Straight Pool High Run

[leehayes]

I had a discussion with someone last night about who holds the record for straight pool high run. The records show Willie Mosconi as the high run record at 526 but I could swear that I read several posts on here that people had posted higher runs than that. Can anyone help me out here?

 

[selftaut]

Willie's 526 was the only one documented. There have been others that said they ran more, but are not documented by any witnesses.

 

[selftaut]

willie's 526 witnessed

There was an attorney among the spectators at willie's run, he took it upon himself to take witness signatures and document it.

Found here http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/images/d9744-4.jpg

 

[Bob Jewett]

I had a discussion with someone last night about who holds the record for straight pool high run. The records show Willie Mosconi as the high run record at 526 but I could swear that I read several posts on here that people had posted higher runs than that. Can anyone help me out here?

Mosconi's run was in a scheduled exhibition and had an associated affidavit that was mentioned above.

Mike Eufemia claimed to have run 625 in an exhibition. Some people believe him. That record was not accepted as having enough documentation. Among other problems, there seems to have been no report in newspapers of the day.

Babe Cranfield said he ran 768 in practice. A practice run is very different from an exhibition run, and while it may be of interest to fans, it has no official status. I believe Cranfield.

In the book, "The Hustler and the Champ," Dyer relates the story of Mosconi running over 700 in practice. I have no reason to disbelieve this story, but again it was a run in practice and not in an exhibition.

I think that there is no "records committee" at this time for pool. The BCA used to have one, but it got lost in a streamlining.

 

[Fixer]

I heard or read once that a ball that stayed on the table was put down by hand due to a faulty table, in the Mosconi match. Someone else heard this?

Could be a tale, also heard that Mike had a lot of spectators but that politics have decided that Mosconi is the record-holder because he was... Mosconi...

Can anyone who has talked to someone or read a book or two comment on this? Bob?

 

[George Fels]

Three players claim to have topped Mosconi's 526, all in practice: Eufemia with 625, Ohio's Tom Parker with 642, and the Cranfield claim. Re the latter, his co-author Larry Moy says, "If Babe says he ran 768, he ran 768." Parker regularly ran 200 to 300 on home court, according to witnesses; Eufemia's home room (Golden Cue in Queens) had a nightly standing bet that he would run 200 before the room closed for the night. None of those runs were witnessed from start to finish, as Mosconi's was. GF

 

[jjr183]

I think John Schmidt needs to take care of this so we can stop talking about it. All he needs to do is double his current high run and all comers are gone. Can't be too hard can it?

PS - Make sure it's during a DVD recording session; that way no one can dispute it.

 

[leehayes]

Three players claim to have topped Mosconi's 526, all in practice: Eufemia with 625, Ohio's Tom Parker with 642, and the Cranfield claim. Re the latter, his co-author Larry Moy says, "If Babe says he ran 768, he ran 768." Parker regularly ran 200 to 300 on home court, according to witnesses; Eufemia's home room (Golden Cue in Queens) had a nightly standing bet that he would run 200 before the room closed for the night. None of those runs were witnessed from start to finish, as Mosconi's was. GF

Thanks george...love your books

 

[LoGiC]

I think John Schmidt needs to take care of this so we can stop talking about it. All he needs to do is double his current high run and all comers are gone. Can't be too hard can it?

PS - Make sure it's during a DVD recording session; that way no one can dispute it.

John's a busy guy traveling, as soon as he can set aside 48 hours of play, I'm sure he will do it.

 

[CueAndMe]

Three players claim to have topped Mosconi's 526, all in practice: Eufemia with 625, Ohio's Tom Parker with 642, and the Cranfield claim. Re the latter, his co-author Larry Moy says, "If Babe says he ran 768, he ran 768." Parker regularly ran 200 to 300 on home court, according to witnesses; Eufemia's home room (Golden Cue in Queens) had a nightly standing bet that he would run 200 before the room closed for the night. None of those runs were witnessed from start to finish, as Mosconi's was. GF

Does anyone know what size pockets were on the Mosconi exhibition table? Scream at me all you like, but as impressive as the 526 is, it's on a 4 by 8 table which just doesn't sit well. And if the pockets were large, it sits even worse. When you consider the caliber of shooter these days, and that they hardly ever play 14.1, the Mosconi record is just not AS impressive anymore.

Jeff

 

[Bob Jewett]

Does anyone know what size pockets were on the Mosconi exhibition table? Scream at me all you like, but as impressive as the 526 is, it's on a 4 by 8 table which just doesn't sit well. And if the pockets were large, it sits even worse. When you consider the caliber of shooter these days, and that they hardly ever play 14.1, the Mosconi record is just not AS impressive anymore.

