The Pearl's Amazing Feat
- Thread starter wahcheck
- Start date
Earl's performances
> Earl said that he would have rather won that tournament than the million,which says VOLUMES about his competitive fire. He said that it had been 5 years since he ran 10 racks in a row,so it wasn't the first time for him,plus his personal record is 15 racks on a loose pocketed 8 footer he said. Tommy D.
> Earl said that he would have rather won that tournament than the million,which says VOLUMES about his competitive fire. He said that it had been 5 years since he ran 10 racks in a row,so it wasn't the first time for him,plus his personal record is 15 racks on a loose pocketed 8 footer he said. Tommy D.
Earl's ten racks
Hello Big John,
I was messing around on the net and got directed to this post. I'm only a year behind the times, which isn't so bad for me.
Just wanted to add my two cents to this story. Yes, Earl actually ran 11 racks. He was playing a match with Nick Mannino (a race to 15) and the match wasn't over after the ten racks.
He would not let me rack the balls for rack six. He pushed me away and said he would rack his own (as he had for the first five racks). I let him continue and he made the Nine on the break (an audience member told me that was his third Nine ball on the break in six games). I warned Earl that the prize might not be good if he didn't let me rack, so he reluctantly let me take over. In game seven the Nine went toward the corner but didn't drop. He eventually made it on a combo off the three or four.
I realized that Earl had figured out how to break on this particular table to get the Nine headed for the corner. I brushed the racking area with my hands (Earl didn't like this) to smooth it out. To the best of my recollection he never made the Nine on my racks, although a couple more got close to the corner. By the way these Gold Crowns were triple shimmed and nobody was running any racks up till now. I didn't believe there was any chance of someone running ten racks here.
In game ten (of this I'm certain) he left the Nine about a foot out from the corner, the One about 6-8 inches off the rail near the side pocket and the cue ball down near the corner (all on the same side of the table). He had made a ball on the break. Faced with a difficult shot at the One down the rail past the Nine or a combination, Earl studied the table for some time. He then got down and fired in this long, hard combination. It was an incredible shot, more so considering the circumstances. In hindsight I realize he hit it hard to maybe luck something in if he missed the combo.
After things calmed down, Earl had a match to win and to be safe I continued to rack. In the eleventh rack Earl broke and ran out perfectly.
By the way during the course of the five games I racked, Earl made two or three tremendous runouts, getting out by banking balls and playing great position.
I have been watching (and sometimes playing) great pool players for 40 years and what I have long said about Earl is that, without question, he is the greatest tournament 9-Ball player ever. In his prime years (during the 80's and 90's) Earl would consistently run Fours, Fives and Sixes during matches that were Races To Eleven. NOBODY ran racks like Earl, either before or since. He could be trailing in the match 7-3 and end it in two innings 11-7. He did this time and again to other top players. Nobody had a winning record against Earl...Nobody!
And when he was running out, it looked so effortless and smooth. Almost like he was practicing for his next match. His game has slipped (maybe 10-15%), but he is still capable of beating anyone on a given day. I believe the mental strain has had an effect on Earl. In his mind it has been Earl against the world for over twenty years.
A final footnote to the above story. After the match Earl sat at a small table next to the pool table where he had run the 11 racks and signed his own autographed pictures. He had a stack of his own pictures and generously gave them away to everyone in the line. There must have been over 100 people that waited in line for Earl and he didn't just sign his name. He wrote "To So and So" and added a line "The night I ran ten racks" to every one. I was and remain impressed by this display that went on for over two hours.
We returned to the hotel together in the shuttle after the tournament that night. I asked Earl what he was thinking before he shot that last combination. His response was "I just wanted to give it a legitimate chance".
Like everyone else, there have been times when I've loved Earl and other times when I disliked him. But one thing is for sure, I'm glad I got the chance to see him play and I will never forget Earl Strickland.
Jay Helfert
Hello Big John,
I was messing around on the net and got directed to this post. I'm only a year behind the times, which isn't so bad for me.
Just wanted to add my two cents to this story. Yes, Earl actually ran 11 racks. He was playing a match with Nick Mannino (a race to 15) and the match wasn't over after the ten racks.
He would not let me rack the balls for rack six. He pushed me away and said he would rack his own (as he had for the first five racks). I let him continue and he made the Nine on the break (an audience member told me that was his third Nine ball on the break in six games). I warned Earl that the prize might not be good if he didn't let me rack, so he reluctantly let me take over. In game seven the Nine went toward the corner but didn't drop. He eventually made it on a combo off the three or four.
I realized that Earl had figured out how to break on this particular table to get the Nine headed for the corner. I brushed the racking area with my hands (Earl didn't like this) to smooth it out. To the best of my recollection he never made the Nine on my racks, although a couple more got close to the corner. By the way these Gold Crowns were triple shimmed and nobody was running any racks up till now. I didn't believe there was any chance of someone running ten racks here.
In game ten (of this I'm certain) he left the Nine about a foot out from the corner, the One about 6-8 inches off the rail near the side pocket and the cue ball down near the corner (all on the same side of the table). He had made a ball on the break. Faced with a difficult shot at the One down the rail past the Nine or a combination, Earl studied the table for some time. He then got down and fired in this long, hard combination. It was an incredible shot, more so considering the circumstances. In hindsight I realize he hit it hard to maybe luck something in if he missed the combo.
After things calmed down, Earl had a match to win and to be safe I continued to rack. In the eleventh rack Earl broke and ran out perfectly.
By the way during the course of the five games I racked, Earl made two or three tremendous runouts, getting out by banking balls and playing great position.
