Billiards Digest 50 Greatest Players of the Century

[pt109]

These greatest of all time lists are impossible to do. Lists should be based on eras not all time.

say like:

1.) 1880 to 1920
2.) 1920 to 1950
3.) 1950 to 1980
4.) 1980 to present

Then you can have real comparisons within each era. And now if you want to make an all time list you can take the best from each era and combine them for fun. But how can you rank a billiard player from 1891 with a nine ball player from 2005?

Just doesn't work. Too many never ending agreements. Equipment was different as well.

Separated by eras for sure....also by specific games played....
...and gender...I have a beef with any list that puts Allison Fisher ahead
of Harold Worst....and many other names mentioned.

And I can find a lot of names on that list that nobody in their right mind
would bet on against Ronnie Allen in an all-round..or Corn-bread Red.

These lists are good for a spirited conversation...but the over-view???
...they are BS

It would be nice if someone would do a rational list and state the
criteria for the order....hmm...is Bob Jewett busy...Geo Fels..????

I have found around action rooms that the BS stops when the betting
starts.....I think that if I could create some match-ups where I disagree
with the order and also who got left off...there would be some shuffling.

 

[indymike]

jeanette lee on the list thats crazy

 

[maynardwe]

How was this list arrived at?

What was the criteria used to come up with the 50 best of all time?
Thanks

 

[maynardwe]

These greatest of all time lists are impossible to do. Lists should be based on eras not all time.

say like:

1.) 1880 to 1920
2.) 1920 to 1950
3.) 1950 to 1980
4.) 1980 to present

Then you can have real comparisons within each era. And now if you want to make an all time list you can take the best from each era and combine them for fun. But how can you rank a billiard player from 1891 with a nine ball player from 2005?

Just doesn't work. Too many never ending agreements. Equipment was different as well.

I agree that different eras exist in pool, but what is your reasoning for these groups of years?

I think that if you could rank players over time like chess does with the ELO rating system by rating the result of all head to head matches, then you'd have a more reasonable comparison, especially if you ranked all players based on straight pool only, for example. Straight pool has been played with the same rules since 1912. Of course you still have the equipment changes as variables.

 

[maynardwe]

All time best players - more thoughts

These greatest of all time lists are impossible to do. Lists should be based on eras not all time.

say like:

1.) 1880 to 1920
2.) 1920 to 1950
3.) 1950 to 1980
4.) 1980 to present

Then you can have real comparisons within each era. And now if you want to make an all time list you can take the best from each era and combine them for fun. But how can you rank a billiard player from 1891 with a nine ball player from 2005?

Just doesn't work. Too many never ending agreements. Equipment was different as well.

I agree that different eras exist in pool, but what is your reasoning for these groups of years?

I think that if you could rank players over time like chess does with the ELO rating system by rating the result of all head to head matches, then you'd have a more reasonable comparison, especially if you ranked all players based on straight pool only, for example. Straight pool has been played with the same rules since 1912. Of course you still have the equipment changes as variables.

 

[David Marcus]

All those 3 cushion and balkline players on there and no Raymond Ceulemans? Come on!

If it's based solely on dominance, Balukas would have to be No 1.
Either her or Mosconi.

Harold Worst may very well be about the best player on the list - but he was never "dominant" because he didn't get to play long enough and didn't play in that many tournaments.

These lists never work.

Dominance in their era, Larry "Boston Shorty" Johnson should be higher than 26th...He was the ALL AROUND champ, long before any body ever thought of DCC! Check the old Johnson City leader boards....

 

[ddadams]

29. Efren Reyes



29???

Interesting.

 

[David Marcus]

Allison is number 18. Balukas dominated women's play much more than Fisher.

That is true but Balukas played in an era when barely any women played, tough to compare, can see both points but Balukas beat up a lot of men as well..

 

[thebigdog]

Keith McCready has to be top 50 as well.

 

[fast&loose designs]

I think you are all forgetting that Reyes and Strickland aren't above some of the others simply because they aren't done with their careers yet. I agree they should be way higher, but Mosconi and many others were assessed by their entire life's work, whereas some of today's top players are 2/3 of the way through.

 

[fast&loose designs]

jeanette lee on the list thats crazy

Ball bangers think she's #1 of all time.

 

[PoolBum]

What was the criteria used to come up with the 50 best of all time?
Thanks

See post #4.

 

[Rico]

ranking

First i dont agree Efron is the greatest IP player of all time. Ronnie in his prime ran out more than alot of 9ballers. Usually 9n10 ball outs because who played him even. Harold WORST might have been the best all around. This ranking should of had all around 9ball 1P BILLIARDS 14.1 .

 

[1pocket]

Dominance in their era, Larry "Boston Shorty" Johnson should be higher than 26th...He was the ALL AROUND champ, long before any body ever thought of DCC! Check the old Johnson City leader boards....

Not just pool, but he also was a US national champ at three cushion billiards. Now that's an all-around greatest!

I believe if this list was updated, Reyes would have to move way up.

I know a lot of pool history buffs are very high on Harold Worst, but the thing is, his actual career results were cut so short by cancer (age of 39), does his record actually justify such high ranking? To me it seems like his high ranking in lists like this seem to be more based on what his career might have been had it continued in the path it was headed, rather than what it actually was in retrospect. That is of course sad for him.

And Steve Mizerak over Lassiter and Buddy Hall? Seriously???

 

[Rico]

Rank

Im very suprised larry hubbart i believe he won like 70 or 80 tourns. Jimmy reid maybe?who besides worst won snooker ,billiards,straightpool,onepocket 9ball?1900s,1p ronnie a. 9ball buddy,wimpy 14.1 willie, 3cush ray c. Snooker steve.d .

 

[westcoast]

I think you are all forgetting that Reyes and Strickland aren't above some of the others simply because they aren't done with their careers yet. I agree they should be way higher, but Mosconi and many others were assessed by their entire life's work, whereas some of today's top players are 2/3 of the way through.

especially at the time the list was made- which was 1999 I believe

 

[MapleMan]

As with every list whats the criteria? Skill? dominance? I'm a top ten addict but if a top 10 is to made a criteria needs to be made and followed.

I saw a list that had Marino as a low ranked ATG QB because he had 0 rings yet a guy like Bradshaw wasn't on the list at all. Point being if Earl is ranked low for some reason that reason must apply to all.

 

[richiebalto]

Interesting cause I've never heard of this guy until this thread. So I googled "Don Willis Billiards".

Bio of his life: http://www.gcaba.com/willis.htm

Some guy telling stories of Willis to Max Eberle, very interesting!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zFax7pwcw8

I wonder if Nick Varner could verify the story about him?

fun stuff!!!

kano

I know Willis was one of the best ever, but playing the ghost 1000 a game plus giving 10-1 on the money without ball in hand after the break and Garten is saying Willis ran 45 in a row, THAT DIDNT HAPPEN, not even on a barbox, I did love the rest of the story !

 

[lfigueroa]

I know Willis was one of the best ever, but playing the ghost 1000 a game plus giving 10-1 on the money without ball in hand after the break and Garten is saying Willis ran 45 in a row, THAT DIDNT HAPPEN, not even on a barbox, I did love the rest of the story !

Luther Lassiter once said, "If I ever had to have someone else shoot pool for my life, win lose, live or die, the man I'd want shooting for me is Don Willis."

Lou Figueroa

 

[TheKman]

No love for CJ Wiley on that list?