Nick Names

ALMOST EVERY BOWLER HAS a nickname or two--and some can even be repeated. The sources of bowling nicknames range from hair color to physical build to employment background to various quirks in someone's game or nature. Some are funny, others are infamous, and many are fitting.

Some nicknames are reflections of a bowler's style. Lou Campi was known as "Wrongfoot" because he was the only right-handed star of his day to finish his approach on his right foot. "Rudy Revs" Kasimakis and Dotty "Fingers" Fothergill earned their names because of the many revolutions they applied to the ball. Leanne Barrette is "the Boomer" because of her powerful shot, and Michele Feldman is known as "Twisted Sister" for the action she gets from her ball.

Some nicknames aren't even exclusive. Paul Krumske was a pioneer instructor on radio and TV, while Frank Clause was a high school English teacher before he traveled the world staging clinics. Both were aptly named "Professor." And there have been many an "Iron Man" in bowling. The most noteworthy have been Harry Steers, the first bowler to roll in 50 ABC Tournaments, and Bill Doehrman and Joe Norris, both of whom competed in more than 70 years of ABC tournament competition.

In his youth, the colorful Carmen Salvino was "the Spook" and liked the name so much that he had a stamp created that said: "The Spook Was Here." Salvino used it to leave his mark on bowling centers across the country, a reference to the fabled World War II-era "Kilroy Was Here."

"Lindy" Faragalli's nickname is so longstanding that few people realize that his first name is Alfred. Faragalli was an admirer of Charles Lindbergh--the often hummed a song written in honor of the aviator--and eventually became known as "Lindy" to all.

Bill Lillard, one of the top competitors of all time, may not have been much of a singer, but he had a habit of talking to himself under his breath, so his peers called him "Mumbles."

At least one famous bowling family has multiple members with nicknames. Don Carter was "Bosco" because his favorite drink was the pleasant chocolate beverage of the same name. His wife, Paula Carter, probably garnered more publicity than any female in the history of the sport. In addition to her bowling skills, she was a talented speaker and was witty and controversial with the media--so she became known as "the Tornado in a Miniskirt."

Joe Falcaro was known as "Chesty," not because he was a big man physically but because he was a proud, forceful, and feisty competitor. He was one of the pioneers in conducting exhibitions and performing trick shots. Andy Varipapa, known as ,the greatest "Trick Shot Artist" and "the Clown Prince of Bowling," credited Falcaro with giving him his start to fame.

John Gengler gained notoriety as the best bowling hustler of all time but few knew his first name--he was almost exclusively known as "Count" Gengler. He got that tag because he dressed so well and was a man of impeccable manners--great assets for luring lesser bowlers into big-money games.

Fittingly, the all-time greats have been given some of the best nicknames. Many people called Dick Weber "the Splendid Splinter," a supreme compliment to the slightly built superstar who did everything so well. That is also the nickname given to the man considered the best hitter in baseball history, Ted Williams.

Another notable Williams, Walter Ray Williams Jr., is fittingly known as "Deadeye." He is a world champion horseshoe pitcher who is second on the pro bowling career title win list and famous for his accuracy in hitting the strike pocket and converting spares.

Marshall Holman was "the Medford Meteor." Medford, Ore., was his hometown, and the "Meteor" moniker was added because he fascinated the bowling universe. And, among other nicknames, Earl Anthony was tabbed "the Doomsday Stroking Machine" because the consistency with which he rolled strikes spelled doom for many of his opponents.

Finally, you don't even need to be a bowler to have a famous bowling nickname. One that fits best is the name given to Chris Schenkel, who announced national network bowling shows for more than 40 years. Schenkel is affectionately known as "Bowling's Golden Voice."

What makes traditional tournaments such as the ABC National Tournament so great is that everyone is rewarded. One year, a bowler finished 23,200th and still received a cash prize of $15. Can you imagine getting beat by 23,199 opponents and winning money?

Then again, why not? That bowler still had to beat more than 70,000 others in a huge field.

Witty former touring pro Joe Hutchinson advises: "Always call the pins by their numbers, not what you'd like to call them."

The U.S. Patent Office received the first claim of an invention that could automatically set up bowling pins in 1875. The first successful version, however, didn't come into use until 75 years later.

Don't you often wish that some bowlers would just shut up and roll?

Senior writer Chuck Pezzano is one of the top bowling writers in the country. He has won more than 60 writing awards and writes a nationally syndicated bowling column. He also is a member of the PBA and ABC Halls of Fame.