The Washington herald., 1922-12-26
HOVEY RATES
HOPPE BETTER
THAN F. C. IVES
Expert Declares Champion Bill
liardist Is Greatest World
Has Ever Known at Game.

liardist Is Greatest World
Has Ever Known at Game.
By FREDERICK s. HOVEY.
Member Of the Executive Committee Of
| National Association Of Amateur
Billiard Players.
WI ITHOUT doubt Willie Hoppe
" is the greatest exponent
W of balkline billiards that
ever lived.
The writer believes that if it
were possible to have a match
of 1900 points between Hoppe
and Frank C. Ives at his best
Hoppe not only would win, but
would reveal a more perfect type
of general balk-line billiard play,
looking at the game from every
conceivable angle.
| 1t happened that the writer wit
messed Hopes spectacular perform
ance of compiling 800 points in one
inning in his exhibition game with
Charles Peterson recently. In this
exhibition Peterson won the bank"
and playing first put together a
consecutive caroms. He missed his
91st.
Then Hoppe took the table and
proceeded to weave string of
| carOms that continued until the
referee called three hundred.
With only six points to complete
the 300 Hoppe was confronted by
'masse" shot that was not in itself
so difficult, but shot that required
being executed Just right" in order
| to obtain the leave" that would
produce the remaining five points.
Hoppe hesitated over the shot but
finally determining that it was the
correct one. he used great care and
deliberation in its execution but
negotiated 1t perfectly and then
| drove one ball up the table and
back and made the five needed
points.
TAKES GREAT CARE.
The extreme care that he took
In making that shot was simply
characteristic of all his play. which
explains to d large extent his great
success as a balk-line player.
In describing this incident TO l..
A. Flanagan and Joseph w
Cooper at the Union League. the
former, who was for many years
the strongest player in the Union
League, and at one time one of
the best in the city among the
amateurs, asked the question:
How do you think Willie Hoppe
compares with the late Frank c.
Ives when that great exponent of
balk line was at his best?
Not long after this conversation
| Willie Hoppe played an exhibition
game here with Joe Mayer, and
the writeNwas fortunate enough to
be accorded an interview with him.
L put the question to Hoppe and
used Maurice Daly's answer TO it,
and then watched Hopes face
intently.
RECORDS DON'T SHOW.
Cnruffled as the summers sea,
he sat complacently and then said:
The records don't show that Ives
was the greatest player that ever
lived"
He made some great averages
at the 14.2 and 1871 balk line games
but so did Jake Schaefer, the elder
OF the two ] believe Jake Schaefer
was the greatest
Il never saw Ives and can have
no personal convictions as to his
ability, other than the records them
selves"
Frank c. Ives was born in Plains
vile, Mich, October 80. 1866. He
died at Progreso, Mexico, August
! 81. 1899.
Jake Schaefer, the father of the
young man who has recently relin-
| qu.shed the worlds championship
Z Tn
death: Ives was the greatest bill
lard player that ever lived or ever
| will live" Surely that is strong en-
dorsement coming from a player who
was considered in his day, and even
| at this period, TO have been the
greatest exponent of billiards that
! the game ever produced.
''WIZARD" IN FORM.
Attracted to cushion caroms he be-
gan playing it with Slosson, Gala
| CHER and Thatcher. In January.
1888, Ives first met Schaefer. The
late wizard was at the top of his
career. as wonderful exponent of
| billiards.
Ives saw him play and was fasci.
mated and succeeded in getting Jake
10 help him develop his own game.
| oNhdCINl SIIO"tu MINI Ine IlnoT
points of balkline billiards and out
lined the difference of technique and
! methods of the first class artists
and enlightened him as to the elimi-
nation of weakness in his own play,
A preceptor such as Jake became
OF great assistance to the budding
Napoleon of billiards as his admirers
called him. Ives began his public
tournament play in 1883 AT that
period the style of game was 14.2.
He defeated both Schaefer and
Slosson In matches of 800 points and
his best average in several victories
was 1851. In 1894. in a match with
Schaefer of $500 points at 14.2. he
won $500 to s3.074. averaging 1852,
high run, 331. In another match he
defeated Schaefer $500 to 1881. av-
eraging 41.3S, high run. 359. In 1896
the first tournament at 1872 balk-line
was played in New York Ives made
the best records. 1t was. however,
at the 1871 type of balk-line that