It's just a matter of time before the Brits and company blow this thread up claiming this title belongs to Darren too :grin-square:
So who was (is) the Greatest Player ever ?
- Thread starter PoolBoy1
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Haven't read all the posts but there is one player that might not have been mentioned. I'm sure you, Jay, Billy...etc have seen their game many times over the years amd can attest to their greatness. Probably as good if not better than Earl in his prime, SVB and Efren also. The day this player is beat in an all around is the day the real "greatest player" will be crowned.....
you talkin about JOEY BATCHAGALOPE??
Just what I expected.....
Good one BTW
Very close to Darren's challenge match record
Earl efren Johnny in their prime would beat shane.
Just what I expected.....
Good one BTW
Very close to Darren's challenge match record
Lol, not bad yourself my friend. Exagerated, but consideringhe facts you had to work with its not a bad comeback.:thumbup:
the legendary player they called "The Faceless Man".
You must be talking about the legendary player they called "The Faceless Man".
Haven't read all the posts but there is one player that might not have been mentioned. I'm sure you, Jay, Billy...etc have seen their game many times over the years amd can attest to their greatness. Probably as good if not better than Earl in his prime, SVB and Efren also. The day this player is beat in an all around is the day the real "greatest player" will be crowned.....
You must be talking about the legendary player they called "The Faceless Man".
lol, is this a joke?
regarding Earl's pocketing, at the recent C8B event amoungst his comedy of errors, I watched him make a long straight shot atthat I swear maybe every other player would have either passed or missed
he just stepped up, no hesitation and bang, right in the pocket, hell he probably misses that himself more often than not but the confidence to shoot it in that manner, damn, can only imagine what it must have been like to watch him run racks during his hey day
was he as dominant as Sigel...I have no idea? can anyone comment on that?
tourneys and money matches?
he smoked Efren in the first part of that color of money match, the long race worked against him, a race to 1000 and he probably loses to everybody, lol, dude is mental but his top gear is insane
wish I saw Sigel in his prime
Efren at 60 though, worth mentioning again, just insane, there's barely anyone left past 40 that can compete at the highest levels in pool
he just stepped up, no hesitation and bang, right in the pocket, hell he probably misses that himself more often than not but the confidence to shoot it in that manner, damn, can only imagine what it must have been like to watch him run racks during his hey day
was he as dominant as Sigel...I have no idea? can anyone comment on that?
tourneys and money matches?
he smoked Efren in the first part of that color of money match, the long race worked against him, a race to 1000 and he probably loses to everybody, lol, dude is mental but his top gear is insane
wish I saw Sigel in his prime
Efren at 60 though, worth mentioning again, just insane, there's barely anyone left past 40 that can compete at the highest levels in pool
Could possibly be one in the same...used to also go under the name "the ghost" :thumbup:
Yes, Mosconi came in 4th, Hoppe came in 1st in 47...and 48, 49, 50, 51, and 52. Mosconi didn't have a chance of winning until after Hoppe rstired in 52. BTW Hoppe also won the challenge match. Hoppe has 51 world titles, Mosconi has 15. That should answer who was the greatest!
All-around player???
If you are asking who is/was the best "all-around" player...then you would have to put "Boston Shorty" Johnson in the mix.
Shorty played all pool games at the highest level...and a world competitor at 3-cushion billiards.
And that's not even counting the extremely high runs I have seen him play in straight billiards.
If you are asking who is/was the best "all-around" player...then you would have to put "Boston Shorty" Johnson in the mix.
Shorty played all pool games at the highest level...and a world competitor at 3-cushion billiards.
And that's not even counting the extremely high runs I have seen him play in straight billiards.
Of course no one who died before 1960 gets mentioned in these threads. Those who don't know who de Oro, Mingaud, Roberts, Shaefer, (Jrs. and Srs. for those last two), and Lindrum were may want to find out.
There are players whose level of play forced the rules of the game(s) to be changed. If a player did not play that well, I think they should not be considered for "Greatest Ever". Which living players have played that well?
I like Shorty and should probably be somewhere on the list, but to keep the record straight.
Boston Shorty was a pretty good 3Cushion Player but not world class. He took a 2nd in the 1978 US Nationals and went to the World Tournament in Vegas where he came in 12 with a .740 grand average. Ceulemans won that one with a 1.68 average. I believe he beat Shorty 60 to around 19.
1978 World 3-Cushion Championship Results
Rank Player
1 Avg. Run
Raymond CEULEMANS 1.68 12
2
Nobuaki KOBAYASHI 1.21 10
3
Junichi KOMORI 1.07 12
4
Ludo DIELIS 1.05 9
5
Allen GILBERT 0.97 11
6
Humberto SUGUIMIZU 1.04 9
7
Frank TORRES 0.88 9
8
Kurt THOGERSEN 0.95 8
9
Galo LEGARDA 0.9 9
10
Carlos HALLON 0.74 10
11
Mohammed DIAB 0.65 8
12
Larry JOHNSON 0.74 8
I think your criterion is unfair to the modern player, simply because the modern game has matured enough such that the past few decades there has been no need for any drastic rule changes, no matter how well an individual could have played.
Could you think of a realistic example how any living player could have "played that well" such that their high level of play could have "forced the rules of the game to be change"?
The only real example I can think of is Deuel and his revolutionary soft break that forced all kinds of breaking rules. But I would not consider putting Deuel in the conversation of "Greatest Ever".
Even Michael Jordan's play didn't force any rule changes in basketball.
I believe the short game became much more much prominent when Ceulemans couldn't be beaten in the 50 and 60 point format.
Edit: And as far as basketball goes Wilt Chamberlain has to be mentioned.
From NBA.com
During his career, his dominance precipitated many rules changes. These rules changed included widening the lane, instituting offensive goaltending and revising rules governing inbounding the ball and shooting free throws (Chamberlain would leap with the ball from behind the foul line to deposit the ball in the basket).
The old time players Bob mentioned were so good they killed the game. How could anybody sit and watch 1000 points made within an area of maybe 10"
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wait a sec, to be fair, this is 3 cushion yes?
also, the offical UMB world 3 cushion championships never list Willie Hoppe as a winner (even in 1936 when it was held in NYC)
So what 3 cushion World titles did he win?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMB_World_Three-cushion_Championship