Portland Don Watson & Creole Freddie

CaptainHook said:

Anyone know any stories about these guys?

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glee said:

Hi Captain, I'm totally amazed no one has responded to this thread! Surely someone on this forum has some recall of these players. Well shame on them if they are too lazy to respond. Portland Don gets some pretty good press in Gradys book, but I don't remember the Beard mentioning him in The Gospel.
...Richard told me it was something to see, Don played every position angle perfect, said it was like watching a surgeon. I think that session took place in 1962 or 63...

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glee said:

Hi Captain, I'm totally amazed no one has responded to this thread! Surely someone on this forum has some recall of these players. Well shame on them if they are too lazy to respond. Portland Don gets some pretty good press in Gradys book, but I don't remember the Beard mentioning him in The Gospel.
Well heres what I know know about him. In Cochorans, late 50's or early 60's, not quite sure. A friend of mine pointed him out to me. He was sitting on a bench with a few other older fellows, all of them well dressed and reading, racing forms,magazines, and gossiping. My friend said Don was one of the best 9 ball players in the world. I'm from the east side of the bay and only get to get to Cochorans infrequently but its always the same scene, Don on the bench with his friends and the racing forms and magazines. This is about 2 or 3 or 4 years of the same scene. I don't rember seeing him pick up a cue ever. Its kind of lonley being very good.
Now for Don in action. About 35 years ago a friend of mine told me his version of the Portland Don and Bucktooth matchup. Richard was with his father Charlie at Cochorans and Richard asked Don to play 9 ball, according to my friend the price was $100 a game. Don stepped up and ran 11 racks in a row, Charlie who was in, stood up and said Richard it's time to go home. Toothy got all huffy and said I HAVEN'T GOT TO SHOOT YET! Charlie simply said thats the reason we are going home!
Well that was along time ago when I heard that tale, so after I read your post I thought I should call the Tooth and get his side of the story, here it is Richards version of the session. The bet was $20 a game and some side bets, Rhchard had left his pool room in Hayward with about $600 in his little red tin money box and a few games had been played going back and forth. Now Richard is shooting an easy shot on the 8 and Charlie says something and distracts him,he missed the pocket by a full diamond. Don runs the two balls and wins. Don breaks and runs out, then he breaks and runs out again, total he runs out 7 racks. Richard tells Don he won't play anymore on that table, he thinks hes got it rigged somehow so Don says lets change tables. New table, and Don brakes and runs 7 more racks. Richard and his dad go back to East Oakland broke. Richard told me it was something to see, Don played every position angle perfect, said it was like watching a suergon. I think that session took place in 1962 or 63.
Well Captain, looks like you got two big windies for the price of one. Hope you get alot of good rolls. Have a nice evening, George

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jrhendy said:

Mid to late 60's, Don was around El Monte, Ca and staying with Popcorn near the 5 Points Bowl. He always had a paperback book in his back pocket and they often had to sober him up when there was action for him. I can't remember anyone beating him, and not very many road players tried. There was a lot of bar table action then and he was unbeatable there too. There was a place called the Three P's not far from the bowl and I watched him beat Bakersfield Bobby and Mexican Mario when Mario returned to CA after being down south for a long time. He was considered to be one of the best bar box players in the country at that time and Don drilled him. His position play was like watching Mosconi at straight pool. Every angle perfect and close to his work. He never had much to say, would just take it off, get a jug and another book and stay away until they put together another game for him. John Henderson

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fred bentivegna said:

I beg to differ, Glee. This is an excerpt from the GosPool:
Most Perfect Nine-ball Patterns:
"Portland Don"Watson. When Don got to the Nine-ball, his position was so perfect, that dapper-dressed, legendary Wild West gunfighter Bat Masterson, could have shot it in with his cane.

