The Sweet Spot in Time

ctyhntr said:
Thank you for sharing. I would love to hear more.
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Thanks, ctyhntr. As to reading more, it actually started out longer, but when I went to post it I got the, "Your post is longer than 13,000 characters..." screen. So I had to whittle it down. My Town & Country days have provided me with plenty of recollections. Maybe there'll be a redux on down the road.

Lou Figueroa
 
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jay helfert said:
BRAVO Lou! Great story and so much fun to read. I was in "your" joint (the Town & Country) way back when. It was something like 1968 or '69. They were having a tournament with something like $500 added, very good in those days. I was on my way to Frisco but I stopped to play in it. I did okay (maybe 5th-6th) but got knocked out by Tom Spencer from Chicago who was also on the road. He won it, I remember that. I was looking for Frisco Dave and left the next day to try to find him. We finally met at some pool room in Sausilito, and ended up playing for two days. I'm sorry I didn't hang around more at your place. I'm sure it would have been fun, since I liked to play all those games back then. I think I stopped in there one more time on a trip north from L.A. That place may still be there, I'm not sure.

Those were the days of .30 ct. gas and $10-15 motels. A lot of guys were on the road back then, and I would see the same guys at places all over the West Coast, wherever there was action. I played almost everybody you listed at some time or another, plus Cole, Sax Del Porto and Joe Smiley. Believe it or not, I even played Dorothy Wise in an exhibition once. I took her too lightly and she beat me in a 75 point game. I was embarrassed as hell with some of my buddies watching, but she did play good.
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Thanks, Jay. We might have just missed each other. I was there starting around '69.

I vaguely remember a pool hall in Sausalito, but never went. There were rooms in Redwood City, San Rafael, San Mateo, Berkeley, then those in the city like T&C, The Palacade, Vans, Family Billiards, for a while a little room in the Sunset district, Palace, and Cochrans.

I didn't think Sax gambled. I saw him several times with his wife (Evelyn?) and I don't think I saw him in action once. Cole of course was another story. And yes, Dorothy could play a little straight pool. Another woman who stopped in was Mary Canelos who was trying to make her bones back then, but didn't play anywhere near Dorothy's speed. I played her once and crushed her like a ripe grape :-)

Lou Figueroa
 
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BasementDweller said:
Great post Lou.

It's guys like you that keep lurkers like me around. I love your stories about as much as I appreciate your dedication to the game. I have given up on my game quite a few times but knowing there are people out there that continue to stick with it and strive to improve is part of the reason that I always come back. If they can do it, so can I. That's what I tell myself.

Just expressing something I'm grateful for. I ONLY DO THAT TODAY & TODAY ONLY.

Chris
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Hey, Chris, thanks. Sticking with the game can be trying. I know it wears me out. Part of the problem is that no matter how good you get or improve -- you still want more. It still isn't good enough. We are all the greyhounds on the track chasing, but never to catch the bunny. But it is still fun running around the track :-)

Lou Figueroa
 
Cuebuddy said:
Awesome story Lou, after seeing Town and Country billiards for the first time last summer and a few other spots in this story I really enjoyed it.
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Thanks, Cuebuddy.

Of course the T&C you saw is not the T&C I experienced. I stopped in there about six years ago and it was totally different. Stan was gone, the crowd, mostly Filipino now, was different. Even the tables may have been changed. I walked in from the cold one night and looked just looked around for a few minutes -- thinking back to so many adventures and characters -- and then left for the last time.

Lou Figueroa
 
Kickin' Chicken said:
Lou;

Being an 'eastie', I don't know many of the names in your story but certainly I've heard of Tugboat, Dorothy, Hawaiian Brian, and maybe just one or two others. But that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying your story.

You have wonderful writing skills. :ok:

That whole bit about the chain monkey was hilarious and sad all at the same time. Three hundred mile u-turn, indeed. Man!

