TRU E S TORY
A Day for Jimmy Caras
It was sometime in June of 1991 when Jimmy Caras approached me and said he had to get ready for a challenge match with Willie Mosconi The match had been planned for months and it was time to get serious about getting in stroke. So, we made a practice schedule and stuck to it. Every day was like watching a boxer train for the heavy weight world championship. We spared together day after day. Jimmy was 82 years old at the time but acted like a teenager that had just fell in love with the game of pool. Everyone could see Jimmy was up for this one and getting better with every stroke. There was really a buzz around the pool room. All our regulars would show up every day to watch Jimmy and I practice. I (Bob Maidhof) had met Jimmy about two years before and was fortunate to have acquired a wonderful friendship with one of the greatest players of all time and felt blessed to have been so lucky. Everyone at the pool room (Drexeline
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Billiard Club) was primed to go spectate this marvelous event. We bought about 30 tickets to this Dinner Show Exhibition and that was not enough. Probably 35 people plus attended from our pool room. Anyway, day after day of practice was paying off as Jimmy was running 50 balls plus every day, and that ain’t chopped liver at the age of 82 folks. Funny thing about when I first met Jimmy was that when my wife Susan and I had first opened The Drexeline Billiard Club early in 1989, Jimmy Caras had found his way to our pool room to check it out. He walked in and I immediately knew who he was (My Idol in the pool world) and ran up to introduce myself. I was very excited and said, “Mr. Caras, my name is Bob and it is so cool to have you here.” He looked at me funny, said hi, and walked out. I could not
figure out where I went wrong and if I had offended him. I asked my counter person, Marie, “What did I do wrong for him to walk out?” We could not figure it out other then Jimmy not wanting people to make a big thing over his presents. A few days went by and here came Jimmy Caras again, walking into the pool room. I decided to not pay him any mind. Did not want to shark him again. He stayed a while, just watching the hackers, had a cup of coffee, and chewing on a cigar then exited. He fell into that routine the rest of that week, with me not saying a peep to him. He kept to himself for the most part. The following week he was bringing his cue now and hitting balls around. Found out he was killing time while his wife Phyllis was at bowling league. This went on for about a month.