There is no player I ever seen play the game more perfectly than Don Watson. The next two guys whose patterns were just under Don's (IMO), were Irving Crane (had a terrible break shot) and Port Chester Mickey Carpinello (profiled in Banking With The Beard).

the Beard

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JAM said:

If it's "Kreole" Freddie Yates, he was the Technical Director for The Snap magazine, which to this day is my FAVORITE pool periodical, bar none. Too bad the magazine didn't stay afloat for a longer period of time. To me, it represented the essence of American pool, which is my passion.

I met Freddie Yates only one time at the 2003 or '4 DCC when I was introduced to him and his lovely wife, and I think it was the 2004 Glass City Open in Toledo that he attended when I had some time to sit down and chat with him. He seemed like a nice chap to me.

I have heard some incredible stories about Freddie Yates, some of which I won't publish on this forum. One thing I will state, though, is that I truly enjoy to this day The Snap magazine and Freddie Yates' articles which included player profiles, "Rail Trails," et cetera, along with the late Corinne Hoffman, the late Bennie Conway a/k/a The Goose, Leonard Bludworth, Buddy Hall, Grady Mathews, and, interestingly for me, a young, enthusiastic, and very much involved John Lewis -- the very essence of American pool, IMHO. You don't see too much concentration in The Snap on Filipinos, Europeans, and Asian-Pacific Islander pool players. Oh, how times have changed.

Here's the beginning of an article written by Kreole Freddie in The Snap magazine, June/July 1990: The first time I saw Benny Conway was 18 years ago in a small Mississippi town. He was on a road trip down from Missouri, and I was managing the local pool room. When I noticed him, he was standing just inside the door. He looked like anything other than a pool player, but since he carried a cue case, I sent a few of the local players over to challenge him....

Benny was born 46 years ago in Kansas City, Missouri. He was the son of a man who made his living with a pair of dice, a man who was known all over the State in gambling circles as "Shipwreck" Conway. In the '40s, Kansas City was a hot spot on the Missouri River for pool, cards, and dice action. Benny Conway, Sr., and his brother "Whitey" opened a small pool room which was a front for their card and dice games....

Benny's first match that day was with the one and only Eddie Taylor, a legend in his own time. After a 11-1 thrashing by Mr. Taylor, Benny was the first to admit that Eddie was one of the greatest players of all time. Benny's second match was with Ronnie Allen, another superstar of the era. Bennie won 11-7 over that West Coast star. Afterwards, he overheard Cornbread Red remark, "The Goose cooked Ronnie." The 20-year-old liked the sound of that, and the nickname became a part of the colorful career of Benny Conway....

JAM

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loveshiscue said:

Didnt Freddie Yates go to prison for either robbing pool rooms of their cues or fencing stolen cues?

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Smorgass Bored said:

JAM woke me up with:
"the late Bennie Conway a/k/a The Goose"


What ! When did "Benny Without A Penny" pass away ? I met him in New Orleans 30 years ago and again when I moved to Tampa. We used to bet the horses together and he always paid me back any money that he 'borrowed'.... this is sad news and a surprise to me.
Btw, I have all the SNAP magazines too. I bought them (and a subscription) from Benny at Bakers back in '89 at one of Corrines tournaments with such players as Buddy, The Goose, Steve Cook, Tom Brown, Dennis Hatch and his uncle, Tommy Kennedy,Ditoro,Ray Martin, etc.

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JAM said:

If it's "Kreole" Freddie Yates, he was the Technical Director for The Snap magazine, which to this day is my FAVORITE pool periodical, bar none. Too bad the magazine didn't stay afloat for a longer period of time. To me, it represented the essence of American pool, which is my passion.

I met Freddie Yates only one time at the 2003 or '4 DCC when I was introduced to him and his lovely wife, and I think it was the 2004 Glass City Open in Toledo that he attended when I had some time to sit down and chat with him. He seemed like a nice chap to me.

