What Do You Consider?

[Southpaw]

I have never heard of a shortstop being above an A player. I know 2 or 3 roadplayers (who are A players) that when they went on the road, they looked for the shortstop players to play because they usually play just good enough to get beat by A players. So the A players could hide their true speed and play just good enough to win.

Southpaw

 

[Russ Chewning]

A list of the people under the misconception that a shortstop beats an A player like a redheaded stepchild (or at least 2-3 games consistently in a race to 9), per posts on here:

(Me)
Nick B
cuesblues
poolsponge
Cuaba
Hail Mary Shot
Johnnyt
Flex
Steve Lipsky
td873
TWOFORPOOL
crawfish
Varney Cues
cueman
rackmsukr
mikepage
sixpack

(That's all I had time for right now..)

Not busting you out, man.. Just saying I think that perhaps you hadn't gotten to take a look at most of the threads where this every topic was discussed.

Search for "shortstop rating" in the forum, and you will find most of the threads I used as sourcing..

Russ

 

[fan-tum]

I would agree with this as it pertains to straight pool but I wouldn't rank a player *just* on their straight pool abilities. I'm a perfect example of that. I play 9-ball well enough to hold my own and I'm not afraid of who I would draw in a tournament. Toss me into 14.1 though and I dog shots left and right and would easily be considered a B minus or a B according to your scale. Going into a 9-ball tournament I have an even chance to win. Going into a straight pool tournament I know I'm going to enjoy myself for the day and go home empty handed.

Maybe an A player should be someone that can handle themselves in various games and not just 9-ball or straight pool. Although I feel that if you play good straight pool you can probably play good 9-ball. A good 9-ball player may not fare too well in straight pool.

Straight pool is the greatest game on the table hands down. I only wish I had someone really good at it around it here to teach me more about it.
MULLY

I'm the opposite. Too many long shots in 9 ball. If you have a good cue ball, 14.1 is a whole lot easier.

 

[lewdo26]

Shortstop is above A.

Shortstop is semi-pro basically.

works for a living but could go pro.

A player is an expert amateur.

 

[Nine Ball]

Shortstop is above A.

Shortstop is semi-pro basically.

works for a living but could go pro.

A player is an expert amateur.

I can agree with that..

 

[mullyman]

I'm the opposite. Too many long shots in 9 ball. If you have a good cue ball, 14.1 is a whole lot easier.

Nah, to me 14.1 isn't even close to being as easy as 9-ball. Granted, you'll have more difficult shots in 9-ball as far as long, thin cut shots, having to juice up the CB etc... but your course is laid out for you in 9-ball. You have to go from the 1 to the 2 and so on. In 14.1 you're on your own. Gotta find the patterns, gotta set up the break shots etc... a milimeter out of line can screw up your whole game.

I love straight pool. It's my favorite game of all time. But like I said, I can walk into a 9-ball tourney with the confidence that I'll walk out with the trophy. No way I feel like that playing straight pool. My biggest problem is that I've learned straight pool on my own. It would be so much better if there was someone really good at it around here that could show me more of the inside of it. Problem is that straight pool isn't popular in Japan and it's almost impossible to find someone to play, let alone play really well.

I contacted that guy that runs the 14.1 league in the States about trying to get a league together over here. He said I would need a minimum of 7 members. So far I've found 3, including myself.
MULLY

 

[Nine Ball]

Straight pool is by far tougher than 9 ball.. Nobody in the pool room I grew up in played the game so I never learned it.

I've played the game less than 30 times and more around maybe only 15 times ever. My first high run was 54 which isn't much..

The last time I played the game against someone I ran 86 and then didn't play it again for weeks..

I just don't see the patterns as I've never really seen anyone play the game.. It looks so easy but for some reason it isn't. Not easy for me anyway..

Maybe if I played the game for a few months straight I could probably be decent at it.. But it's my worst game by far..

 

[tpdtom]

Quote:
Originally Posted by lewdo26
Shortstop is above A.

Shortstop is semi-pro basically.

works for a living but could go pro.

A player is an expert amateur.



I can agree with that..
__________________
Thanks,
Josh Hillard
End Quote

Me too.

For the 40 or so years that I have been around pool as a teenager and an adult, I've always thought of a shortstop to be above an A player. AAA if you will, and just beneath a touring pro. Road players come in different levels.

I won't say whether 14.1 or Nine Ball or Ten Ball or Eight Ball or One Pocket is the BEST game, but I will say that 14.1 incorporates all the skills needed to play the other games. Straight Pool is only hard if you run a lot of balls and play great safes. I've never seen a great Straight Pool player who couldn't play the other games well...Tom

 

[Southpaw]

A list of the people under the misconception that a shortstop beats an A player like a redheaded stepchild (or at least 2-3 games consistently in a race to 9), per posts on here:

(Me)
Nick B
cuesblues
poolsponge
Cuaba
Hail Mary Shot
Johnnyt
Flex
Steve Lipsky
td873
TWOFORPOOL
crawfish
Varney Cues
cueman
rackmsukr
mikepage
sixpack

(That's all I had time for right now..)