Best,
Brian kc
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Thanks, Kickin'. It really was very, very sad for us that night. It only got funny years later. I actually saw Jerry for the first time in 30 years about two years ago. I had written another story in which he was a main player and wondered about him, so what with the Internet and all, it wasn't too tough to track him down and eventually get together with him. We went out to dinner and the 300 mile U-Turn was one of the stories we rehashed and laughed over. Amazing times.

Lou Figueroa
 
Gerry said:
Great stuff Lou!

Change the names and location and I have many of the same memories. Good times!

Shame many of the younger guys don;t get the chance to experience what we did.

For me at the time it was all about playing the best pool I could. Looking back now, it's all about the friends.

G.
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Thanks, Gerry. And you're right -- it's all about the people you were with.

Lou Figueroa
 
3RAILKICK said:
Thanks, Lou-

Cool story. Well written piece. A nice theatre of the mind episode.

Take care.



PS: I owned a 1969 Triumph TR6 in 1970 for about 6 months. Between the tickets and the collision repairs(honest-they ran into me)-it was not meant to be. The last time, I was hit by a lady backing her big Caddy out of the collision repair shop with her radio blaring. I had just pulled into the lot, the insurance adjuster was right behind me turning in from the street. I got sandwiched between them both. The adjuster had followed me there after assessing the damage to my car after it was sideswiped in the parking lot at work. The insurance adjuster advised me to sell the car after the repairs were completed. I did. I sold it to a Coroner-somehow that seemed right.
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I never thought of it as Theatre of the Mind, but that's a cool way of thinking about it. Thanks, 3RAIL And I can't imagine owning one of those TR6 -- I'd have been in jail from so many tickets in no time at all.

Lou Figueroa
 
Good old days

Like someone said, many places and people just like yours. We were fortunate to have those times weren't we. 14 year kids hanging with men our fathers age. 19 cent gas with gas wars and 17 cent gas. Black wingtip shoes. Anyone have taps on their shoes? Spitoons, cigars,and shaky old guys that could still play. Snooker tables only at my place. Browns was the pool hall in downtown Edmond, Ok. Another place right across the street. I think it had one 9foot pool table in back and of course a domino table. A town of probably 6000 people with easily 16 snooker tables. Nobody played pool, only snooker and golf and Kelly pool. One of the best local players was Benny Branch from Guthrie OK. He can tell stories of hooking up with Buddy Hall and David Matlock and our own local hero Doug Simpson. Little Dougie was driving a corvette when he was 16. Bought with pool money. I wouldn't trade those times for anything.
 
lfigueroa said:
Thanks, Jay. We might have just missed each other. I was there starting around '69.

I vaguely remember a pool hall in Sausalito, but never went. There were rooms in Redwood City, San Rafael, San Mateo, Berkeley, then those in the city like T&C, The Palacade, Vans, Family Billiards, for a while a little room in the Sunset district, Palace, and Cochrans.

I didn't think Sax gambled. I saw him several times with his wife (Evelyn?) and I don't think I saw him in action once. Cole of course was another story. And yes, Dorothy could play a little straight pool. Another woman who stopped in was Mary Canelos who was trying to make her bones back then, but didn't play anywhere near Dorothy's speed. I played her once and crushed her like a ripe grape :-)

Lou Figueroa
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You're right Lou about Sax (and yes Evelyn was his wife. We worked together at the Sands tourney back in the late 80's). But Sax loved to play, mostly 14.1 and he would give you a lesson while you played with him. I think he and Dee Hulse were very responsible for the development of Dorothy Wise. She had her own room up there for awhile as well.

I guess I've been in most of those rooms at one time or another, my favorites being the Palace and Cochrans. I saw a lot of good pool played in those two spots and played a little there myself (Trees, Ronnie Barber, Cole, Joe Smiley and Delbert, the guy who owns Family Billiards now). Delbert and I played each other again in the finals of the San Francisco Bar Table Championships held at the Moscone Center (about 1985). I got lucky as Effie likes to say. :D

There was another very good woman player from up there back then. I think her name was Cathy Miao or something like that. Tall and slim and not bad looking. She could play and would gamble a bit too. I didn't exactly "crush her like a grape," but let's just say I prevailed. :)

I didn't know we came so close to each other back then. I definitely would have played you 9-Ball or One Pocket if we had met. I was hard core back then. :cool:
 
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Very nice story and well written top! I really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for sharing.
 
