Marshall Carpenter, Sr., the "Tuscaloosa Squirrel," passed away last Sunday at the age of 92 after a long illness. He was one of the last of a golden era of pool players like Minnesota Fats and Willie Mosconi. He was a resident of Tuscaloosa for most of his life, although he played pool all over the country, mainly in the South and Midwest, for most of his first 40 years. While he was proficient many billiards games and was a two-time winner of a national 9-ball tournament, his specialty was one-pocket pool, a more strategic variation — Minnesota Fats once compared it to playing chess because of the defensive strategy involved — often played for high stakes. He was inducted into the National One-Pocket Hall of Fame in 2005.
"He was actually born in Pickens County, just outside of Reform, in 1928 and then moved to Tuscaloosa in the Depression," said his son, Carpenter, Jr. "He and his older brother, Junior, built their first little pool table themselves and played with marbles."
As Carpenter grew to be a young man, he became a master player, finally going on the road in search of competition.
"It got to the point where he was best around here and no one would play him, so he started moving around in order to make a living. Tuscaloosa was always home, though. Whenever he made a little money, he'd give it to his parents to make sure they were OK.
"He won some big tournaments, especially 9-ball, but he just fell in love with one-pocket pool. That's partly because you can play and not look so good while you win, so you can keep getting games.
"The tournaments then didn't pay all that well, although if you won a big one, you might win a thousand dollars and that was a lot of money in those days."
There were other ways to earn money as pool was a popular wagering sport, although Carpenter's reputation eventually caused those opportunities to dwindle.
"He went to the big tournament in Johnston, Illinois, one year, all the best players in the country," Carpenter Jr. recalled. "After it was over, he said, 'Tell you what I'll do, if anybody in here will stand on their head, I'll play you for whatever falls out of your pocket. But we have to play straight up, no handicap.' So that meant he'd play for any stakes. But no one took him up on it.
"Finally, around 1968, he'd met my mother (Judy) and he gave up traveling," Carpenter Jr. said. "You couldn't make money at it any more."
"He was actually born in Pickens County, just outside of Reform, in 1928 and then moved to Tuscaloosa in the Depression," said his son, Carpenter, Jr. "He and his older brother, Junior, built their first little pool table themselves and played with marbles."
As Carpenter grew to be a young man, he became a master player, finally going on the road in search of competition.
"It got to the point where he was best around here and no one would play him, so he started moving around in order to make a living. Tuscaloosa was always home, though. Whenever he made a little money, he'd give it to his parents to make sure they were OK.
"He won some big tournaments, especially 9-ball, but he just fell in love with one-pocket pool. That's partly because you can play and not look so good while you win, so you can keep getting games.
"The tournaments then didn't pay all that well, although if you won a big one, you might win a thousand dollars and that was a lot of money in those days."
There were other ways to earn money as pool was a popular wagering sport, although Carpenter's reputation eventually caused those opportunities to dwindle.
"He went to the big tournament in Johnston, Illinois, one year, all the best players in the country," Carpenter Jr. recalled. "After it was over, he said, 'Tell you what I'll do, if anybody in here will stand on their head, I'll play you for whatever falls out of your pocket. But we have to play straight up, no handicap.' So that meant he'd play for any stakes. But no one took him up on it.
"Finally, around 1968, he'd met my mother (Judy) and he gave up traveling," Carpenter Jr. said. "You couldn't make money at it any more."
Marshall Carpenter, Sr., the "Tuscaloosa Squirrel," passed away last Sunday at the age of 92 after a long illness. He was one of the last of a golden era of pool players like Minnesota Fats and Willie Mosconi. He was a resident of Tuscaloosa for most of his life, although he played pool all over the country, mainly in the South and Midwest, for most of his first 40 years. While he was proficient many billiards games and was a two-time winner of a national 9-ball tournament, his specialty was one-pocket pool, a more strategic variation — Minnesota Fats once compared it to playing chess because of the defensive strategy involved — often played for high stakes. He was inducted into the National One-Pocket Hall of Fame in 2005.
"He was actually born in Pickens County, just outside of Reform, in 1928 and then moved to Tuscaloosa in the Depression," said his son, Carpenter, Jr. "He and his older brother, Junior, built their first little pool table themselves and played with marbles."
As Carpenter grew to be a young man, he became a master player, finally going on the road in search of competition.
"It got to the point where he was best around here and no one would play him, so he started moving around in order to make a living. Tuscaloosa was always home, though. Whenever he made a little money, he'd give it to his parents to make sure they were OK.
"He won some big tournaments, especially 9-ball, but he just fell in love with one-pocket pool. That's partly because you can play and not look so good while you win, so you can keep getting games.
"The tournaments then didn't pay all that well, although if you won a big one, you might win a thousand dollars and that was a lot of money in those days."
There were other ways to earn money as pool was a popular wagering sport, although Carpenter's reputation eventually caused those opportunities to dwindle.
"He went to the big tournament in Johnston, Illinois, one year, all the best players in the country," Carpenter Jr. recalled. "After it was over, he said, 'Tell you what I'll do, if anybody in here will stand on their head, I'll play you for whatever falls out of your pocket. But we have to play straight up, no handicap.' So that meant he'd play for any stakes. But no one took him up on it.
"Finally, around 1968, he'd met my mother (Judy) and he gave up traveling," Carpenter Jr. said. "You couldn't make money at it any more."
"He was actually born in Pickens County, just outside of Reform, in 1928 and then moved to Tuscaloosa in the Depression," said his son, Carpenter, Jr. "He and his older brother, Junior, built their first little pool table themselves and played with marbles."
As Carpenter grew to be a young man, he became a master player, finally going on the road in search of competition.
"It got to the point where he was best around here and no one would play him, so he started moving around in order to make a living. Tuscaloosa was always home, though. Whenever he made a little money, he'd give it to his parents to make sure they were OK.
"He won some big tournaments, especially 9-ball, but he just fell in love with one-pocket pool. That's partly because you can play and not look so good while you win, so you can keep getting games.
"The tournaments then didn't pay all that well, although if you won a big one, you might win a thousand dollars and that was a lot of money in those days."
There were other ways to earn money as pool was a popular wagering sport, although Carpenter's reputation eventually caused those opportunities to dwindle.
"He went to the big tournament in Johnston, Illinois, one year, all the best players in the country," Carpenter Jr. recalled. "After it was over, he said, 'Tell you what I'll do, if anybody in here will stand on their head, I'll play you for whatever falls out of your pocket. But we have to play straight up, no handicap.' So that meant he'd play for any stakes. But no one took him up on it.
"Finally, around 1968, he'd met my mother (Judy) and he gave up traveling," Carpenter Jr. said. "You couldn't make money at it any more."
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