Irving Crane facts for kids
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| Born | 13 November 1913 Livonia, New York, U.S. |
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| Died | 17 November 2001 (aged 88) |
| Sport country |  United States |
| Nickname | "The Deacon" |
| Professional | 1937 |
| Tournament wins | |
| World Champion | Straight Pool (1942, 1946, 1955, 1968 , 1970, 1972) |
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Irving Crane (born November 13, 1913 – died November 17, 2001) was a famous American pool player. People called him "the Deacon" because of his calm and careful playing style. He was born in Livonia, New York, and is known as one of the best pool players ever. He is in the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame. Irving Crane was especially good at a game called straight pool, where he won six world championships.
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Irving Crane's Early Life and Pool Journey
Irving Crane became interested in pool when he was 11 years old. His brother got a toy pool table for Christmas, and that's how it all started. When his parents saw how much he loved it and how good he was, they replaced their dining room table with a real 4-foot by 8-foot pool table.
He also started practicing at a place called Olympic Billiards a few times a week. It was part of a bowling alley near his home. Crane once said, "Other kids would play for twenty minutes or half an hour and they'd say, 'let's do something else.' I could play all day and never get enough."
A Young Pool Star Emerges
Irving was a true child prodigy (a very talented child). Even though he taught himself how to play, without any coaches, he was amazing. When he was just 14, he managed to sink 89 balls in a row in straight pool at a local pool room. In straight pool, you have to say which ball you're going to hit into which pocket before you shoot.
After this amazing achievement, his parents bought him an even bigger, full-size tournament pool table. For the next ten years, some of the best players of that time, like Willie Hoppe, came to practice with him. Even though he played very well as a teenager, Irving didn't enter any big tournaments until he was 23.
In 1939, when he was 26, Crane made an incredible record. He sank 150 balls in a row against an opponent in a straight pool match. This was on a difficult, larger 5-foot by 10-foot table. The crowd wanted him to keep going, and he did! He ended up sinking 309 balls in a row, which set an official world record at that time.
Irving Crane's World Championship Wins
After his record-breaking run, Irving Crane won his first world title in 1942. Over the next 30 years, he won almost 24 major championships. These included the World Straight Pool Championship in 1942, 1946, 1955, 1968, 1970, and 1972. He also won the Ballantine International Championship in 1965 and the World Series of Pool in 1978.
Famous Victories and Records
One of his most famous wins was at the 1966 BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship. In the final game, he sank 150 balls in a row without letting his opponent even get a turn! This amazing feat has never been matched in that tournament. Crane also holds the record for being the second-place winner (runner-up) at the World Straight Pool Championship 13 times.
Life Beyond the Pool Table
Even though he was a world-famous pool player, it was hard for Crane to earn enough money just from playing. So, in 1957, he started working as a car salesman for Cadillac. He worked there for 17 years. His daughter said that at car shows, his dealership would have a pool table where Crane would play and answer questions.
But pool was his true passion. In an interview in 1969, Crane said, "If I had to make a choice between selling cars and playing pool, I'd choose pool... The only time I've ever been really happy is when I was at a pool table."
The "Deacon" Nickname
People called Irving Crane "the Deacon" because he was always a gentleman. He was very careful and thoughtful in his game. He also always dressed perfectly, wearing a suit whenever he played pool. A sports writer once said Crane "would make Henry Fonda look furtive," meaning he was very proper and quiet.
Even other famous pool players noticed his careful style. Mike Sigel, another great player, once asked Crane to play. After Sigel took his first shot, Crane sank 200 balls in a row and then played a very safe shot, showing his amazing control.
Irving Crane's Later Years and Legacy
Irving Crane's wife, Althea, who was married to him for 64 years, once shared a story about his strict habits. She said, "A lot of people, if it was a hot day and there was no air conditioning, they'd take off their coat to play. But not Irving Crane." This shows how dedicated he was to his formal style.
Even his rival, Willie Mosconi, who sometimes criticized Crane's careful way of playing, wrote in his book that "Crane wouldn't take a shot unless his grandmother could make it." This highlights how precise and safe Crane's shots were.
Honors and Retirement
In 1978, Irving Crane was honored by being added to the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame. In 1999, Billiard Digest magazine ranked him as the eighth greatest pool player of the century. They said that between 1941 and 1956, he and Willie Mosconi were "the best in the world, flat out."
Crane stopped playing professionally in 1980. He stopped playing pool entirely around 1996. On November 17, 2001, just four days after moving into a nursing home, Irving Crane passed away at the age of 88. He left behind his wife Althea, his son Irving, his daughter Sandra, three grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.
Career Titles
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