Ralph Greenleaf

billinboston said:
Have to read this !
The Man who was Mosconi’s equal
.... maybe
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When I spoke to JD, a few years back and he was writing the book, he said he thought Greenleaf was actually the superior player.

I told him I awaited reading his case for this argument and publication of his book with bait on my breath.

Lou Figueroa
 
BTW, back in June 2001, JD had a great article in a now defunct but swank men's magazine named "Details" about the US One Pocket Open. It's a great read with some excellent photos.

Lou Figueroa
 
lfigueroa said:
BTW, back in June 2001, JD had a great article in a now defunct but swank men's magazine named "Details" about the US One Pocket Open. It's a great read with some excellent photos.

Lou Figueroa
Click to expand...

link please
 
No matter how good the story and how well it’s written...it’s going to be sad.
 
jay helfert said:
All the old timers said that Greenleaf was the superior player.
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Well, I think there will always be a debate about that, with reasonable arguments on both sides.

One thing I do recall reading about Greenleaf being able to do that I've never heard of any other player doing (besides winning championships while drunk): was that he could shoot combination wing shots. He'd throw two balls down the table and make the combo.

That's strong.

Lou Figueroa
 
I've heard stories that 'ol Ralph played better shit-faced than most could sober. I've seen a few who had a high "beer gear" but i heard RG's was really sporty. Here in Okmulgee,Ok. on a bender he once had to prove his identity by running a bunch of balls for the cops to let him go. How the hell he ended up in freakin' Okmulgee is anybody's guess.
 
I may have posted this before, if so forgive the repetition, but I remember reading in a Ripley's believe it or not that Greenleaf ran 125 balls with the cue ball never more than 6 inches from the object ball.
 
Willie Mosconi was questioned about who was better in an interview years ago.
...he said “I will only say this...they say every time I beat him, he was drunk...
...but every time he beat me, he was drunk also.”
 
pt109 said:
Willie Mosconi was questioned about who was better in an interview years ago.
...he said “I will only say this...they say every time I beat him, he was drunk...
...but every time he beat me, he was drunk also.”
Click to expand...

:rotflmao1::rotflmao1::rotflmao1::killingme:
 
In the 1970's

Fred Walden at one time ran some huge tournaments at the elks club in Los angeles. He saw all the greats at one time or another and played a decent game himself.
He told me, greenleaf in his opinion was the best player ever.
 
Likely, the best ‘natural’ player. With that jerky sidearm stroke, and a load-on most of the time, he would have to be. Mosconi would likely be the best ‘professional’ player though, and his tournament stats proves just that. Ralph was more of a ‘showman’, while Willie’s calculating focus made him a legendary ‘winner’!
 
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