Steve Cook

T

tom haney

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I found a 1991 copy of Billiard's Digest today that talked
about a young Steve Cook dominating a big one hole tourney
with all the top players of the time:Allen, Hopkins, Mizerak,
Parica, Hall, Rucker, DiLiberto, Ervolino, Sigel, and said
Cook would eventually establish himself as the best one hole
player in the world. Where is his game today and how tough
was/is he?
Also, mentioned a brilliant young player from Cleveland named
Ralph Carnes who knocked Ronnie Allen out of the tourney.
What happened to him?
Tourney was the Stardust Open sponsored by Grady.
 
hondo said:
I didn't know! What happened?
Click to expand...


Steve died quite awhile back, somewhere's around 5 years ago of natural causes...his health had been not so good for some years before that......We lost a good guy, and a champion one pocket player - one of the all-time best.
 
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how old was he? RIP, thats awful. i remember his name now, i had forgotten it
 
hondo said:
I didn't know! What happened?
Click to expand...

It seems like it was 3 to 4 years ago or so ???

I spent a week at Wright Patterson airforce base in Dayton OH 7 or 8 years ago, and naturally I spent some time at Airway Billiards.

I was sitting at the bar just chillin out and watching an accustats tape they had on the TV (They just keep running them). It had Steve--the cookie monster--Cook playing somebody some one hole. I exchanged a few words with the older gentleman next to me. Then at one point Cook shot an interesting shot--or at least one I didn't understand. The gentleman next to me saw my reaction and said "I was trying to ..blah blah blah" I looked to the man, looked to the TV, and looked back to the man... Sure enough...

I also met Gary Spaeth when I was there. And, sadly, he has passed as well
 
Steve died in 2004 or 2005. I use to drive him around to many of the bars in Tampa and surounding area. We had many drinks together. Everytime I'd have too much to drink I'd fall for one of his spots I had the nuts with. Yeah right. I never beat him once head to head. He was a great all all around pool player and a great guy to have as a friend. Johnnyt
 
Gary died way before Steve. If you spent any time at Airway did you ever meet George Rood? I know you met Todd Ricter and probally Hal too.. Airway is a great place,I miss the joint.

Let me say this about Steve, he was the best mover I have seen.A quiet man who was always a gentelman. Gary was a top banker,and a great player,just like his dad,Joey.
 
Steve Cook was inducted in to the One Pocket Hall of Fame posthumously last January -- very well deserved. A really nice thing about his induction was that his father came and accepted on Steve's behalf. Ken Cook is in his eighties...

There are a couple of bio pages on Steve in his Hall of Fame section, and some great photos of him on OnePocket.org. Until Shannon Daulton came along, Steve was the youngest player to win a major One Pocket tournament, winning the Stardust One Pocket division, and the all around title, in something like 1970...

"The Clark Kent of One Pocket" -- what a great description of him!
 
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