He's come a long way since he wowed the baseball scouts with his 101 miles-per-hour fastball. The baseball prospect-turned-billiards king has gone from Kansas City, to Vietnam, to Cleveland to Pawtucket, RI, with plenty of stops in between.
He pitched in the minor leagues for 10 years before his baseball career was derailed by a stint in Vietnam. He turned to pool and went pro in 1972. He then went on to compete around the country, including on the International Pool Tour. He defeated world champion Mike Sigel in a $2,000 challenge match and become the founder and director of the Bay State Invitational Pro Tour.
Gary Sanossian has recently signed on to help area pool players hone their skills at Main Street Billiards in Swanzey. "It’s a nice room," said Gary Sanossian, who was hired by Main Street Billiards owner Patrick Eufemia to give lessons and clinics. "I'm really optimistic about this. Instead of hustling the pants off everybody, I’m going to be this public relations guy and play his customers," he said with a laugh.
In addition to The Leather Pocket, his company "The Executive Eagle" also makes high end custom pool cues. His son, Craig, went on to become an outstanding pool player in his own right, winning the New England 9 Ball championship. He’s retired and lives in Nashua.
Sanossian, 69, recently retired to Winchendon, Massachusets, after a profitable billiards career that took him all over the country. He then started a business called "The Leather Pocket," which installed "upscale billiards rooms" — 22, to be precise — all over the Northeast. "I had this vision to change the way people play pool, and we did," Sanossian said.
Source: Former Baseball-Player-Turned-Billiard King Comes to Keene [Retrieved 22 February 2013]
Picture below is Gary Sanossian, a former baseball prospect-turned-billiards pro, lines up a shot Thursday evening at Main Street Billiards in Swanzey. Sanossian, now living in Winchendon, Massachusetts, has signed on to give lessons and clinics to area players every Thursday night at Main Street Billiards.
Has anybody heard of "The Leather Pocket"?
He pitched in the minor leagues for 10 years before his baseball career was derailed by a stint in Vietnam. He turned to pool and went pro in 1972. He then went on to compete around the country, including on the International Pool Tour. He defeated world champion Mike Sigel in a $2,000 challenge match and become the founder and director of the Bay State Invitational Pro Tour.
Gary Sanossian has recently signed on to help area pool players hone their skills at Main Street Billiards in Swanzey. "It’s a nice room," said Gary Sanossian, who was hired by Main Street Billiards owner Patrick Eufemia to give lessons and clinics. "I'm really optimistic about this. Instead of hustling the pants off everybody, I’m going to be this public relations guy and play his customers," he said with a laugh.
In addition to The Leather Pocket, his company "The Executive Eagle" also makes high end custom pool cues. His son, Craig, went on to become an outstanding pool player in his own right, winning the New England 9 Ball championship. He’s retired and lives in Nashua.
Sanossian, 69, recently retired to Winchendon, Massachusets, after a profitable billiards career that took him all over the country. He then started a business called "The Leather Pocket," which installed "upscale billiards rooms" — 22, to be precise — all over the Northeast. "I had this vision to change the way people play pool, and we did," Sanossian said.
Source: Former Baseball-Player-Turned-Billiard King Comes to Keene [Retrieved 22 February 2013]
Picture below is Gary Sanossian, a former baseball prospect-turned-billiards pro, lines up a shot Thursday evening at Main Street Billiards in Swanzey. Sanossian, now living in Winchendon, Massachusetts, has signed on to give lessons and clinics to area players every Thursday night at Main Street Billiards.
Has anybody heard of "The Leather Pocket"?
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