crowd says no Norman, keep shooting, lets see how many you can string together. Ran 15 racks total.
you broke the cardinal rule !
Man , Jay , I'da thought you knew better ! Never play against anyone named after a playing card (Ace , Deuce , King) or a city (Minnesota , Buffalo , NORMAN ) . . . . . .
Man , Jay , I'da thought you knew better ! Never play against anyone named after a playing card (Ace , Deuce , King) or a city (Minnesota , Buffalo , NORMAN ) . . . . . .
I wasn't there but I heard he was one of the few people to beat Greg Stevens playing even 9-Ball. At Trueloves I believe.
Mr. Hitchcock died on Aug 24, 1986 at the age of 77.
Also, in Buddy Hall's biography there are several accounts of him vs Buddy.
Also, in Buddy Hall's biography there are several accounts of him vs Buddy.
You're right. He died in 2006 at the age of 77. I typed in 1986 in what is either the mother of all AZB typos or else it's a clear sign that I'm getting dementia.
Thank you for cathing that. In lieu of me going back and editing my original post, I'll just repost the correct dates in the post following this one.
Very seriously, my wife's been telling me for over a year now that I'm saying or repeating things wrong or backwards. My records show 2006. I really have no idea how I mis-typed 2 numbers wrong.
Correction
I put in 1986 instead of 2006. He died on Aug 24, 2006 at the age of 77.
The info re: Buddy's book is still accurate.
Thanks for bearing with me everybody!
I put in 1986 instead of 2006. He died on Aug 24, 2006 at the age of 77.
The info re: Buddy's book is still accurate.
Thanks for bearing with me everybody!
You actually typed THREE numbers wrong, but who's counting? :thumbup:
You're my horse Ardeno if you never win a race!