The magnificent Irving Crane

Here’s an old photo of Keith Thompson I came across
 

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Keith thompson said:
Met Mr Crane in Johnston City 1970. Had the privilege of playing Irving him in the 9 ball division. Myself and Irving were the last two unbeatens in the 9 ball division.

The evening before I watched Irving run 8 racks against Lassiter on his first shot and won the match 11 to 2! Now it was my turn Bahahahaha

He won the lag for first break! How long would it be before my chance came, 3 racks 5 racks 10 racks? Whenever my chance came I wanted to make a statement, I wasn’t gonna lay down on him, make him earn his win!

He made a ball on the break but the lay of the balls was pretty dam tough! The balls were positioned to not be able to get shape on the next ball and this went all the way to the nine.

He had to go two long rails to get shape on the nine after cutting the 8 in the same corner pocket as the 9 would go at the rack end of the table. He didn’t get there with his shape and thinly cut the nine and played safe!

He left the cue ball almost hanging in the corner pocket and the nine ball was near froze to the rail at the rack end of the table about 8-10 inches from the pocket.

Well I called the 9 straight back in the corner pocket I was shooting from and it found the pocket like it had eyes, I got lucky Bahahahaha

I was up one game to none in a race to eleven against a legend! I crashed into the next rack like a runaway train and went straight at ten racks to close him out! Didn’t make ten folks but I did make three! Lol

No ball on the break on the 4th rack. Now down 4-0 Crane comes with 3 himself, makes it 4-3. I could go 7 and out and win the match! I crashed into the racks with new authority and put 5 more racks between us, I led 9-3! Crane was in serious trouble this night and came back at me with 4 racks of his own but it wasn’t enough.

I closed out the next two racks and a Legend would fall, final score 11-7. The bookmakers didn’t want to cover this match but did and I wasn’t supposed to make seven games!

I would go on and win the division against Joey Spieth 11-9 and had punched my ticket to the all around!

Ran into Mr Crane in the men’s room after our match and he told me about the same thing as Lassiter did and I’ve cherished those words all my life from the two best players I’ve ever known!
I
Classiest man I’ve ever known, he never gambled! He played for the love of the game. He is my Hero from the Land of Giants and I’ll always remember Mr Crane for what he is, A Legend! Thank you Irving for our time!
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Do you remember this old photo in the above post?
 
sjm said:
Thanks for sharing. I did get to know Joe a little and liked him, but you obviously knew him a lot better than I did.
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He probably came across as pretty serious and not very talkative, but in truth Joe loved to talk and have conversations about all kinds of things. He just needed to feel comfortable with you and he would open up. I remember one story he told me about a stray dog that followed him on a walk through a park. He finally sat down on a bench and spent a long time with that dog until someone finally came along to claim him. He said he wasn't about to leave that dog there alone. The way he told me the story almost brought a tear to my eye. He was a good man.
 
jay helfert said:
He probably came across as pretty serious and not very talkative, but in truth Joe loved to talk and have conversations about all kinds of things. He just needed to feel comfortable with you and he would open up. I remember one story he told me about a stray dog that followed him on a walk through a park. He finally sat down on a bench and spent a long time with that dog until someone finally came along to claim him. He said he wasn't about to leave that dog there alone. The way he told me the story almost brought a tear to my eye. He was a good man.
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Great story
 
Had the pleasure of seeing both Crane and Murphy in my youth. I saw unbelievable performances from both of them. The moment in the Hotel Commodore was seeing Crane killing a seven ball off the rail to the top pocket to set up a perfect break; that led directly to my (long!) misspent youth (?) That seven ball ran sooo slowly up the rail and just dropped. The cueball moved into position with equal, bewitching grace. You've got me now, 14.1!
 
Keith thompson said:
Met Mr Crane in Johnston City 1970. Had the privilege of playing Irving him in the 9 ball division. Myself and Irving were the last two unbeatens in the 9 ball division.

The evening before I watched Irving run 8 racks against Lassiter on his first shot and won the match 11 to 2! Now it was my turn Bahahahaha

He won the lag for first break! How long would it be before my chance came, 3 racks 5 racks 10 racks? Whenever my chance came I wanted to make a statement, I wasn’t gonna lay down on him, make him earn his win!

He made a ball on the break but the lay of the balls was pretty dam tough! The balls were positioned to not be able to get shape on the next ball and this went all the way to the nine.

He had to go two long rails to get shape on the nine after cutting the 8 in the same corner pocket as the 9 would go at the rack end of the table. He didn’t get there with his shape and thinly cut the nine and played safe!

He left the cue ball almost hanging in the corner pocket and the nine ball was near froze to the rail at the rack end of the table about 8-10 inches from the pocket.

Well I called the 9 straight back in the corner pocket I was shooting from and it found the pocket like it had eyes, I got lucky Bahahahaha

I was up one game to none in a race to eleven against a legend! I crashed into the next rack like a runaway train and went straight at ten racks to close him out! Didn’t make ten folks but I did make three! Lol

No ball on the break on the 4th rack. Now down 4-0 Crane comes with 3 himself, makes it 4-3. I could go 7 and out and win the match! I crashed into the racks with new authority and put 5 more racks between us, I led 9-3! Crane was in serious trouble this night and came back at me with 4 racks of his own but it wasn’t enough.

I closed out the next two racks and a Legend would fall, final score 11-7. The bookmakers didn’t want to cover this match but did and I wasn’t supposed to make seven games!

I would go on and win the division against Joey Spieth 11-9 and had punched my ticket to the all around!

