Terry Ardeno said:
I don't know if Balsis ever won more than a match or two. I just remember him complaining about having to play this "hustlers" game. Crane, on the other hand, always gave it his all when he got on the table.
Jay,
These are exactly the kind of tid bits I'm interested in. Those comments I've quoted from you are very revealing about their personalities.
I never met or spoke with Balsis, but for some reason, I've always liked him from what I've read about him. Crane I have spoken with and your comments are dead on with my perception of him. From all that I've found out about studying about these players, your comments on both of them jive perfectly with what I've been able to piece together. Crane had a lot of pride in his game and he took his performance along the same lines as Mosconi did...try to be perfect at all times and settle for nothing but your very best effort. Balsis, it seems to me, was more along the lines of giving it his best but mainly, have fun with the other guys and when all is said and done, pool was not really his life like it was Crane's.[/QUOTE]
Terry,
Trust me, Joe Balsis was a HARD competitor! He wanted to beat everyone he played and bury them if he could. He just didn't like One Pocket and if he got behind in a match, he might give up. He would laugh it off, like it didn't mean anything. But deep down, I think it bothered him that inferior players could beat him easily at this game. That may be why he felt the need to criticize the game.
Irving Crane may have disliked it even more than Balsis, but he would never say anything. And he would never give up in a match either. He always felt like he had a chance to win, even if he was playing someone like Shorty or Red One Pocket. They would have to earn it.
Irving was quite content to keep to himself at tournaments. He didn't seek people out to talk with, and most everyone respected his space, so to speak. After all, the man was a legend! And even the hustlers respected his all around ability as a player. Irving Crane was a SERIOUS pool player, one of the best who ever lived! Probably right up there with Mosconi and Caras as the best of their generation.
Joe Balsis was also a great player and much more gregarious than Crane. Joe would sit around and gab with the boys. Many people don't know that Joe quit Pool for 18 years to raise a family and run a business. That is why his record is not as glossy as some other players. What they also may not know is that Joe was a money player as a young man. He would gamble at 9-Ball or 14.1. So he had some "hustle" in him and related to the young guns of the day.