Mosconi Cup Team Announced

j_zippel

Big Tuna
Silver Member
Corey Deuel (7 Mosconi Cup appearances)
Shane Van Boening (6 Mosconi Cup appearances)
John Schmidt (1 Mosconi Cup appearance)
Justin Hall (debut)
Justin Bergman (debut)

John Schmidt? Is straight pool involved this year?
 

bfdlad

T-Wheels
Silver Member
Its my bad, I wanted to announce simultaneous to Matchroom but I was a day late and a dollar short. Ah well no big deal im sure its gonna be a great year
 

j_zippel

Big Tuna
Silver Member
John Schmidt? Is straight pool involved this year?

No, but they are playing 9-ball and he is a former U.S. Open 9-ball Championship
winner in 2006.
He was the last player to win before the Shane, Mika, and Darren years.
Out of the last 8 years Shane (4) has won it 50% of the time, with the only others
to win being Mika (2) and Darren (2)

The landscape has changed tremendously since he won it in 2006. He is certainly a great ambassador for the game and certainly a great team mate. In singles play against Europe he will be outmatched by any European player, in doubles however I think he will be a great addition.
 

the Professor

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The landscape has changed tremendously since he won it in 2006. He is certainly a great ambassador for the game and certainly a great team mate. In singles play against Europe he will be outmatched by any European player, in doubles however I think he will be a great addition.

The thing about John Schmidt is that he is winner… He tends to elevate his game to the competition around him. Seems like a great guy… I think he is exactly what this team needs.

I was hoping that they would have opted for one of the young/hungry players instead of Corey. I haven't seen anything from him that makes me think he is going to help elevate the team to the next level. I hope he proves me wrong.
 

BJTyler

AzB Member
Silver Member
Fwiw

I'll let AtLarge conduct the more rigorous analysis, but at first glance:

We know the US team is: Shane, John, Corey, Justin, Justin

And the Eur team is: Gray, Nick, Daz, Neils, + 1 (...yes, i'm making a leap that DAZ will be in Blackpool)

If we compare the performances of the 5 US members vs. the 3 Euro members who competed at the US open, we'll find that:

US games won % = 57.2% (325-243)
Eur games won % = 56.4% (207-160)

US match win % = 75% (24-8)
Eur match win % = 72.7% (16-6)

And, if we expand the Eur list to include other potential hopefuls such as: Mika, Nick V, Ralph, Toasty, Albin, and Boyes. We'll find that:

US games won % = 57.2% (325-243)
Eur games won % = 56.4% (207-160)
Expanded Eur games won % = 55.6% (479-382)

US match win % = 75% (24-8)
Eur match win % = 72.7% (16-6)
Expanded Eur games won % = 64.7% (33-18)


Finally, how about head to head?

US vs. Eur
games won% = 47.6% (10-11)
match won% = 0% (0-1)

US vs Expanded EUR
games won% = 58.7% (54-38)
match won% = 80% (4-1)


So....do we have a fighting chance???!!!
 
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sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Perhaps I posted this in the wrong thread:

Well, I'm going to have to preface my remarks with this. I like John Schmidt a lot and I'm always pleased to see him. He has always treated me with respect and friendship. He's a quality guy for sure and I'm always happy to offer some sponsorship money to both the Derby City 14.1 Challenge and the World 14.1 event every year to see the best straight pool players, and John is one of the ones I most look forward to seeing play each year at these events.

.... but seriously, John's selection as one of the Mosconi 8 in March came as an absolute shock. How, I wondered, could somebody who did nothing at the 2014 Derby City Classic and who earned just $675 in rotation pool in 2013 per the AZB records, and who hadn't been much of a factor in rotation pool events for about four years, have even been a candidate for the team at all?

Apparently, he was not only chosen for the Mosconi 8 in March but also the Mosconi 5, for as his play since then (per the AZB records) in rotation pool tournament play didn't earn him a single penny, he certainly didn't climb into the Mosconi 5 on competitive merit.

John didn't beat a single player of note in rotation pool this year, and his sporadic participation in tournaments this year spoke volumes about how much he hoped to move forward during 2014. By comparison, in competition, Sossei has wins over Vandenberg, Ouschan, Eberle, Dechaine, Van Boening, Strickland, and some other top players in 2014.