Mr. Wiggles said:
Like someone said, many places and people just like yours. We were fortunate to have those times weren't we. 14 year kids hanging with men our fathers age. 19 cent gas with gas wars and 17 cent gas. Black wingtip shoes. Anyone have taps on their shoes? Spitoons, cigars,and shaky old guys that could still play. Snooker tables only at my place. Browns was the pool hall in downtown Edmond, Ok. Another place right across the street. I think it had one 9foot pool table in back and of course a domino table. A town of probably 6000 people with easily 16 snooker tables. Nobody played pool, only snooker and golf and Kelly pool. One of the best local players was Benny Branch from Guthrie OK. He can tell stories of hooking up with Buddy Hall and David Matlock and our own local hero Doug Simpson. Little Dougie was driving a corvette when he was 16. Bought with pool money. I wouldn't trade those times for anything.
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Wing tips and taps... hmm, no. But I will confess to some polyester shirts, bell bottoms and platform shoes :-) Thanks, Mr. W.

Lou Figueroa
playing in the ACUI- West Coast event
at the UCLA Student Union about then
 

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Mr. Wiggles said:
Like someone said, many places and people just like yours. We were fortunate to have those times weren't we. 14 year kids hanging with men our fathers age. 19 cent gas with gas wars and 17 cent gas. Black wingtip shoes. Anyone have taps on their shoes? Spitoons, cigars,and shaky old guys that could still play. Snooker tables only at my place. Browns was the pool hall in downtown Edmond, Ok. Another place right across the street. I think it had one 9foot pool table in back and of course a domino table. A town of probably 6000 people with easily 16 snooker tables. Nobody played pool, only snooker and golf and Kelly pool. One of the best local players was Benny Branch from Guthrie OK. He can tell stories of hooking up with Buddy Hall and David Matlock and our own local hero Doug Simpson. Little Dougie was driving a corvette when he was 16. Bought with pool money. I wouldn't trade those times for anything.
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Those were the days, for me the mid 70's - mid 80's were great and all the 90's were awesome for making a living playing pool!


David Harcrow
 
jay helfert said:
You're right Lou about Sax (and yes Evelyn was his wife. We worked together at the Sands tourney back in the late 80's). But Sax loved to play, mostly 14.1 and he would give you a lesson while you played with him. I think he and Dee Hulse were very responsible for the development of Dorothy Wise. She had her own room up there for awhile as well.

I guess I've been in most of those rooms at one time or another, my favorites being the Palace and Cochrans. I saw a lot of good pool played in those two spots and played a little there myself (Trees, Ronnie Barber, Cole, Joe Smiley and Delbert, the guy who owns Family Billiards now). Delbert and I played each other again in the finals of the San Francisco Bar Table Championships held at the Moscone Center (about 1985). I got lucky as Effie likes to say. :D

There was another very good woman player from up there back then. I think her name was Cathy Miao or something like that. Tall and slim and not bad looking. She could play and would gamble a bit too. I didn't exactly "crush her like a grape," but let's just say I prevailed. :)

I didn't know we came so close to each other back then. I definitely would have played you 9-Ball or One Pocket if we had met. I was hard core back then. :cool:
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We couldn't have played. I was a guppy, back then. I only knew how to play 9ball and 14.1

And yes, Kathy Miao. She was my girlfriend for a while back then. Lovely woman. You must have met her later on :-)

Lou Figueroa
 
Lous 'strikes' again

Hey Lou -

Nice story - good to see you posting those great memories.

Glad to see you polishing up your skills - you might want to visit Las Vegas again in mid-May.

US Open One Pocket is May 13-15 (based on 32) or last 6 might have to play on Monday if over 32 (Not to exceed 48).

More info coming and might want to revisit the 10-Ball experience from last year.

You write pretty good - but then you know that, write???

Talk to you later,

Mark Griffin
 
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