Like fine wine, He only gets better with age.
My good friend Chris(RuntheCentury) texted me today saying that Oliver Ortmann would be playing in the Finals of the World 14.1 Championship. Since I was busy at Rehearsal for my upcoming Stage Play, I asked Chris to keep me posted on the match.
When I first met Chris in Iowa City, he noticed I was playing Straight Pool, and wanted to learn. During our conversation he asked who he should emulate to develop his straight pool game. I said,"Buy the Accustats Video of Mizerak vs. Ortmann for the World Championship. Learn to play with the Confidence of the Miz, and the Fearlessness of Oliver, and you'll be a great player."
I have not been an advocate of Hall of Fame nominees for many years. The last person I advocated for was Dallas West. I used to go visit Dallas and play some with his son Noah at the old place in Rockford,Illinois.
I am a huge Fan of Ralf Souquet, and I met Ralf at the same time I met Oliver. Ralf Souquet is going to get his place in the Hall of Fame one day soon. However, without Oliver taking that step back in the 1980's and coming to the U.S., the door for German and European Players may have been a few years away.
Oliver Ortmann is one of the most pure Straight Pool players I have ever seen. His skills at the game are astonishing. He can see the unseen like Ray Martin, drill the ball like Jim Rempe, and methodically string racks like Mike Sigel. He is in some pretty damn good company. In my opinion if 14.1 had been a regular series of tournaments he would have dominated as Mizerak did.
It would be an egregious oversight of his contributions to the sport of pool and him not be the first German inducted into the Hall of Fame. There must always be the trailblazer, the one who risked their national pedigree on the international stage.
Oliver risked That, and Won.
He should join the ranks of the Legends, where when they make room for the Kaiser, there will be the Gentle Giant of Oberhausen waiting for him.
Congratulations Oliver Ortmann. Weltmeister.