Ran into Mr Crane in the men’s room after our match and he told me about the same thing as Lassiter did and I’ve cherished those words all my life from the two best players I’ve ever known!
I
Classiest man I’ve ever known, he never gambled! He played for the love of the game. He is my Hero from the Land of Giants and I’ll always remember Mr Crane for what he is, A Legend! Thank you Irving for our time!
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Who else did you play in that tournament? Love your stories...I feel like I'm there watching.
 
Keith thompson said:
Met Mr Crane in Johnston City 1970. Had the privilege of playing Irving him in the 9 ball division. Myself and Irving were the last two unbeatens in the 9 ball division.

The evening before I watched Irving run 8 racks against Lassiter on his first shot and won the match 11 to 2! Now it was my turn Bahahahaha

He won the lag for first break! How long would it be before my chance came, 3 racks 5 racks 10 racks? Whenever my chance came I wanted to make a statement, I wasn’t gonna lay down on him, make him earn his win!

He made a ball on the break but the lay of the balls was pretty dam tough! The balls were positioned to not be able to get shape on the next ball and this went all the way to the nine.

He had to go two long rails to get shape on the nine after cutting the 8 in the same corner pocket as the 9 would go at the rack end of the table. He didn’t get there with his shape and thinly cut the nine and played safe!

He left the cue ball almost hanging in the corner pocket and the nine ball was near froze to the rail at the rack end of the table about 8-10 inches from the pocket.

Well I called the 9 straight back in the corner pocket I was shooting from and it found the pocket like it had eyes, I got lucky Bahahahaha

I was up one game to none in a race to eleven against a legend! I crashed into the next rack like a runaway train and went straight at ten racks to close him out! Didn’t make ten folks but I did make three! Lol

No ball on the break on the 4th rack. Now down 4-0 Crane comes with 3 himself, makes it 4-3. I could go 7 and out and win the match! I crashed into the racks with new authority and put 5 more racks between us, I led 9-3! Crane was in serious trouble this night and came back at me with 4 racks of his own but it wasn’t enough.

I closed out the next two racks and a Legend would fall, final score 11-7. The bookmakers didn’t want to cover this match but did and I wasn’t supposed to make seven games!

I would go on and win the division against Joey Spieth 11-9 and had punched my ticket to the all around!

Ran into Mr Crane in the men’s room after our match and he told me about the same thing as Lassiter did and I’ve cherished those words all my life from the two best players I’ve ever known!
I
Classiest man I’ve ever known, he never gambled! He played for the love of the game. He is my Hero from the Land of Giants and I’ll always remember Mr Crane for what he is, A Legend! Thank you Irving for our time!
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He sold Cadillacs and a nearby diner would have a burger and fries...and run 100.

Saw him play Lassiter in Alex. Va at a 24/7, 35 table, club called Jack & Jill's. [never locked the doors for about 30 years] A place owned by Bill Winnie Bennie, Staten straight pool contender and a one pocket champion himself.

I picked Lassiter but Irving took him out and won the tournament against some young guy IIRC 'Flash' Gordon after my friend Pat Lynch had started the night cold running 95. [races to 150] I said great run, he said it may not be enough. It wasn't. Willie once said Irving wouldn't shoot a shot his grandmother wouldn't.
 
Pedestrian said:
Saw him play Lassiter in Alex. Va at a 24/7, 35 table, club called Jack & Jill's. [never locked the doors for about 30 years] A place owned by Bill Winnie Bennie, Staten straight pool contender and a one pocket champion himself.
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Bill "Weenie Beenie" Staton (his pool moniker stemmed from his ownership of a very successful chain of hot dog shops throughout the region.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Staton

Arnaldo ~ He was one of the most gentlemanly pros ever.
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L.S. Dennis said:
Do you remember this old photo in the above post?
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This is the only photo I know of myself playing in the all around against Ronnie Allen and Lassiter.

I flew from Atlanta back to Johnston city and my decent cloths were in my suitcase which was sent to the wrong city and I slept in that rag of a shirt and had to play the all around the next day in it! I’m not proud of it! Didn’t get my suitcase back for a day in a half! I wore that dam rag for 3 days and flew home wearing! I’ve been ashamed all my life!
 
Keith thompson said:
This is the only photo I know of myself playing in the all around against Ronnie Allen and Lassiter.

I flew from Atlanta back to Johnston city and my decent cloths were in my suitcase which was sent to the wrong city and I slept in that rag of a shirt and had to play the all around the next day in it! I’m not proud of it! Didn’t get my suitcase back for a day in a half! I wore that dam rag for 3 days and flew home wearing! I’ve been ashamed all my life!
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Keith: In those days, in that not-totally rural area, you could have handed any trusted, resourceful woman known to a few local people 20 or 30 bucks (and your shirt size) and she'd have been back in about 45 minutes with a very adequate brand-new shirt for you. Players did that in those days, and still do, when they're at least marginally known players whose suitcase is stuck in transit somewhere. You wouldn't have had to be ashamed all your life, and without the appearance of your shirt on your mind while you were playing. (You still played amazing pool anyway as I remember.)

Arnaldo
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ChrisinNC said:
I don’t know if I missed it from a previous post or thread, but just curious what words were spoken to you from Lassiter and Crane that you so fondly cherished? I assume it related to how tough a competitor you were?
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Go to the little 3 bars and click on it and find the word search and type Keith Thompson in the “posted by” Box and my Lassiter post will pop up! I posted my three matches I played with him in the 1970 Johnston city All around. I’ve made a few more post also and hope you will read them. Thank you for reading my stories!
 
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