Video 1986 Crane/Burke 14.1

dmgwalsh

dmgwalsh

Straight Pool Fanatic
Silver Member
I posted this before in the Straight Pool Section. I see you guys liked the Balsis Crane match and although this is not the quality of the earlier video and has no commmentary, I thought some of you old timers might like to take a look.

I earlier had a version uploaded that was very blurry, but I reconverted and it is now better.

Crane about 20 years older than the Crane/Balsis match.

No commentary but there is audio and you can hear him muttering about his position once in a while.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5266866928670562306
 
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dmgwalsh said:
I posted this before in the Straight Pool Section. I see you guys liked the Balsis Crane match and although this is not the quality of the earlier video and has no commmentary, I thought some of you old timers might like to take a look.

I earlier had a version uploaded that was very blurry, but I reconverted and it is now better.

Crane about 20 years older than the Crane/Balsis match.

No commentary but there is audio and you can hear him muttering about his position once in a while.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5266866928670562306
Click to expand...

Is that Jimmy Burke?
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
Is that Jimmy Burke?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure of his first name. I got this as a vhs from Rolando Aravena a few years back. Any info would be appreciated.
 
dmgwalsh said:
I'm not sure of his first name. I got this as a vhs from Rolando Aravena a few years back. Any info would be appreciated.
Click to expand...


Wow. If you got it from Rolando, then it is likely Jimmy Burke! Wow. I met Jimmy around 1990 or so and I was only a kid then. It's nice to see something like this.
 
dmgwalsh said:
I posted this before in the Straight Pool Section. I see you guys liked the Balsis Crane match and although this is not the quality of the earlier video and has no commmentary, I thought some of you old timers might like to take a look.

I earlier had a version uploaded that was very blurry, but I reconverted and it is now better.

Crane about 20 years older than the Crane/Balsis match.

No commentary but there is audio and you can hear him muttering about his position once in a while.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5266866928670562306
Click to expand...

God bless Irving, 73 years old and can still hit the pockets. He had a bad leg by then and had trouble getting around the table, but still expected a lot of himself.
 
jay helfert said:
God bless Irving, 73 years old and can still hit the pockets. He had a bad leg by then and had trouble getting around the table, but still expected a lot of himself.
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Exactly!
Just imagine...he had the heart to compete in this, the 1986 World 14.1 Championship like you said at the age of 73! Keep in mind that he won his 1st World 14.1 Championship in 1942! He was runner-up in 1937 & 1941 before he won his 6 World 14.1 Championships (1942-1946-1955-1968-1970-1972)! In other words, Irving Crane won WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS in 4 different decades and was competing in World 14.1 Championships in 6 decades (1930's - 1980's). The only other player to have ever won World Championships in pocket billiards over 4 different decades was Alfredo DeOro.
To properly put his greatness into perspective.....John Schmidt won his 14.1 World Championship in 2003. Oliver Ortmann won it in 2007. To have the consistancy and longevity that Irving Crane had, both of them must still be winning World Championships into the 2030's, when John will be in his 60's and Oliver in his 70's!
One more thing...Crane had as his contemporaries Ralph Greenleaf, Frank Taberski, Jimmy Caras, Erwin Rudolph, Willie Mosconi, Joe Balsis, Luther Lassiter, Cicero Murphy, Ed Kelly, Dallas West and Ray Martin, among others. These are only the 14.1 specialists, it doesn't count all the 9 ball greats who also entered some of the later championships.
Today, the 14.1 specialists consist of the elite John Schmidt, Oliver Ortmann, Ralf Souquet, Thomas Engert, Danny Harriman, Min Wai Chin and Thorsten Hohmann. Most of the others who enter the recently revived 14.1 World Championships are fledgling straight pool players.

My bottom line is that even though guys like Irving Crane are now out of sight, lets not keep them out of mind.
 
worriedbeef said:
here's a good article on Crane.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpa...936A15752C1A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1

have to say i especially liked Fats's quote at the end. :)
Click to expand...


That was a very good article. Thanks for posting it!

One small correction...Irving Crane did not win a World 14.1 Championship in 1966. It was the U.S. Open 14.1 Championship that he won in 1966.

Since we're now on some of his other titles...he also won the 14.1 Championship at the 1967 Johnston City Tournament as well as the 14.1 Championship at the 1965 Stardust Open, which was also a Johnston City-like all around tournament with 1 pocket, 9 ball, 14.1 and then the all-around championship.

He was definitley one of the all time greats in our great sport.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
Wow. If you got it from Rolando, then it is likely Jimmy Burke! Wow. I met Jimmy around 1990 or so and I was only a kid then. It's nice to see something like this.
Click to expand...

Jude,

It is in-fact Jimmy Burke, I have a copy of the tape at home myself, I've known Jimmy for somewhere in the neighborhood of 35-40 yrs.
Jimmy was a regular around the New York City pool scene all his life, and had the opportunity to play many of the Champions over the years, before moving to Arizona he used to play straight pool with Ginky at Amsterdam West.
He comes back East to visit with family and friends every year around the Holidays, and always makes his way to the City to visit the poolrooms, it's in his blood for sure, the only thing he ever really wanted to do.
 
Railbird said:
Jude,

It is in-fact Jimmy Burke, I have a copy of the tape at home myself, I've known Jimmy for somewhere in the neighborhood of 35-40 yrs.
Jimmy was a regular around the New York City pool scene all his life, and had the opportunity to play many of the Champions over the years, before moving to Arizona he used to play straight pool with Ginky at Amsterdam West.
He comes back East to visit with family and friends every year around the Holidays, and always makes his way to the City to visit the poolrooms, it's in his blood for sure, the only thing he ever really wanted to do.
Click to expand...


Yeah, when I was about 19 years old, he used to take me to poolrooms all over the city. He'd try to get action and I'd watch and learn. He's a good guy and as I've improved over the years, I've always regretted having not seen him in his prime. I know this video isn't exactly old, it's still older than the time I've known him so it's a treat.

I've seen him on his occasional eastcoast trips, as well. Always looking like he's gotten more sun than the average pool player!
 
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