Yes, an oversight on my part. Thanks for the correction. As you know, I tend to view Joe Balsis as Jimmy Caras' equal, so let's add him to the conversation. Joe's the most forgotten superstar in our sport's history.
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The magnificent Irving Crane
- Thread starter Keith thompson
- Start date
LOL. Based on my conversations with Charlie Ursitti, Mosconi's business manager and the straight pol era's greatest record keeper, Cisero's game and BPI was well below both. Mosconi's BPI (balls per inning) was just over 15 (counting safeties as zero, and safety play was far more frequent back then than now). The only players, other than Greenleaf, that came close to that in sanctioned World Championship play during the straight pool era were Mizerak and Sigel, with Sigel's BPI being a little over 13.
Although he could have beat any one of these on a given day, Cisero is not in the conversation with any of Mosconi, Greenleaf, Crane, Caras, Sigel, Mizerak, Martin, Hopkins, Varner, Balsis or Lassiter in the all-time pecking order for those that competed during the golden age of straight pool. To me, that means he's not among the ten greatest ever at 14.1.
Mizerak's four consecutive wins at the US Open 14.1 remains one of the greatest achievements in out sport's history, and from 1970-73, his play may well have been comparable to that of Mosconi at his best.
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L.S. Dennis
Well-known member
Yes Jimmy Caras should be in that second rung of straight pool greats alone with Crane to be sure. I remember seeing him play in the early sixties a couple of times, a true champion and sportsmen who truly loved to play the game.
Babe Cranfield would have been there as well had he chosen to compete more often but was understandably more interested in raising his family and with his position with Muzak.
I don’t know if I missed it from a previous post or thread, but just curious what words were spoken to you from Lassiter and Crane that you so fondly cherished? I assume it related to how tough a competitor you were?
Courtesy of an April 2011 post by Pool Bum, here's that pecking order per Billiards Digest's list published at the final-year end of the 20th century in late 1999:
Ranking of the 50 greatest players in pool and billiards for the 20th century (covers 3C and pocket billiards).
Here are some of the rankings (now edited to include the entire list):
50. Jersey Red
49. Allen Gilbert
48. Jeanette Lee
47. Jimmy Moore
46. Dorothy Wise
45. Otto Reiselt
44. Babe Cranfield
43. Lou Butera
42. John Horgan
41. Cisero Murphy
40. Jerome Keogh
39. Allen Hopkins
38. Dallas West
37. Jim Rempe
36. George Sutton
35. Charlie Peterson
34. Robert Cannefax
33. Bennie Allen
32. Ray Martin
31. Ruth McGinnis
30. Johnny Archer
29. Efren Reyes
28. Loree Jon Jones
27. Buddy Hall
26. Larry Johnson (Boston Shorty)
25. Eddie Taylor
24. Jake Shaefer
23. Thomas Hueston
22. Andrew Ponzi
21. Welker Cochran
20. Erwin Rudolph
19. Harold Worst
18. Allison Fisher
17. Earl Strickland
16. Joe Balsis
15. Jean Balukas
14. Nick Varner
13. Johnny Layton
12. Jake Shaefer Jr.
11. Sang Lee
10. Jimmy Caras
9. Luther Lassiter
8. Irving Crane
7. Frank Taberski
6. Steve Mizerak
5. Mike Sigel
4. Alfredo De Oro
3. Ralph Greenleaf
2. Willie Mosconi
1. Willie Hoppe
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Arnaldo ~ Ranked about number 5 jillion -- lowest -- but improving every week.
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Caras won championships both before and after Mosconi's amazing run of 19.
Yes, I remember this list, including three cushion players and also pool players from before the golden age of straight pool. Miz, Crane and Sigel are tightly bunched on this list, but. as expected, all are behind Mosconi and Greenleaf.
Thanks for sharing!
hey keith, glad your still around and kickin and posting some things.
your are one of the very few that cole would say nice things about. you were friends when he was young i was friends later in the line.
met cole in the early 70,s and found him his wife. he never ever too talked much about other pool players, but you he adored.
bahahahahaha.
your are one of the very few that cole would say nice things about. you were friends when he was young i was friends later in the line.
met cole in the early 70,s and found him his wife. he never ever too talked much about other pool players, but you he adored.
bahahahahaha.
He came out of a five year retirement to win the U.S. Open 14.1 at the age of 57. I think the year was 1967.
This list is missing John "Rags" Fitzpatrick and James Evans first of all, and Harold Worst belongs in the top five for sure. Jose Parica was probably better than half the people on this list as well. How could they leave off Raymond Ceuelmans, one of the all time greatest cue artists? And where is Walter Lindrum? I'm sorry but several of the women are not near the caliber of the men on this list. Not even close. This is a list compiled by someone who only had a cursory knowledge of the history of this game.
The list is missing Raymond Ceulemans which is such a grievous omission it makes me question the credibility of the rankings on the list. Please read the first line of his bio from the BCA hall of fame website. "Raymond Ceulemans of Rijmenan, Belgium, is the greatest all-around carom player the world has ever seen." https://bca-pool.com/general/custom.asp?page=36
Agreed 100%. Balsis' career can't logically be compared with the others, but he was a stone-cold killer. John Ervolino told me that Balsis was the player he feared the most at straight pool during the 1960s.
Efren at #29 is equally ridiculous. Yes, he hadn't dominated yet at Derby City when the list was prepared, but he had already beaten Earl to 120 by then and was already recognized as one of the most elite.
That said, for the most past, the list is pretty good.
Balsis was a beast until the age of 60. He has very high finishes in the World Straight Pool Championships in both 1979 and 1980, including a runner-up finish in 1980 at age 59, when he lost to some young upstart named Sigel.
Thanks for this info. I didn't really know how old Joe was during his time near the top of the pool world. He did continue to compete until the mid 1980's, even playing in the first of the big Atlantic City events at Resorts. He was probably in his mid 60's then. Joe was a bull of a man, probably from his decades as a butcher. He was maybe 5'10" tall but powerfully built, with big strong hands. That said, he was always the gentleman, kind and considerate to fellow players and fans alike. After he defeated Mosconi at the Burbank tournaments in the mid 1960's, Mosconi wisely took out his anger at finishing second on Arnie Satin, the promoter of the tournament. He knew better than to challenge Balsis, who would have put the fear of God in Mosconi. Joe Balsis was no one to mess with! Once again, I'm a lucky guy, having been a friend to Joe Balsis, who was always gracious and kind to me. He showed me much respect as a tournament director and I respected him as a man and a great pool player.
Thanks for sharing. I did get to know Joe a little and liked him, but you obviously knew him a lot better than I did.