Not busting you out, man.. Just saying I think that perhaps you hadn't gotten to take a look at most of the threads where this every topic was discussed.

Search for "shortstop rating" in the forum, and you will find most of the threads I used as sourcing..

Russ

Im only going by what some of the former top roadplayers and tourney players in the Southeast say...but what do they know.

Southpaw

 

[SCCues]

Shortstop is above A.

Shortstop is semi-pro basically.

works for a living but could go pro.

A player is an expert amateur.

This is what i've always believed also.

James

 

[corvette1340]

I guess it really depends on what region you are from as to whether an A player is considered better than shortstop or not. From mine and Southpaw's region there are several players considered shortstops and not near as many A players by our definition. I like Iba's classifications. I would consider players like Tedder and Matt Bulfin shortstops and players like Brian White to be between A and Jam up according to those classifications. Bruce Berrong who I would say was once between champion and jam up, would now be between jam up and A player but closer to jam up on the rating spectrum. Stuff like this is really open to a lot of different interpretations.

 

[instroke75]

Shortstop is above A.

Shortstop is semi-pro basically.

works for a living but could go pro.

A player is an expert amateur.

I agree with this completely! Shortstops are basically AAA players, who could possibly go to the major leagues under the right conditions, and are capable of going far in any tournament, but probably can't get there against pro players for the cash!
A players are the everyday guys in your local poolroom who can beat everyone in the room but rarely leave it cause they can't fade the action on unknown territory!
The term "shortstop"basically explains itself: players who stop just short of being pros for one reason or another.
Jeremy

 

[ShootingArts]

my version of the term "shortstop"

The shortstops are the guys you duck when you first come into town looking for action. Play them first and they may well beat you, taking your stake. If you beat them you have shown so much speed that the vast majority of local action just dried up. Doesn't matter what happens, play them early and your trip to that town or area of a bigger town is stopped short.

I dropped into a little tournament just for grins once. In the first match I lost the flip and the other player broke the first rack. That was all that he shot. The next match I won the flip and broke and ran the match out. I was danged near lynched! Turned out I had just stormed through the two local favorites. Oops!

Hu

I agree with this completely! Shortstops are basically AAA players, who could possibly go to the major leagues under the right conditions, and are capable of going far in any tournament, but probably can't get there against pro players for the cash!
A players are the everyday guys in your local poolroom who can beat everyone in the room but rarely leave it cause they can't fade the action on unknown territory!
The term "shortstop"basically explains itself: players who stop just short of being pros for one reason or another.
Jeremy

 

[JAM]

If shortstops are considered triple-A players, what would the rating be on these eggs shown below dressed in the green sweaters?!

Photo courtesty of Diane Hoppe, Poolpics by Hoppe, of course!

Can you put the name with the right face?

JAM

 

[instroke75]

If shortstops are considered triple-A players, what would the rating be on these eggs shown below dressed in the green sweaters?!

Photo courtesty of Diane Hoppe, Poolpics by Hoppe, of course!

Can you put the name with the right face?

JAM

exactly what they are, Hall of Famers,Champions, proven professionals!

 

[Southpaw]

The term "shortstop"basically explains itself: players who stop just short of being pros for one reason or another.
Jeremy

Or it could mean players that stop short of beating anyone that can play A speed or better.

Southpaw

 

[JAM]

exactly what they are, Hall of Famers, proven professionals!

They sure are proven professionals. That's for sure.

Actually, they're all U.S. Open Champions. Those who can name each one from left to right gets the AzBilliards Blue Star for today.

If you can name the living four U.S. Open champions who are missing in this picture, you will receive the coveted AzBilliards GOLD Star, only bequeathed to those who are very, very worthy!

If you get both the gold and the blue stars, then you're a genuine pocket billiards aficionado.

JAM

 

[Southpaw]

They sure are proven professionals. That's for sure.

Actually, they're all U.S. Open Champions. Those who can name each one from left to right gets the AzBilliards Blue Star for today.

If you can name the living four U.S. Open champions who are missing in this picture, you will receive the coveted AzBilliards GOLD Star, only bequeathed to those who are very, very worthy!

If you get both the gold and the blue stars, then you're a genuine pocket billiards aficionado.

JAM

Sigel, Schmidt, Alex and SVB are missing


Southpaw

 

[JAM]

Sigel, Schmidt and SVB are missing


Southpaw

Yikes!

Make that FIVE that are living U.S. Open champions who are missing in that pick.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Sigel, Schmidt, Alex and SVB are missing


Southpaw

You're still missing one. I had forgotten about Sigel!

JAM