Born MAY 29, 1928
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Bob Bowers has been playing pool since 1940. He started playing when he was 12 years old and joined the Navy when he was 17. He was stationed in Pensacola, Florida where he would play on a company table with make-shift equipment. His company would play with mop and broom handles since there were no pool sticks available. Finally, when Bob acquired his first pool stick, he discovered that he was able to beat nearly anybody who challenged.
Bob’s high run occurred in the early 1960s when he ran 99 balls. In 1962, Bob played Willie Masconi in an exhibition match at the Lincoln Way Lanes. While Bob didn’t win, Bob will point out nobody else did either. The score was 150 to 56 with Bob having a 25 ball run. The first time he played the legendary Don Willis, it was on a bar box. Bob beat Willis four straight games of eight ball at the Rainbow Cafe. He ran the first three games at $2 per game. In the middle 1960s, Dave Norris asked Willis who was the best player in the Stark County area, and Willis remarked it was Bob Bowers.
Bob’s best game was straight pool. He won a straight pool tournament in 1963, at the Varsity Pool Room on Wertz Avenue, by beating a local player named Mike Batch. In addition, he beat Mike Vogley at the College Bowl, 50 - 0, who was subsequently killed in a car crash. Bob also played on nine foot tables at Lehmans and at the College Bowl beating past and present pool players. In September, 1985, Bob began his team 8-ball career playing with the Log Cabin. He joined a team at El Toros, and they won the Louisville league in 1986 and 1987. Bob followed teammate Ed Kilgore, when he purchased the Log Cabin (nka Bennetts), where they won three successive years. He won two trips in the Massillon League to Milwaukee in the middle 1980s. Bob also won a qualifier for the Sandusky tournament event during that period. In 1988, at the age of 60 years old, Bob led his team to the Championship as MVP.
Despite all of Bob’s accomplishments on the pool table, however, his family shall always come first. Bob has been married for 33 years. He is extremely proud of his son and daughter, plus his two grandsons. In talking to Bob, tears escaped not as he told of his accomplishments and trophies won but of the love and admiration his grandchildren have for him.
THE GREATER CANTON AMATEUR BILLIARDS ASSOCIATION
BORN 4/26/49
MERITORIOUS & ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Cheryl started to play when she married her husband, Fran, 28 years ago. However, she didn’t begin to play seriously until approximately ten years ago. After moving to California, she returned to the Louisville area in 1975 and bought the Village Tavern in 1978. Cheryl decided to start a pool league to help her business plus she had a vision of bringing players together for fun and competition. At that time, there were no other leagues in the area and she was uncertain how players would respond. Little did she know, it would pave the way for other leagues to blossom and eventually become the longest running traveling tavern league in the area. With ten teams in the beginning, she has watched her league prosper to its current enrollment of 200 players competing for 28 teams. Cheryl sold her business over ten years ago but she has continued to run the Canton-Louisville league for the benefit of the league system and its players. Cheryl has also run an in-house pool league at the Village Inn, a Women’s League and a Scotch Doubles League. In addition to these leagues, Cheryl currently runs a variety of tournaments throughout the year including a weekly open tournament at Bennetts on Wednesdays plus a monthly Sunday tournament at Louies. But none of these tournaments are more popular and beneficial to our sport locally than the event she runs on the opening weekend of the Hall of Fame festivities. This tournament is held on the parking lot at Chi-Chi’s Restaurant with proceeds going to benefit the Leukemia Benefit. Last year, as with prior years, Cheryl filled the tournament with 64 entries from players competing in this event. Cheryl is also being honored for her achievements as well. She has been a very good player with numerous victories over the years. She also holds a National title, winning the 1994 VNEA Women’s Senior 8-Ball Singles event in Las Vegas.
THE GREATER CANTON AMATEUR BILLIARDS ASSOCIATION
1910 - 2003
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Al has been playing pool since he was 8 years old. He would stand on a coca-cola box to play with his dad’s customers who were waiting to get their hair cut. At age 13, Al was as good as any player in Canton, including Don Willis. However, he would admit later that as Don got older none could beat him. In 1938, Al opened his first pool room, The Towne Tavern in Louisville. His standard rule was that if anybody would challenge and beat him in a game of 8-Ball, he would buy the house a round of drinks. Al claims he did not lose too many of these games. In 1939, he opened another pool room called Callahan & Morena. Then, in 1943, he opened a pool room called Al’s Sports Center. Al was a great promoter for the sport and was always able to make a match for any player. He claims his best game was 9-Ball although he did have a high run of 73 balls in Straight Pool. Al also played Odd-Ball and is an avid Gin and Pinochle player. Al has been golfing for 74 years and has six hole-in-ones to his credit.
THE GREATER CANTON AMATEUR BILLIARDS ASSOCIATION
1898 - 1968
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Tom was a life time resident of Canton. A barber by trade, he was known as an avid Billiard player as well as golfer. In 1931, he started Grant Billiards and played all off the very best players in town. He even defeated the legendary Willie Masconi in an exhibition match. Tom was known as a teacher of the sport of billiards. He would give lessons to the younger players who were willing to listen and learn from one of the very best. As a golfer, he won the Italian Open one year.
THE GREATER CANTON AMATEUR BILLIARDS ASSOCIATION
1928 - 1991
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Harry was an excellent and very competitive Canton area player. He played and won exhibition matches with notable road players such as “Cowboy” Jimmy Moore, Willie Masconi, Jimmy Carras and Don Willis just to name a few. All of these players were top talent of the era traveling through Canton and periodically competing with local talent at the Strand Billiards run by Nick Koury. In an exhibition match with Jimmy Carras, Jimmy played safe for the opening break shot and Harry ran 70 balls, handily beating Mr. Carras. Harry also won a straight pool competition with Marion Connors at the Canton Civic Center billed as the City Championship in the fall of 1979. Another time while playing Don Willis in a Straight Pool match, Harry was playing his steady game when he was left hooked on an object ball. He told Don that if he could move it just a fraction of an inch he could run out. Hearing this challenge, Don promptly moved the ball ever so slightly and Harry indeed proceeded to run out and win the match from Don. Harry was definitely an outstanding area player of excellent character as well as skill and is welcome and deserving of his Amateur Billiard Association Hall of Fame Honor.
THE GREATER CANTON AMATEUR BILLIARDS ASSOCIATION