Here’s my attempt at it.. (EDIT: Version 3)
1850-1870s: American 4 ball Era
> Phelan
1870s-1890s: Straight Rail Era
> Schaefer
1890s-1920: Balkline Era
> Hoppe
1921 -1930: Golden Era / Prohibition Era
> Greenleaf
1931-1940: Depression Era
> Greenleaf, Rudolph, Caras
1941-1960: First Decline
> Mosconi, Crane, Lassiter, Moore
1961-1974: Hustler Era / Johnston City Era
> Crane, Lassiter, Murphy, Mizerak
1975-1985: Second Decline
> Hall, Sigel, Hopkins, Mizerak
1986-1995: Color of Money Era
> Reyes, Strickland, Varner, Archer
1996-2005: Third Decline
> Reyes, Parica, Immonen, Daulton, Hohmann, Souquet
2006-2015: Rebuilding Era
> SVB, Appleton, Orcullo, Pagalayan, Wu, Ko
2015-Current: Matchroom Era
> Shaw, Filler, Gorst, Ouschan, SVB
I’m not trying to be comprehensive in terms of players listed. Just setting a tone. Some era may be worth subdividing or being relabeled.
For fun I put this into ChatGPT to see what it would do with it. It's impressive how well it did adding color to the bones of the work I originally did three years ago. I feel like we're possibly entering a new era now. You can feel the changing of the guard coming with Filler and Gorst at the head and established names waning and some new names waiting to burst into prominence. Sportswashing money, reunification of MR and WPA, the WNT maturing, evolving streaming options, and this palpable sense that prosperity (like with darts) could be just over the next horizon. It's too soon to declare what this new emerging era is but you can tell it's happening.
1850–1870s: American 4-Ball Era
Defining Traits:
The birth of American billiards—an era of codification, saloon culture, and the first standardized rules. Four-ball was the popular format, blending carom and pocket elements.
Key Figures & Nostalgia:
•
Michael Phelan, the “Father of American Billiards,” author, promoter, and table innovator.
• Nostalgia: dark wood-paneled saloons, gas lamps, top hats, and the sense of a new national sport being born.
1870s–1890s: Straight Rail Era
Defining Traits:
Highly technical and methodical play—straight rail emphasized precise cue ball control, often criticized for excessive repetition (“nursing”).
Key Figures & Nostalgia:
•
Jacob Schaefer Sr. and
George Slosson, masters of the nurse shot.
• Nostalgia: parlor rooms and exhibitions where intellect and skill outpaced entertainment value.
1890s–1920: Balkline Era
Defining Traits:
A response to the monotony of straight rail, balkline introduced restricted scoring zones. The game grew in sophistication and international prestige.
Key Figures & Nostalgia:
•
Willie Hoppe, a child prodigy who would reign for decades.
• Nostalgia: the age of gentlemen competitors in suits and gloves, with billiards reaching its most cerebral peak.
1921–1930: Prohibition Era
Defining Traits:
Pool and alcohol walked parallel paths—underground speakeasies and poolrooms flourished. Gambling, glamour, and Greenleaf’s brilliance defined the decade.
Key Figures & Nostalgia:
• Ralph Greenleaf, the first American pool celebrity.
• Nostalgia: flappers, jazz, bootleggers—and Greenleaf, brilliant and tragic, dazzling audiences between binges.
1931–1940: Depression Era
Defining Traits:
Austerity hit hard. Fewer tournaments, tighter venues. Players adapted—some became exhibition stars to survive.
Key Figures & Nostalgia:
• Greenleaf, Jimmy Caras, Andrew Ponzi, Erwin Rudolph.
• Nostalgia: grit, survival, and resilience in smoke-filled rooms with secondhand cues.
1941–1960: First Decline
Defining Traits:
Mosconi dominates, but public interest dips. Pool loses its place in the national conversation, replaced by TV, sports leagues, and war.
Key Figures & Nostalgia:
• Willie Mosconi, Irving Crane, Luther Lassiter, Jimmy Moore.
• Nostalgia: Mosconi’s 526-ball run, immaculate technique, and a polished ambassador in a fading spotlight.
1961–1974: Hustler Era / Johnston City Era
Defining Traits:
The Hustler revives interest. Johnston City tournaments celebrate colorful road players. Pool gets a pulse of outlaw charisma.
Key Figures & Nostalgia:
• Crane, Lassiter, Jersey Red, Boston Shorty, Ronnie Allen.
• Nostalgia: smoky rooms, wild action, and the fine line between genius and con.
1975–1985: Second Decline
Defining Traits:
Interest wanes again. Fewer televised events. Hustling still thrives, but with less cultural sparkle. Mizerak keeps pool barely visible with commercials.
Key Figures & Nostalgia:
• Mike Sigel, Allen Hopkins, Buddy Hall, Steve Mizerak.
• Nostalgia: road warriors and rough diamonds keeping the fire alive on sheer love of the game.
1986–1995: Color of Money Era
Defining Traits:
Pool explodes on ESPN and in theaters. 9-ball becomes the face of modern pool. Prize money spikes. International players arrive.
Key Figures & Nostalgia:
• Efren Reyes, Earl Strickland, Nick Varner, Johnny Archer.
• Nostalgia: fast racks, adrenaline, loud crowds, and the wild rivalry energy of the 90s.
1996–2005: Third Decline
Defining Traits:
Too many events, too little cohesion. American interest softens, but global talent flourishes. Infrastructure struggles to keep up with fan interest.
Key Figures & Nostalgia:
• Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Mika Immonen, Ralf Souquet, Corey Deuel.
• Nostalgia: DVDs, match booths, and the golden age of international stroke artists.
2006–2015: Rebuilding Era
Defining Traits:
Grassroots efforts—streaming, forums, and niche platforms rebuild the base. SVB rises as the American standard bearer in a global field.
Key Figures & Nostalgia:
• Shane Van Boening, Darren Appleton, Dennis Orcollo, Alex Pagulayan, Wu Jia-qing, Ko Pin-yi.
• Nostalgia: TAR matches, online rivalries, gritty self-made circuits.
2015–Present: Matchroom Era
Defining Traits:
Matchroom Sports professionalizes pool’s presentation—lights, hype, production. Global rivalries define the landscape. The Mosconi Cup becomes must-see.
Key Figures & Nostalgia (in progress):
• Joshua Filler, Jayson Shaw, Fedor Gorst, Eklent Kaci, SVB, Albin Ouschan.
• Nostalgia: live streams, walk-on music, viral moments—pool as a polished spectator sport again.
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