If we are going to compare here are my thoughts :
Mosconi may have been a better 14.1 player than Sdmidt, Yes. Going by many who have seen Mosconi play the 14.1 game it is likely he was.
But I think Sdmidt probably the better all around player.
And if Schdmith doesnt play any games better than Mosconi did (I think Schdidt is at least better at One Pocket), there are plenty of guys in todays game that are definitely better than Mosconi. When it comes to 9-Ball and 10-Ball there are many, no question, but also talking 14.1 I think there are at least 10-12 superstars of today and even some from the 90's that could definitely play the game at a higher level than Mosconi.
Shaw, Filler, Pagulayan, Orcullo, SVB are 5 of the very best today who I have no doubt would beat Mosconi playing any game. (Specially the last 3 I mentioned who are some of the best all around champions that have ever lived.)
Let's not forget Mosconi won the majority of his "World" titles playing mostly against american players and most the times a challenge match against 1 player was all it would take to claim the "World title".
I understand regardless of this, Mosconi could really play exceptionally well and super consistent with high runs, and no one could really beat him in tournament nor long exhibition matches (in the long run), but Ive seen him lose his mind too. Ive seen his attitude when things dont go his way. And how easily it seemed to be at times to throw him off his game.
I never see this from Bustamante or Reyes in their prime, nor the top taiwanese players
Top europeans could rattle a little, but the very best at 14.1, who all happen to come from Germany are in my opinion at Mosconi's level in 14.1. Specifically Engert who's had runs that pass 99% of all others (or so I've heard) and that for the longest time held the official 491 run on a 9-foot table (the highest official record on a 9-foot table, yet because he was not lucky to be born in the land where 14.1 was created, it has been overlooked for I dont know how long.
I wonder who would be holding world championships if all those had a 50% american pro 14.1 players and 50% german players in the field and they were played equally split in between the USA and Germany
It puzzles me when someone says "you can't compare different times" I think you can.
However, what is hard to figure out is how well Mosconi woulda gotten if he woulda faced today's competition. I'm sure it woulda made him even better than he was
But let's be real: Mosconi's shot making could not compare with the biggest names in the game shot making of today. Not close!
I bet on that.
Cue ball control this Yes, I understand Mosconi's biggest weapon was a great cue ball, hence why he was so strong.
But let's keep going down the list: speed, mental toughness, and I'm sure there are other factors,what else there is?
How many out of all the package that makes a champion was Mosconi better at than the top players of today?
Not too many.. Mental toughness for instance: not close.
Guys like Shane, Bustamante, Orcullo, Filler are super strong mentally!
I think all of these could play the 14.1 game better than anyone in history and I think it would come easy for them. Easier than Mosconi (who dedicated his whole life to the 14.1 game)
Reyes himself, would absolutely break records and beat just about anyone of any time in history playing pretty much any game.
Just his safety play, kicking, shotmaking (something that is not his fortee now but how quick we forgotten he was a hell of a shot maker, yet the big guns today are BETTER SHOT MAKERS THAN HE EVER WAS), speed control, MENTAL TOUGHNESS (a huge quality), desire to win, knowing how to win
Reyes would have driven Mosconi cuckoo in my opinion.
I played Orcollo 14.1 in a tournament in Jacksonville, FL many years ago
it was the first time he had ever played
he did not know the rules or anything
he didn't know how to setup a break shot
I mean clueless!
Ran 90-out on me dissecting the rack every rack never blasting the rack only chirping a few balls and then kept on re-breaking
That night Immonen taught him just the basics on what the best break shots are
I re-drew Orcollo next day in the last16 Single elimination 150-point games
He ran 147-out like water and 1-stroking every shot.
Lee Van Corteza truly never played the game before until he gave it a go one year at DCC ends up with that year's highest ran 226 I think it was
Please someone tell me what Mosconi did better than the champions of today?
Ortmann was really young player when he came to the US and won the the World 14.1 beating Mizerak in the finals, I think Ortmann was 22
It didnt look like the US players were that great to begin playing the 14.1 when such an inexperienced young german can come to the US and win it all at such a young age.
Similar level players that Mosconi beat for 2 decades
But hey that is not exactly beating the world
Not to take anything away from Mosconi's wins ..
I mean this applies to 9-ball too.
Many of the 80's and 90's world 9-ball champions were great players, they had to be, but often times they didnt really beat the world (meaning every champion of every nation) to be crowned world champions
Many champions of those times will tell you that winning the world titles or the US Opens today are much tougher than it was a few decades ago.
This is why I think SVB is one of the greatest and he is one of the greatest all around players including 14.1 as little as he knows and as little experience he has playing the game.
Does anyone realize how good the guys of today are?
I havent even mentioned the taiwanese here.
I know they dont play 14.1
but what if they did?
What does Mosconi could possibly have over these machines that out shoot him CLEARLY 2-1, to start?
What did Mosconi do better than the taiwanese champs of today? on a pool table I mean! Think all aspects of the game!
Now: true: bring Mosconi back today and make him play Ko Pin Yi 14.1 a long enough game and Mosconi would win.
But would happened if Ko Pin Yi played, practiced and competed only 14.1 for a year or two? Who would be favorite?
Not only do I think the big stars of today would become better players than the old 14.1 champs, but the few known official records would get beaten FOR SURE!
Why? Simple: there is nothing on a pool table that neither John Schdmit nor Willie Mosconi could do better than the asian, european champions nor SVB
I even think, as crazy as this may sound to some, that american top players in the 90's like Rempe, Varner, Strickland and also the super mentally strong Archer could play the game every bit as good as Willie Mosconi did.
Just the mental part alone, some champions who came after Mosconi, were much stronger mentally in my opinion
Joshua Filler may just be one of the very best in history. Playing all games! And he is not even 23 yet I don't think
Let this man play 14.1 exclusively, and make the tournaments what they were sometimes in Willie's time, including some big blocks of 1000-point games and such.
Filler may dominate the players of today, who in comparison I think they are better than all the champions from Willie's time and beyond
Please, I know I have little to compare.. there is very little footage of prime Mosconi, but there is enough for me to see just watching 10 minutes of the man playing, that there are more than a few guys today that can play the 14.1 game equally good
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