Dale was a teacher at Trumansburg high-school. Ive known Dale since i was 6 years old.
I moved away to Binghamton to play semi-professional ice hockey when i was 15. I picked up pool there in Binghamton and moved back to Trumansburg when my professioanl career in hockey didnt pan out. So being the stupid YOUNG punk (19) i was i went to challenge him. It was well known that Dale Baker from Trumansburg was the best around. Funny but i use to hang out with the NY 9-ball champion and a hand full of hustlers and pros. So ive seen BIG money games with some great players. I thought he would be a joke after witnessing what i witnessed.
I strolled up to the High School and found him in Study Hall. I walk up to him and he says..." Messy!!!....How are ya??" Yeah i got the nick name messy jesse because of my pasta stained cheeks in elementary school.
oke:
Back to the main point of the story
I said to him..." I hear that your the best pool player around. " His retort....." Is that a fact??? " LOL I'll never forget that! I asked him if he wanted play some down at the pool hall after school and then he's says..." Why the hell would i go to a pool hall were i cant drink or smoke when i have a 9 foot Brunswick in my house?" My jaw hit the floor and he invited me up to play after school was over. A hour later i knocked on his door and he invited me in. He leads me to the entrance (photo in original post) and says, "Welcome to Dale's Pool Hall!!" VERY nice set-up indeed!! I ask him to play one-pocket and he stomps me 8 to -2.
"Alright lets play a race to 9 in 9-ball!!" I rack em and lose 9-3. The whole time im getting beat i chalk it up to him getting lucky rolls...Bad rolls for me etc etc. So after the lastest thrasing he ask me what i wanted to play next. I think i have em now and i say, "Straight POOL!!!" He replies, "NOW your talking...." At this very moment i felt all the blood rush out of my head down to my stomach and i KNEW i was in trouble. I did the opening break and left him a very long shot on the 5 in the lower left corner. He bares down and rocks it straight into the heart of the pocket and the cue hits the end rail and CLICKS open the rack. All the balls spread out perfectly. He then weaved the cue ball through the rack time and time again. The next time i got to the table (45 minutes) the scores was 92-0!!!! My goal at that point was just to make it look respectful :help: I ended up losing 150-38. He looked at me and said...."Jesse.....You got thrashed!!" We have a saying in his room. If you beat your opponent by more than half your got THRASHED!! If you just plain lose than you got your A** kicked.
He told me that i had the eye and some knowledge and understanding of teh game so he offered to teach me. He has nobody to play out there in the sticks and for me to challenge him was enough of a payment i guess. So of course i leapt at it. I mean he does TEACH for a living right?? For the next 2 years i went over to play almost everyday.
I only beat him once at any game in those two years and that game was straight pool. I won 150-145. It was close but after it was over i looked over to him and said...."Dale......It looks like you got your A** kick!!" He smile and laugh and said...."Well it sure looks that way doesnt it!!" We both laugh and i gave him a big hug. It was the last day before i moved to SF and it filled me with a great sense of accomplishment and happiness to know i was ready to be out on my own :thumbup2:
I cant wait to go back home to play him. I am forever grateful to know that he made me the player i am today and that there is nothign i can do to fully repay him. Thats why i teach now. It makes me happy to see people get better and smile when the hit that shot perfectly. I do have a saying for my students.....
"The true pleasure i get from teaching pool is when i see the smile, The smile only happens when they KNOW that they didnt just hit the shot great but PERFECTLY" It makes me proud tbh.
If anybody on here from central NY would like a chance to play Dale please send me a PM. Im sure he would like to have some new challengers up to his place. I will forewarn you......You better bring your A game or be pre-paired to get THRASED!!!! LOL