Mosconi 526

ctyhntr

ctyhntr

RIP Kelly
Silver Member
I was at the pool hall chatting with some of the old timers this weekend. The subject of Willie Mosconi's 526 run came up. I was told Mosconi didn't miss on ball 527, but stopped playing because he was tired and the exhibition went way over the allotted time.

So, did Mosconi's run end on a miss, or did he stopped playing?
 
ctyhntr said:
I was at the pool hall chatting with some of the old timers this weekend. The subject of Willie Mosconi's 526 run came up. I was told Mosconi didn't miss on ball 527, but stopped playing because he was tired and the exhibition went way over the allotted time.

So, did Mosconi's run end on a miss, or did he stopped playing?
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He missed a break shot.
 
According to Willie, he never missed, he just got tired and stopped shooting.

To hear him say that himself, watch this video

Willie Mosconi 1980

(personally, I think he missed, and he just wanted to add to the legend of the run by saying that he didn't)
 
Blackjack said:
According to Willie, he never missed, he just got tired and stopped shooting.

To hear him say that himself, watch this video

Willie Mosconi 1980

(personally, I think he missed, and he just wanted to add to the legend of the run by saying that he didn't)
Click to expand...

That's Willie's ego showing there. Believe me he missed. I grew up in Dayton, just down the road from Springfield, and we used to hear all about Mosconi's run back in the 60's. Howard Barrett worked there, and Russ Maddox owned that room after the original owner. I got my info from them, and I believe them. George Rood also knows the true story.
 
bobco729 said:
If he started from a break shot 37 racks x 14 balls=518 he would have been 8 balls into the 38th rack at 526 balls pocketed.
"country" Bob
Click to expand...

But his run didn't start from a break shot. He was playing in an exhibition with an opponent.
 
jay helfert said:
That's Willie's ego showing there. Believe me he missed. I grew up in Dayton, just down the road from Springfield, and we used to hear all about Mosconi's run back in the 60's. Howard Barrett worked there, and Russ Maddox owned that room after the original owner. I got my info from them, and I believe them. George Rood also knows the true story.
Click to expand...

Willie started the "I didn't miss" rumor himself. He couldn't even say it with a straight face in the video.
 
jay helfert said:
That's Willie's ego showing there. Believe me he missed. I grew up in Dayton, just down the road from Springfield, and we used to hear all about Mosconi's run back in the 60's. Howard Barrett worked there, and Russ Maddox owned that room after the original owner. I got my info from them, and I believe them. George Rood also knows the true story.
Click to expand...

Regarding the discrepancy, I believe I read it was possibly he honestly did not remember it correctly, or got it confused with another long run where he did just quit. I think someone once posted a copy of a letter stating what happened, including the miss, with signatures of atendees.

Kelly
 
I believe I read in another thread around here that Willie himself stated in either one of his books or in some print interview, that his run ended on a miss.
 
affadavitattestingtomos.jpg
 
In his autobiography, "Willie's Game," Willie (with co-author Stanley Cohen) writes: "I finally missed a difficult cut shot, but by that time I was weary; it was almost a relief to have it come to an end."
 
IIRC, he had a higher run that was not during competition and was not seen start to finish by any one person other than himself. Anyone remember what that score was? I want to say it was in the 7 hundreds.
 
Mr Hoppe said:
IIRC, he had a higher run that was not during competition and was not seen start to finish by any one person other than himself. Anyone remember what that score was? I want to say it was in the 7 hundreds.
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I remember Charlie Ursetti talking about one of Willie's practice sessions well after his retirement. He was practicing while eating breakfast. When all was said and done, Willie ran into the 600's, if I remember correctly.
 
True high run holder?

This post is in no way a disrespectful shot at Mr. Mosconi, he is a true legend, but why is it that nobody is talking about Mike Eufimia (sorry about the misspelling) and his well documented run of well over 600?? That run was witnessed by a ton of people but the recognition for the highest run always goes to Willie Mosconi! I just think that Mr. Eufimia's high run needs to be recognized more by the pool world as the true high run in straight pool. Again I mean no disrespect to Mr. Mosconi but what's true is true!
Just my 2 cents.
 
mikefingers said:
This post is in no way a disrespectful shot at Mr. Mosconi, he is a true legend, but why is it that nobody is talking about Mike Eufimia (sorry about the misspelling) and his well documented run of well over 600?? That run was witnessed by a ton of people but the recognition for the highest run always goes to Willie Mosconi! I just think that Mr. Eufimia's high run needs to be recognized more by the pool world as the true high run in straight pool. Again I mean no disrespect to Mr. Mosconi but what's true is true!
Just my 2 cents.
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From what I've read, no one saw Eufemia's run from beginning to end. It was in public but would have taken many hours. Those that knew how he played don't doubt that he did it, though.

Babe Cranfield is supposed to have run 768 (I think it was) in practice, and those that knew him don't doubt it either. I read that it was over two days - he went to bed with an unfinished run and picked up the next day where he left off.

Great players, but Mosconi usually (or maybe always) beat them in tournaments.
 
mikefingers said:
but why is it that nobody is talking about Mike Eufimia (sorry about the misspelling) and his well documented run of well over 600??
Click to expand...

Probably because this thread was about Mosconi's 526.

I think most of us know about Mike's runs. Babe Cranfield also reportedly has a run higher then Willie's. Mosconi also had reported runs over 526, but that is the one that has the offical record.
 
Willie's run is the only one that was witnessed from beginning to end by a large group of people. Cranfield supposedly made his run at home, so he was the only witness. Eufemi's run came during a regular practice session in a public poolroom, but again no one sat through the entire thing. Mosconi's run is the only one that is certifiable.
 
He Missed

jay helfert said:
That's Willie's ego showing there. Believe me he missed. I grew up in Dayton, just down the road from Springfield, and we used to hear all about Mosconi's run back in the 60's. Howard Barrett worked there, and Russ Maddox owned that room after the original owner. I got my info from them, and I believe them. George Rood also knows the true story.
Click to expand...

Willie missed the 6 ball. It was not a break shot.
Howard Barrett told me a long story about the run when he was in Talahassee, FL. Turns out, Howard wasn't there. Neither was George Rood.
But some of the names on the affidavit are probably still around. Someone should look them up.
I talked to one of them, A.Y. Thomas, some time ago. He described the missed shot. There may be more on some of the old forum archives. He also said the pockets were not particularly easy, as some people keep reporting, but the cloth was new. And the run took considerably longer than the 2-1/2 hours Mosconi claimed.

BTW, is Howard still around? Heard he moved to Georgia. He was in poor health---carried an oxygen tank.

We need an investigative reporter from the Dayton area.


Ed
 
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