Jeff

There are conflicting stories about the pocket size. The former owner of that room, George Rood, said that the pockets weren't easy.

 

[George Fels]

You make some good points; here's a modest rebuttal. In the late '70s, when Mosconi was making his "Legends" series for CBS-TV - and playing on regulation-size Gold Crowns - Charlie Ursitti swears he watched Mosconi run 42 racks for a total of 588. He then quit, with a fine break shot facing him, saying, "Let's go get dinner. See, it's no big deal to run 600 balls." He was in his late 60s at the time. GF

 

[CueAndMe]

You make some good points; here's a modest rebuttal. In the late '70s, when Mosconi was making his "Legends" series for CBS-TV - and playing on regulation-size Gold Crowns - Charlie Ursitti swears he watched Mosconi run 42 racks for a total of 588. He then quit, with a fine break shot facing him, saying, "Let's go get dinner. See, it's no big deal to run 600 balls." He was in his late 60s at the time. GF

Thanks George. It hurts me that there is so little video of the man running balls. I know he was great, I just wish I could see it.

Jeff

 

[Fixer]

Yeah, thaks guys for your input. Very cool reading. We will stick with Willie then. Lol.

 

[jerseybillG]

back in the 50`s during an exibition in our pool room in jersey city(Fregaras on palisades ave) Willie ran 150 balls on our 5x10 table and did it very quickly.....i played constantly on that table and it was a tough table ...i was 16/17 yrs.old at the time ...my high run on that table was 40 ....willie made it look so easy and rarely had to take a long shot...the place was small and packed to the doors and you could hear a pin drop...

 

[pdcue]

Does anyone know what size pockets were on the Mosconi exhibition table? Scream at me all you like, but as impressive as the 526 is, it's on a 4 by 8 table which just doesn't sit well. And if the pockets were large, it sits even worse. When you consider the caliber of shooter these days, and that they hardly ever play 14.1, the Mosconi record is just not AS impressive anymore.

Jeff

Oh no, it's the dreaded 4 x 8 with big pockets fantasy again.

Some points to consider:

1. Willie ran over 300 on a 5 x 10 -
standard pockets were 4 1/2 inches

2. In a challenge match for the World Championship
played in the Block format - Willie outscored Irving Crane
by a margin of roughly 2 to 1 - Irv had also run over 300
on a 5 x 10 in an exhibition.

3. All these 'practice runs' don't begin to compare with Willie's
- if you want to claim equality:

Limited to ONE attempt per day - in a competition, with spectators.
This effectively means you have to run the record from your
FIRST pocketed ball.
If you want a second atempt - you have to drive an hour or two
to a second exhibition site.

4. None of the other 'famous' high runs compare to the
circumstances of Mosconi's - NOT EVEN CLOSE.

FWIW - I saw Mosconi in exhibition long past his playing days,
the pockets could have 3 1/2 inches the way he played.
He was a very good shotmaker - but he never shot a
difficult shot. His game was based on Cue Ball control, and he could
run a hundred seemingly effortlessly.

FWIW-2 All this obsessing about 'THE RUN', it is probably
the least important of Willie's accomplishments.
How about 15 world championships?

>rant mode off<

Dale

 

[jerseybillG]

you my pool playing friend are right on the $....willie had a stroke in his early 40`s ( i believe) so when we saw him in exibitions he had recovered and still running hundreds of balls almost at will...

 

[mullyman]

Does anyone know what size pockets were on the Mosconi exhibition table? Scream at me all you like, but as impressive as the 526 is, it's on a 4 by 8 table which just doesn't sit well. And if the pockets were large, it sits even worse. When you consider the caliber of shooter these days, and that they hardly ever play 14.1, the Mosconi record is just not AS impressive anymore.

Jeff

Oddly enough a quote attributed to Minnesota Fats comes to mind.

A couple guys go to a table to start playing and one looks back at Fats and says "We can't play on this table, the pockets are too big" Fats replied with "Bet a little higher, they'll tighten up."

MULLY

 

[bud green]

Anyone know if Engerts' 491 or whatever he ran on a nine footer was witnessed start to finish?

 

[L.S. Dennis]

There are conflicting stories about the pocket size. The former owner of that room, George Rood, said that the pockets weren't easy.

I had heard or read somewhere that the corner pockets on Mosconi’s table were around 5 inches. JS’s pockets were also 5 inches on his 626 run, this he said himself.

John has probably monetized the tape of his big run as much as he’s going to at this point, I think it’s time for him to release this video for public viewing and put all this debate about the run to rest.