A Minnesota news channel does a story about Jimmy "The Kid" Wetch, his pool hall and his glory days as a professional pool player - some would say the BEST IN THE WORLD during his time!
The founder of a Columbia Heights pool hall was once considered one of the best billiards players in the world. The world. Joe Mason has his roller coaster life story in this week's So Minnesota.
It's neither dark or smoky.
Jimmy's pro billiards in Columbia Heights is an upscale pool hall.
A felt ocean that's been here more than two decades. This is my favorite stick. If you like the feel and the looks, you know, it's kind of like you dress good. You feel good, you know.
The man I play pool with, whose name is on the front of the building, is now 55 years old.
You look like you should have started this when you were younger. You got natural talent.
But many still call him by his youthful nickname. He made a comment. Every good pool player has got to have a nickname. And he goes, well, nobody's the kid around here. You're the kid, Jimmy the kid. And so that's hidden. Still stop. Even if I go to a pro tournament today, they introduce me as Jimmy the kid.
Many consider Jimmy the kid, which the greatest Minnesota to ever pick up a cue stick.
Why was this mesmerized by a growing up in St. Paul, Jimmy fell in love with the sport. Playing pool halls around the Twin Cities. Yeah, it's fun when you're a kid that had a few bucks and make a few bucks, you know.
Pool became his passion. Jimmy dropped out of high school to take up the life of a road player. A hustler.
He's got the eye, he's got the stroke, he's got the fling. Vincent's the best.(...) Like Vincent, Tom Cruise's character in the movie Color of Money. You want my game? You couldn't deal with my game, Jack. You're out, man. Well, you are somewhat of an actor. You know, I'd go under a different name. And then after I was on the road a few years, sometimes people would be talking about me and I'd be sitting right next to him. But I was under a different name, so they didn't realize it.
For six years, Jimmy made money traveling the country.(...) But his hustling days ended on one very dark night in Houston. That's when bad things happened. After a large score playing high stakes pool,
Jimmy and his girlfriend were brutally attacked by men, demanding the money he had won. They just hit me in the face with a gun and my girlfriend too at the time. And then they put pillowcases over our head. So you thought you were going to be executed.
Not long after, Jimmy decided to go pro. Normally, you have to earn enough points to get on the pro tour back then. But I was let on the tour because of the quality of player that I would have already established. The current eight ball champion looks to repeat as he defends his title against a young Turk from Bloomington, Minnesota. Jimmy started winning. Jimmy, what you about to make it seven for and winning?
Feels like he died and went to heaven. Won the rookie of the year playing in tournaments on ESPN.(...) All right, Jimmy, what talking about language? By the mid 90s, Jimmy was the fifth ranked pool player in the world. Because I prepared, I practiced hard. You know, I don't believe anybody practiced harder than I did. Look at him. He is deadpan serious. A few years later, he retired as a pro and opened his own pool hall.
Jimmy's success on the tables came from within and inner drive to become the best. That heart that don't give up type of spirit, you know, almost get teary eyed saying it's just it's real, you know.
Jimmy's life could be a movie,(...) but it was real. There's so many memories.
These days, he has a few more wrinkles. His hair is turned gray. I'm still here.
But Jimmy, which will forever be known as the kid in Columbia Heights, Joe Mazin, five eyewitness news.
The kid, what a story.
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17 сен 2024