I'm not sure John is one of America's top 20 in rotation pool right now. FYI, here is a list of nineteen guys I'd favor over him:

Shane Van Boening
Mike Dechaine
Jereny Sossei
Robb Saez
Donny Mills
Max Eberle
Shawn Wilkie
Brandon Shuff
Justin Bergman
Rodney Morris
Justin Hall
Corey Deuel
Josh Roberts
Chris Bartram
Sky Woodward
Ealr Strickland
Tom D'Alfonso
Joey Gray
Dennis Hatch

Incidentally, I'd put a Joss Tour Team of Dechaine, Sossei, Strickland, D'Alfonso and Shaw againt this Mosconi 5 and expect a pretty even match. All five of these Joss Tour regulars cashed in the US Open and three of them had top 5 finishes at Turning Stone. Yeah, I know, one of them is from Scotland.

Personally, I find the omission of all Joss tour players from this team to be an insult to pool in the Northeast. These are some of America's best, and many of them play both the Joss and Predator Tours. Where in the country do you find players who compete this often? The answer is nowhere, and that's a big part of why they were all ready when the US Open 9-ball event came along.

And, in case anyone thinks otherwise, Sossei is every bit the team player that John Schmidt is. Jeremy is a quality guy who is very well liked. I'll wish the Mosconi 5 the best of luck, but the inclusion of Schmidt, whose competitive resume is unimpressive in this decade, is a joke as I see it, unless John's superb US Open commentary somehow figured in the process.

To Shane, Bergman, Hall and Deuel, congrats on making the team. You were all very deserving. To John, good luck, too, but this was an opportunity you didn't earn --- try to make the most of it. If you do, I'll be one of the first to congratulate you.
 

corvette1340

www.EpawnMarket.com
Silver Member
Perhaps I posted this in the wrong thread:

Well, I'm going to have to preface my remarks with this. I like John Schmidt a lot and I'm always pleased to see him. He has always treated me with respect and friendship. He's a quality guy for sure and I'm always happy to offer some sponsorship money to both the Derby City 14.1 Challenge and the World 14.1 event every year to see the best straight pool players, and John is one of the ones I most look forward to seeing play each year at these events.

.... but seriously, John's selection as one of the Mosconi 8 in March came as an absolute shock. How, I wondered, could somebody who did nothing at the 2014 Derby City Classic and who earned just $675 in rotation pool in 2013 per the AZB records, and who hadn't been much of a factor in rotation pool events for about four years, have even been a candidate for the team at all?

Apparently, he was not only chosen for the Mosconi 8 in March but also the Mosconi 5, for as his play since then (per the AZB records) in rotation pool tournament play didn't earn him a single penny, he certainly didn't climb into the Mosconi 5 on competitive merit.

John didn't beat a single player of note in rotation pool this year, and his sporadic participation in tournaments this year spoke volumes about how much he hoped to move forward during 2014. By comparison, in competition, Sossei has wins over Vandenberg, Ouschan, Eberle, Dechaine, Van Boening, Strickland, and some other top players in 2014.

I'm not sure John is one of America's top 20 in rotation pool right now. FYI, here is a list of nineteen guys I'd favor over him:

Shane Van Boening
Mike Dechaine
Jereny Sossei
Robb Saez
Donny Mills
Max Eberle
Shawn Wilkie
Brandon Shuff
Justin Bergman
Rodney Morris
Justin Hall
Corey Deuel
Josh Roberts
Chris Bartram
Sky Woodward
Ealr Strickland
Tom D'Alfonso
Joey Gray
Dennis Hatch

Incidentally, I'd put a Joss Tour Team of Dechaine, Sossei, Strickland, D'Alfonso and Shaw againt this Mosconi 5 and expect a pretty even match. All five of these Joss Tour regulars cashed in the US Open and three of them had top 5 finishes at Turning Stone. Yeah, I know, one of them is from Scotland.

Personally, I find the omission of all Joss tour players from this team to be an insult to pool in the Northeast. These are some of America's best, and many of them play both the Joss and Predator Tours. Where in the country do you find players who compete this often? The answer is nowhere, and that's a big part of why they were all ready when the US Open 9-ball event came along.

And, in case anyone thinks otherwise, Sossei is every bit the team player that John Schmidt is. Jeremy is a quality guy who is very well liked. I'll wish the Mosconi 5 the best of luck, but the inclusion of Schmidt, whose competitive resume is unimpressive in this decade, is a joke as I see it, unless John's superb US Open commentary somehow figured in the process.

To Shane, Bergman, Hall and Deuel, congrats on making the team. You were all very deserving. To John, good luck, too, but this was an opportunity you didn't earn --- try to make the most of it. If you do, I'll be one of the first to congratulate you.