I have heard some incredible stories about Freddie Yates, some of which I won't publish on this forum. One thing I will state, though, is that I truly enjoy to this day The Snap magazine and Freddie Yates' articles which included player profiles, "Rail Trails," et cetera, along with the late Corinne Hoffman, the late Bennie Conway a/k/a The Goose, Leonard Bludworth, Buddy Hall, Grady Mathews, and, interestingly for me, a young, enthusiastic, and very much involved John Lewis -- the very essence of American pool, IMHO. You don't see too much concentration in The Snap on Filipinos, Europeans, and Asian-Pacific Islander pool players. Oh, how times have changed.

Here's the beginning of an article written by Kreole Freddie in The Snap magazine, June/July 1990: The first time I saw Benny Conway was 18 years ago in a small Mississippi town. He was on a road trip down from Missouri, and I was managing the local pool room. When I noticed him, he was standing just inside the door. He looked like anything other than a pool player, but since he carried a cue case, I sent a few of the local players over to challenge him....

Benny was born 46 years ago in Kansas City, Missouri. He was the son of a man who made his living with a pair of dice, a man who was known all over the State in gambling circles as "Shipwreck" Conway. In the '40s, Kansas City was a hot spot on the Missouri River for pool, cards, and dice action. Benny Conway, Sr., and his brother "Whitey" opened a small pool room which was a front for their card and dice games....

Benny's first match that day was with the one and only Eddie Taylor, a legend in his own time. After a 11-1 thrashing by Mr. Taylor, Benny was the first to admit that Eddie was one of the greatest players of all time. Benny's second match was with Ronnie Allen, another superstar of the era. Bennie won 11-7 over that West Coast star. Afterwards, he overheard Cornbread Red remark, "The Goose cooked Ronnie." The 20-year-old liked the sound of that, and the nickname became a part of the colorful career of Benny Conway....

JAM

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jrhendy said:

Mid to late 60's, Don was around El Monte, Ca and staying with Popcorn near the 5 Points Bowl. He always had a paperback book in his back pocket and they often had to sober him up when there was action for him. I can't remember anyone beating him, and not very many road players tried. There was a lot of bar table action then and he was unbeatable there too. There was a place called the Three P's not far from the bowl and I watched him beat Bakersfield Bobby and Mexican Mario when Mario returned to CA after being down south for a long time. He was considered to be one of the best bar box players in the country at that time and Don drilled him. His position play was like watching Mosconi at straight pool. Every angle perfect and close to his work. He never had much to say, would just take it off, get a jug and another book and stay away until they put together another game for him. John Henderson

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Smorgass Bored said:

JAM woke me up with:
"the late Bennie Conway a/k/a The Goose"


What ! When did "Benny Without A Penny" pass away ? I met him in New Orleans 30 years ago and again when I moved to Tampa. We used to bet the horses together and he always paid me back any money that he 'borrowed'.... this is sad news and a surprise to me.
Btw, I have all the SNAP magazines too. I bought them (and a subscription) from Benny at Bakers back in '89 at one of Corrines tournaments with such players as Buddy, The Goose, Steve Cook, Tom Brown, Dennis Hatch and his uncle, Tommy Kennedy,Ditoro,Ray Martin, etc.

Click to expand...

Smorgass Bored said:

JAM woke me up with:
"the late Bennie Conway a/k/a The Goose"


What ! When did "Benny Without A Penny" pass away ? I met him in New Orleans 30 years ago and again when I moved to Tampa. We used to bet the horses together and he always paid me back any money that he 'borrowed'.... this is sad news and a surprise to me.
Btw, I have all the SNAP magazines too. I bought them (and a subscription) from Benny at Bakers back in '89 at one of Corrines tournaments with such players as Buddy, The Goose, Steve Cook, Tom Brown, Dennis Hatch and his uncle, Tommy Kennedy,Ditoro,Ray Martin, etc.

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JAM said:

I just asked Keith if Benny Senior had passed, and he said no. I reminded him of the conversation we had with Benny Junior, and Keith states he has no recollection of the Senior's demise.

So Benny Conway, Sr., is alive and well, and I stand firmly corrected.

JAM

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