I was personal friends of Joe Balsis and he never talked about this story though he did have some discerning words about Minnesota Fats. Interesting fact is that Joe actually shot Mosconi in his hometown of Minersville, PA when he was 14 or 16 years old
in a pool hall named Felsburg’s. Joe joined the Navy during WWII and quit shooting right after WWII where he won the pacific theatre military championship. He resumed play again in 1962 after his father died and he reopened his father’s pool hall in
Minersville. Those of us in high school at the time became his practice fodder as he decided to get into the pro game. I won’t relate his accomplishments. They are well known, but I was present one Saturday morning in 1964 when he ran 236 and then
another 226 right after practicing against one of my best friends. Joe must have been good friends with Mosconi as Mosconi attended and introduced Joe and told of his accomplishments when Joe was inducted into the PA Sports Hall of Fame. Not sure what
year it was, but Joe introduced me to to Mosconi and I got both to autograph the program from that night. One must remember that people of this sort that compete at the highest level of their sport do not accept defeat easily. Maybe Willie was a little
over the top, but I witnessed Joe’s own bad temperament during my time with him, but can also attest to his concern and help in personal matters that I again will not relate. I might end with his remarks about shooting pool in that he loved golf more
than pool, but said, “dammit, I’m just so good at pool I have to keep playing”. Mosconi and the greats of that era were all certainly temperamental.

On Thursday, September 6, 2001 at 11:12:16 AM UTC-4, JoeyA wrote:

It seems unbelievable but I have heard similar stories about Willie's temper from locals that saw him in "action".
Enjoy:
----------
This story was told by the great Jimmy Reid.
Enjoy and share it-Joey Aguzin -New Orleans, LA -------------------------------------
Willie Mosconi:
There is no argument about it, no doubt about it, Willie was the greatest 14.1 (straight pool) player of all time...
1964 at the University Bowl in Boca Raton, Fl., this is the first time I had the opportunity to see this legend - Willie Mosconi play. He was playing
some local a 150 point exhibition match. Willie racked em up, called the
head ball 2 rails in the side, kicked into the end rail and rebounded into the end ball which banked the head ball 2 rails into the side pocket - amazing...
Willie then proceeded to run 150 and out, the local player never got an inning, the crowd applauding and cheering convinced Willie to continue his run and Willie complied. He ran a total of 226 balls, the most amazing thing about this run was, Willie never shot a ball in either one of the behind the headstring corner pockets, it was absolutely beautiful to watch. Willie ran 226 balls in 4 pockets, the way he kept weaving around the balls was really something to behold, it reminded me of a professional ice skater doing a beautiful, smooth figure 8, he was oh so smoooooth...
Willie missed the 227th ball which was just a little off angle to the side pocket, the ball hit the outside point and bounced back toward Willie. This shot was in the direction of the spectators seated in bleachers that had
been placed there especially for Willie's exhibition. There was a brief moment of silence, then the crowd began to stand and cheer, but before most of the spectators had a chance to stand...
Willie, looking like he was fit to be tied, pointed his cue at a young boy
in the stands and said something to this effect - If you can't make that little brat sit still, you ought to leave him at home. Immediately the crowd looked at the little boy, who by now had tears in his eyes, then they began to boo and jeer Willie, the owner of University Bowl tried in vain to
appease the crowd, but they all left, including myself, disappointed, some were even taunting Willie, calling him names...
Willie had managed to ruin what otherwise would have been a great memorable experience for everyone. Willie was without a doubt a perfectionist, but he had a temper that he himself couldn't control - what a shame. The next time
I had the privilege of watching Willie play was at the last tournament of
his career...
1966, Charlie Milliken is holding a world-class straight pool tournament in Long Beach, CA.. Everyone you could think of was entered, including Willie who hadn't played in a tournament since 1954, but he still had the gift, man did he ever...
126 of the 128 man field had been eliminated, two players left in the
finals.
Game = Straight Pool 150 Points
Joe Balsis vs. Willie Mosconi
Referee = Arnie Satin
Play begins, Willie wins the lag - Balsis breaks, and does so perfectly.
They each play a few super safeties jockeying back and forth trying to get a shot, they both take a couple of scratches during this opening rack, then Balsis is near the end rail and calls a ball behind the stack that he must cut backwards, he makes it, and receives a thunderous ovation. Joe (the butcher) waits for the noise to stop, then proceeds to run balls and finally misses a difficult break shot, this makes the score Balsis +138 to
Mosconi -2. Joe had run 10 racks, surely Willie would fold...
Like Joe, Willie waits for the well deserved applause and cheering that Balsis had earned to cease. He then gets up out of his chair, comes to the table and begins to run balls as smoothly as Fred Astaire could dance. Rack after rack he runs balls with a confidence, skill, and knowledge of straight pool that only Willie possessed. Willie makes an unusually difficult break shot. Now the score is Willie Mosconi 139, Joe Balsis 138, but lo and
behold, the cue ball has frozen to the top of the stack, it looks like
Willie doesn't have a shot, there are 3 balls all in line frozen together on the right side of the pack with the cueball frozen to the top ball and in
the same line, counting the cue ball this makes it 4 balls in a row all frozen together. After studying the shot in depth, Willie announces to the referee (Arnie Satin), that he is going to play the middle ball in the
corner pocket. The crowd is on their feet, he elevates his cue, hits the cue ball at 10:30 (high left English), and the middle ball splits the wicket.
The crowd starts to go crazy cheering, then Arnie Satin yells foul, Mr. Mosconi has committed an illegal push. Balsis gets up runs 12 and wins the match...
Arnie Satin also had the honor of calling out all those players names who
had finished in the money, having them come forth and present them with
their prize money envelope. After completing that. He asked if Willie
Mosconi and Joe Balsis would come up together, well the audience, which consisted of some of the biggest names in Hollywood, went wild displaying their appreciation of the quality of pool they had just witnessed. Willie
was on Arnie's right Balsis on Arnie's left...
Arnie began by saying. "And now to Willie Mosconi who played brilliantly" - that's all he got out, Willie grabbed the 2nd place envelope with his left hand and hit Arnie with a right sucker punch uppercut, knocking him out
cold! Willie - what a scene, what a temper...
I told you Enjoy. :-)

Joey Aguzin
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