I have been watching (and sometimes playing) great pool players for 40 years and what I have long said about Earl is that, without question, he is the greatest tournament 9-Ball player ever. In his prime years (during the 80's and 90's) Earl would consistently run Fours, Fives and Sixes during matches that were Races To Eleven. NOBODY ran racks like Earl, either before or since. He could be trailing in the match 7-3 and end it in two innings 11-7. He did this time and again to other top players. Nobody had a winning record against Earl...Nobody!
And when he was running out, it looked so effortless and smooth. Almost like he was practicing for his next match. His game has slipped (maybe 10-15%), but he is still capable of beating anyone on a given day. I believe the mental strain has had an effect on Earl. In his mind it has been Earl against the world for over twenty years.
A final footnote to the above story. After the match Earl sat at a small table next to the pool table where he had run the 11 racks and signed his own autographed pictures. He had a stack of his own pictures and generously gave them away to everyone in the line. There must have been over 100 people that waited in line for Earl and he didn't just sign his name. He wrote "To So and So" and added a line "The night I ran ten racks" to every one. I was and remain impressed by this display that went on for over two hours.
We returned to the hotel together in the shuttle after the tournament that night. I asked Earl what he was thinking before he shot that last combination. His response was "I just wanted to give it a legitimate chance".
Like everyone else, there have been times when I've loved Earl and other times when I disliked him. But one thing is for sure, I'm glad I got the chance to see him play and I will never forget Earl Strickland.
Jay Helfert
texasexpress said:
RayDog said:
At last year's 2004 U.S. Open, I posted the dates the U.S. Open was won underneath the players' pics.
U.S. Open champs not shown are: Mike Sigel, 1976, 1980, and 1983; David Howard, 1982 and 1986; Steve Mizerak, 1978; Louie Roberts, 1979; Nick Varner, 1989 and 1990 (back to back); Tommy Kennedy, 1992; and Reed Pierce, 2000.
My favorite U.S. Open win is Spanish Mike Lebron, who captured the title at 54 years of age. Gives me a little hope for my favorite player because we will keep coming back!
The most impressive is Earl Strickland, who won the U.S. Open five times within a 16-year time frame.
http://hometown.aol.com/khmccready/2004usopen.html
JAM
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jay helfert said:
Great post Jay. Earl's accomplishment that day was one of the most amzing feats I have ever witnessed - hardly anything compares to it. It is also important to note the graciousness of Nick Mannino throughout that match. It's never fun being on the other end of a 11 pack.
sjm said:
You know what, SJM, you're correct amundo! I got these stats from my complimentary 2004 U.S. Open program, and there is definitely a typo.
Earl Strickland won the U.S. Open 9-Ball Title in 1984, 1987, 1993, 1997, and 2000. In the program, it says Reed Pierce a/k/a "Rebel" of Jackson, MS won the U.S. Open 9-Ball Title in 2000 which, as you so rightly point out, should have read "1995."
Great memory, SJM, and you're right on the money, as usual!
BTW, checking out the nicknames in this program, I never knew that Allen Hopkins was known as "Young Hoppe" or that Jimmy Reid was "Handsome."
JAM
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JAM said:You know what, SJM, you're correct amundo! I got these stats from my complimentary 2004 U.S. Open program, and there is definitely a typo.
Earl Strickland won the U.S. Open 9-Ball Title in 1984, 1987, 1993, 1997, and 2000. In the program, it says Reed Pierce a/k/a "Rebel" of Jackson, MS won the U.S. Open 9-Ball Title in 2000 which, as you so rightly point out, should have read "1995."
Great memory, SJM, and you're right on the money, as usual!
BTW, checking out the nicknames in this program, I never knew that Allen Hopkins was known as "Young Hoppe" or that Jimmy Reid was "Handsome."
JAM
Now you're being too kind, JAM.
FYI, I've seen that kind of mistake in a program before. Still, I love going through old programs from pool events and reliving the memories. For example, in the blurb about Jose Parica in the program from the 1978 World Straight Pool Championships, it says "This is Jose's first visit to the U.S.". Yowser!
Thanks Mr. Helfert
Thank you, Mr. Helfert, for contributing to this thread, even after all this time has passed....I have to admit I am still a fan of Earl's ability in pool, if not his behavior...I feel fortunate to live in a time when I could witness one of pool's all time great talents...along with the great contribution that Accu-stats videos have provided us to witness again and again what pool playing greatness is about...I must have about 4-5 videos of Earl's matches against other greats such as Buddy Hall, Steve Mizerak, Kim Davenport, and others where he ran out in the middle of the match with 5, 6, and 7 racks in a row....along with his classic matches with Efren, including the Color of Money match in Hong Kong....it's all there for the world to see...history recorded....thank you too, Pat Fleming....jay helfert said:
According to Earl......
I spoke to Earl about this a few years back. He claimed that the reason he lost the tournament to CJ is because CJ told him right before they played the match that he wasn't going to get paid for the 11 racks. I'll never forget Earl telling me about this....he said ......."Have you ever taked a balloon that is blown up and popped it with a needle or pen?....Well that's what I felt like after CJ told me I wasn't getting my money.".....Thus, was his reason for a poor performance in the finals.
pooljunkie4ever said:
I spoke to Earl about this a few years back. He claimed that the reason he lost the tournament to CJ is because CJ told him right before they played the match that he wasn't going to get paid for the 11 racks. I'll never forget Earl telling me about this....he said ......."Have you ever taked a balloon that is blown up and popped it with a needle or pen?....Well that's what I felt like after CJ told me I wasn't getting my money.".....Thus, was his reason for a poor performance in the finals.