John hasn't been playing that much but I'm sure he'd still swim through a river of shit to match up with any of the guys in red
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
John hasn't been playing that much but I'm sure he'd still swim through a river of shit to match up with any of the guys in red

Guess you weren't at the Steinway Classic, where Dechaine crushed John 9-4 while Sossei was beating Shane 9-6. Wilkie and Hatch got to the finals.

Talk is cheap, but the track record says John doesn't collect big scalps anymore. Sossei and Hall are frequent giant killers. They have proven themselves to be elite in 2014.

Then again, it's AZB, so I always expect a throng of those who endorse the players that always lose over the ones that win a lot.
 

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Guess you weren't at the Steinway Classic, where Dechaine crushed John 9-4 while Sossei was beating Shane 9-6. Wilkie and Hatch got to the finals.

Talk is cheap, but the track record says John doesn't collect big scalps anymore. Sossei and Hall are frequent giant killers. They have proven themselves to be elite in 2014.

Then again, it's AZB, so I always expect a throng of those who endorse the players that always lose over the ones that win a lot.

How about that Sky! :grin-square:

One should not be a results picker and use tournament wins as a measuring stick for including in the Cup.

John Schmidt is a seasoned veteran and can handle the pressure. Win or lose, he does not lose his composure and is a gentleman gambler.

Like you told me about Sky, maybe Mike will blossom enough to be a team member between now and next year. :)

Mosconi Cup is all about team unison; in other words, they need to work together as a team. ;)
 

nobcitypool

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Despite giving up home advantage, the USA is going to bring the Cup home and do it with style and dignity.
 

corvette1340

www.EpawnMarket.com
Silver Member
Guess you weren't at the Steinway Classic, where Dechaine crushed John 9-4 while Sossei was beating Shane 9-6. Wilkie and Hatch got to the finals.

Talk is cheap, but the track record says John doesn't collect big scalps anymore. Sossei and Hall are frequent giant killers. They have proven themselves to be elite in 2014.

Then again, it's AZB, so I always expect a throng of those who endorse the players that always lose over the ones that win a lot.

are you really this delusional or just plain stupid? You do realize that tourney play is entirely different than gambling don't you? Like I said, John would swim through a river of shit to play any of those guys in red on your list and I'd venture to say that only a couple of them would even think about it. Maybe Bart, but he likes to outrun the nuts every now and then, lol.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
I like this team and I like Mark's picks, a good mix of vets and young guns. I see Shane as the anchor this year, someone who must lead by example. As Shane goes, so goes Team USA. I think both Corey and John can act as mentors to JB and JH, thus forming good two man teams.

They may not win (yes they are big underdogs) but I wouldn't be surprised at all if it is very close. Even an upset is possible. I also like that Mark is keeping the other three team members (not picked) involved. He has created the framework for a strong and cohesive team. I agree about John not playing that much this year, but I know that he will be preparing in earnest for the Mosconi, and this is a guy who can shoot with the best of them!

It should be an interesting and exciting Mosconi Cup this year and I don't want to miss any of it.
 

j_zippel

Big Tuna
Silver Member
How about that Sky! :grin-square:

One should not be a results picker and use tournament wins as a measuring stick for including in the Cup.

John Schmidt is a seasoned veteran and can handle the pressure. Win or lose, he does not lose his composure and is a gentleman gambler.

Like you told me about Sky, maybe Mike will blossom enough to be a team member between now and next year. :)

Mosconi Cup is all about team unison; in other words, they need to work together as a team. ;)


I'm sure skylers chances of making it would have been more realistic of Johnny Archer didn't send him packin at the us open


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
are you really this delusional or just plain stupid? You do realize that tourney play is entirely different than gambling don't you? Like I said, John would swim through a river of shit to play any of those guys in red on your list and I'd venture to say that only a couple of them would even think about it. Maybe Bart, but he likes to outrun the nuts every now and then, lol.

Guess I'm delusional and stupid. Thanks for the compliment.

The same guys who succeed in tournament play more than any other (Shane, Ko, Orcullo, Bustamante etc.) are also the great gamblers. If you know of any scores John has made against top American players in 9/10 ball in either of the last two years, I'd love to hear about it.

Although he likes to gamble at one pocket, I don't ever see John gambling at rotation pool at Derby city. Similarly, at the Steinway Classic, where Shane, Dechaine, and Bergman were all making money on the side gambling, I didn't see John throwing his hat into the ring. I don't sense that John likes to gamble at all in rotation games, and that's not a knock on him.
 
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