The best of the Legendary Stars of Pckt Billiards. Best at prime?

[christopheradam]

Of the 8 players that competed in the Legendary stars of Pocket billiards which has been recently aired on ESPNC. Who do you think was best at their prime and at what game. Or any other special talents any of these 8 were extremely good at?

Players:
U.J. Pucket
Willie Mosconi
Joe "the meatman" Balsis
Minnesota Fats
Irving "Deacon" Crane
"Cowboy" Jimmy Moore
"wimpy" Luther Lassiter
Arther "Babe" Cranfield

I wish I knew more about pocket billiards history but from what I know. Or think I know:
Straight pool - Willie Mosconi
9ball - Jimmy moore
one handed one pocket - Minnesota fats
Hustling - Minnesota Fats or is it U.J. Puckett

 

[zeeder]

9ball - Jimmy moore

From what I've heard, a lot of people consider Lassiter in his prime among the best 9-ballers ever and I've not heard such things of Jimmy Moore.

 

[Snapshot9]

That may be true ...

of Lassiter, but I knew a 19 year old at the time
from Pasadena, Tx. (just south of Houston) called
Squirrel that went to Vegas, lost all his money gambling almost,
had just enough money left to enter the 9 ball
championship tournament there, or to get home.
He said the heck with it, entered the tournament,
and beat Lassiter in the final match. Early 70's.

 

[sjm]

U.J. Pucket
Willie Mosconi
Joe "the meatman" Balsis
Minnesota Fats
Irving "Deacon" Crane
"Cowboy" Jimmy Moore
"wimpy" Luther Lassiter
Arther "Babe" Cranfield

The best of these at straight pool was Mosconi, but Balsis, Crane and Cranfield are all deserving of the title "straight pool legend" I knew Irving Crane well, and he believed himself to have been the best straight pool player ever on a 5 x 10. Joe Balsis was out of this world and won all his titles after the age of forty. I was there to watch Joe's cinderella run in the 1980 World Straight Pool Championship, when he got all the way to the final at about sixty years old. He might have won it, too, if there wasn't some young up-and-comer in the process of winning his very first world championship..............Mike Sigel.. Babe Cranfield is reputed to have run over 700 in practice twice!

The best of these at nine ball was Lassiter, and there are some I've met who believe he was the best nine-baller ever. The problem is they didn't play Texas Express back then, but "shootout", a version that allow a pushout in many situations, making comparison of LAssiter with today's best virtually impossible. I doubt any of the others qualify as nine ball legends.

Jimmy Moore played all the games well.

UJ Puckett and Fats, they were hustlers, and very good at their trade.

The true legends of one pocket like Eddie Taylor, Ron Allen, Rags Fitzpatrick, John Ervolino and so many others didn't play in this legends series.

 

[christopheradam]

The best of these at straight pool was Mosconi, but Balsis, Crane and Cranfield are all deserving of the title "straight pool legend" I knew Irving Crane well, and he believed himself to have been the best straight pool player ever on a 5 x 10. Joe Balsis was out of this world and won all his titles after the age of forty. I was there to watch Joe's cinderella run in the 1980 World Straight Pool Championship, when he got all the way to the final at about sixty years old. He might have won it, too, if there wasn't some young up-and-comer in the process of winning his very first world championship..............Mike Sigel.. Babe Cranfield is reputed to have run over 700 in practice twice!

The best of these at nine ball was Lassiter, and there are some I've met who believe he was the best nine-baller ever. The problem is they didn't play Texas Express back then, but "shootout", a version that allow a pushout in many situations, making comparison of LAssiter with today's best virtually impossible. I doubt any of the others qualify as nine ball legends.

Jimmy Moore played all the games well.

UJ Puckett and Fats, they were hustlers, and very good at their trade.

The true legends of one pocket like Eddie Taylor, Ron Allen, Rags Fitzpatrick, John Ervolino and so many others didn't play in this legends series.

Thanks for the informative post SJM. I would love to see some video footage of these 8 guys and other great players in their prime. I looked online and there's not much available.

 

[Rod]

The best of these at straight pool was Mosconi, but Balsis, Crane and Cranfield are all deserving of the title "straight pool legend" I knew Irving Crane well, and he believed himself to have been the best straight pool player ever on a 5 x 10. Joe Balsis was out of this world and won all his titles after the age of forty. I was there to watch Joe's cinderella run in the 1980 World Straight Pool Championship, when he got all the way to the final at about sixty years old. He might have won it, too, if there wasn't some young up-and-comer in the process of winning his very first world championship..............Mike Sigel.. Babe Cranfield is reputed to have run over 700 in practice twice!

The best of these at nine ball was Lassiter, and there are some I've met who believe he was the best nine-baller ever. The problem is they didn't play Texas Express back then, but "shootout", a version that allow a pushout in many situations, making comparison of LAssiter with today's best virtually impossible. I doubt any of the others qualify as nine ball legends.

Jimmy Moore played all the games well.

UJ Puckett and Fats, they were hustlers, and very good at their trade.

The true legends of one pocket like Eddie Taylor, Ron Allen, Rags Fitzpatrick, John Ervolino and so many others didn't play in this legends series.

That pretty well sums it up sjm. For those that never got to watch these champions play in their prime, you trully missed a great era.

Rod