Sang Chun Lee selected for Hall of Fame

Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

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From the BCA web site:

Sang Chun Lee ... has been selected as the sole inductee to the BCA Hall of Fame this year. The South Korean expatriate who won 12 consecutive U.S. Billiard Association National Championship titles between 1990 and 2001, will be inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame in a ceremony set for May 15 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Lee, who died of stomach cancer in 2004, will be the second modern-day player known primarily for three-cushion billiards to be inducted in the "Greatest Players" category. The first was Raymond Ceulemans of Belgium, inducted in 2001
 

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Bob Jewett said:
From the BCA web site:
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Here are some details from the web site. I think Hopkins is pretty sure to get in next year, and it's about time. I hope it's not for "meritorious service."

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Lee will be the 51st billiard industry figure inducted into the BCA’s Hall of Fame, which was established in 1966. For more information on the ceremony and tickets, visit www.bcahalloffame.com.

The following is the complete list of players who received votes, in order:

Sang Chun Lee — 22 votes
Allen Hopkins — 16 votes
Danny DiLiberto — 10 votes
Jose Parica — 8 votes
Allen Gilbert — 6 votes
Jack “Jersey Red” Breit — 5 votes
Jim Mataya — 5 votes
Belinda Calhoun — 5 votes
Kim Davenport — 3 votes
Francisco Bustamante — 3 votes
Ronnie Allen — 1 vote
Steve Cook — 1 vote
Johnny Ervolino — 1 vote
Joey Spaeth — 1 vote

Hustler-era tournament promoter George Jansco also received a vote, although he was not eligible for the Greatest Players category. He will be eligible when the Board considers inductees for Meritorious Service in 2008, in addition to candidates for Greatest Players and the new category of Veterans & Pioneers.
 
Awesome news. Hard to imagine any other player having the kind of positive influence he's had on American Billiards the last couple of decades.

Deno Andrews story of watching him score 50 points at 3-C in four innings is still one of the greatest pool stories I've ever heard.

Jersey Red not being inducted seems a little strange considering the amount of respect he gets from people who have been around the game for a long time.
 
bud green said:
... Jersey Red not being inducted seems a little strange considering the amount of respect he gets from people who have been around the game for a long time.
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That may be a problem as those people die off. I think I first saw Red at the US Open in 1969. That was a while ago. Maybe he can get in under the "Veterans & Pioneers" category that has been started.
 
Bob Jewett said:
From the BCA web site:

Sang Chun Lee ... has been selected as the sole inductee to the BCA Hall of Fame this year. The South Korean expatriate who won 12 consecutive U.S. Billiard Association National Championship titles between 1990 and 2001, will be inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame in a ceremony set for May 15 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Lee, who died of stomach cancer in 2004, will be the second modern-day player known primarily for three-cushion billiards to be inducted in the "Greatest Players" category. The first was Raymond Ceulemans of Belgium, inducted in 2001
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It's about time.
Now, I hope they select others that are deserving, like Allen Hopkins.
 
The members of the BCA Hall of Fame Committee used to be listed on the BCA website. Recently, I noticed that the BCA website does not list the names of this committee anymore. In times gone by, the majority of the voting members of this committee were pool magazine publishers and writers.

Until last year, there were always two inductees to the BCA's Hall of Fame. However, I think they only induct one now, a practice which also began last year.

Public opinion doesn't mean squat when it comes to the BCA's Hall of Fame.

JAM
 
Most on the list deserve to be inducted immediately, but I am very surprised at the low vote tally for Ronnie Allen and Jersey Red.

Sang Lee obviously should be inducted and I applaud the committe for that.
 
JAM said:
The members of the BCA Hall of Fame Committee used to be listed on the BCA website. Recently, I noticed that the BCA website does not list the names of this committee anymore. In times gone by, the majority of the voting members of this committee were pool magazine publishers and writers.

Until last year, there were always two inductees to the BCA's Hall of Fame. However, I think they only induct one now, a practice which also began last year.

Public opinion doesn't mean squat when it comes to the BCA's Hall of Fame.

JAM
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The HOF committee is still made up up of people who have a long history in the billiard industry, primarily journalists, historians and tournament organizers.

I was a member of the committee this year, which I consider an honor. We can vote on as many players as we feel are deserving. This year the player with the most votes was Sang Lee.

Personally, I voted for him and Allen Hopkins and one other player.
 
JAM said:
In times gone by, the majority of the voting members of this committee were pool magazine publishers and writers.

JAM
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In 1988/89 I also had the privilege of voting in this process.the race was between mike segal and nick varner. Even today I do not know how I was given that privilege.I was a gypsy and a small time bar room hustler and was never connected to to the billiard industry but I was a player memeber of BCA.:cool:
 
JAM said:
Until last year, there were always two inductees to the BCA's Hall of Fame. However, I think they only induct one now, a practice which also began last year.

Public opinion doesn't mean squat when it comes to the BCA's Hall of Fame.

JAM
Click to expand...

They would have inducted a second player if the player showed up on at least 70% of the ballots. Allen Hopkins missed being a second inductee after Sang Lee who got over 70%.
 
bud green said:
Deno Andrews story of watching him score 50 points at 3-C in four innings is still one of the greatest pool stories I've ever heard.
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Yes - it is amazing. Sang Lee ran 19 off the break, followed by 11, 9 and 11 and out at a weekly tournament in first NY room (SL Billiards in Elmhurst). His opponent was a friend of mine, Michael Lee (.800 player) who made 3 points in 3 innings (avg 1.0) and lost 50-3.

His 11 and out was unfinished. As usual, Sang Lee stopped after the game finished since run's of 10's or 11's are so commonplace.

40 points in 4 innings or 30 points in 3 was pretty common for Sang. Behind something like 32-9 (?) he did the former (40 in 4) against Raymond Ceulemans during a tournament in Chicago in the 90's to earn a playoff spot in the finals and win the tournament.
 
iralee said:
They would have inducted a second player if the player showed up on at least 70% of the ballots. Allen Hopkins missed being a second inductee after Sang Lee who got over 70%.
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I wish allen hopkins is inducted to hall of fame.I am not a fan of 3cushion billiards.
 
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