Be such a different conversation if we could draw the lines at ‘75-84 and ‘85-94 because there would easily be room for both.
Player of the decade Earl or Sigel?
- Thread starter Raph Cleary
- Start date
Efren's weak break in 9-Ball held him back and the other top players quickly adjusted to his kicking ability and no longer left him easy kick shots. Efren remained very competitive in the 9-Ball tournaments and won his share in the 1990's. Once he learned how to play One Pocket and started gambling at it, that became his primary game. For good reason, One Pocket was perfect for his skill set.
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I wish I could help you, but it's doubtful. During this time period (1960's thru 1980's) the American players dominated professional pool! It was only when the filipinos began arriving in the mid 1980's that things began to change. The European players were not really a factor until the mid to late 1990's. The Chinese players emerged as world pool powers in the late 1990's and early 2000's.
Your comment about the level of play back then is as well informed as your spelling of Mike Sigel's name. You gave away your lack of knowledge when you misspelled his name.
Raph Cleary
Active member
Well I love Efren, but how many times did he lose in the US Open Final? Sigel rarely if ever lost in the finals. Also, I think most players "shit their pants" when playing Earl because they were worried about him going on FULL tilt. LOL
I never saw Sigel in the 80's. My first glimpse of Pool was the '91 World 9ball won by Earl over Varner. I was hooked. The next year they held the '92 US Open 14.1 in NYC and I went. I only knew Archer, MIz, Varner and Ray Martin from his book. The first day there, Im up in the balcony watching this left hander with so much talent and style just run racks effortlessly. It was Sigel. I asked the guy sitting next to me - who's that? He said, "That's Mike Sigel!" I never watched another player at any tournement if he was playing. His game was hypnotic. It was almost more fun to watch him get out of line in 9ball to see his recovery shots. The last time I saw him was at the '94 Super Billiards Expo against a killer field. I think Pat has an Accu-Stats from the early 90's at the Sands where Sigel met Earl in the last 16? Earl wins 13-11 and it's a good match and showcases their strength and weaknesses. Earl is making 2-3 balls on the break, but in one rack he makes 4 balls and has a tough shot on the 1 and misses it. He leaves Sigel an even tougher shot, but he slices it in and runs out. His position play is great and he's running out but can't shake Earl who is lurking 1 or 2 games back the whole set. Late in the match , Sigel gets careless on a routine position shot and scratches two rails in the corner. Earl runs the last 3 balls and never looks back. I think at times Sigel would get careless, and I think at times Earl would get angry when he didn't have a Cosmo his temper would get the best of him. They were both great players.
As others have implied, 1994 as an “official” year is really misleading. He started talking about retirement in the late 80’s due to no money in pool, and if he had played just about any other sport, he’d be a millionaire. He had at that time won over 90 “major” titles, and he said he might hold on until 100 titles. He slowed down his tournament career, and he successfully reached 100. I believe in 1992. Fishing was his passion (which is really where Captain Hook comes from), and his close friends on tour like Varner would say that Mike had all but stopped practicing and instead would go fishing. He transitioned to making cues full-time in that early 90’s.
Who is third choice, and thing could be better. How about Scott Lee class act.
Raph Cleary
Active member
His 100th Pro title was the 1994 Super Billiards Expo Players Championship, just before Sigel retired fully.
thenaturalpoolplayer
Active member
Dominated American pool where? In america lol? The only reason was because none of the Filipinos came to the US...At the time I'm sure their junior players could whoop seagulls butt. . Also, it took no time at all for Europe to surpass the US because the US had no coaching or any sense of technique...they just drank and gambled back then.
Too bad there's no footage of the barn sessions.
You don't know what you don't know!
"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don't know we don't know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tends to be the difficult ones"
I found 1 more vote for Sigel
I remember that match at the Sands. I think Earl won it on a long combo hit at warp speed.
In one rack, Sigel pushed to a long rail- first shot on the one and Earl passed it back. Incardona called the shot from the booth and Sigel made it and ran out. That was some experienced 9 ball on display.
Ok he tipped my vote. Sigel it is.
He forgot to add, "and stay the f * * * off my lawn."
All that and humility too?!?!