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Action Stories by daryld |
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I grew up as a bowling alley rat in LaGuardia Lanes. I was happy to find this thread because I tell people how I used to sometimes get to stay up real late when my father bowled action and it was a big thrill for me to watch the Beeper. Most people think I am exaggerating, but for a 12-13 year old kid stuck in a bowling alley in the middle of the night, watching the Beeper was fun. by mikeb I remember your dad, the NEBA win against Jim Byrne in Springfield. I gained alot of respect and have wondered what happen. I would not go against him and proved right when he crushed my friend Al Brown. He bowled my freind Barry Warshafsky. Barry won the first four and Brien got lined up and took him the next four. I told Barry quit before you lose. I have the upmost respect for him and wish him the best. I will not ever forget him. Very tough in action. by daryld
When I started in bowling the lane conditions that I started under were oiled an buffed 60'. The lanes were soft but when first done they were very tight. They broke down quick because the units of oil was far less then what we see today. They did not have carry down because the lane finish was soft. There was not a lot of swing area an so most of the good bowlers played straight up the track. 198 was considered high. Then some of the houses started producing 200 averages. I found out that they were spraying the heads but not buffing. This created an inside oil condition with dry outside. Up to this point plastic balls were to erratic an rubber was the best on these shots. With the dry outsides the some bowlers started to have alot of success with Brunswick Crown Jewels. Then I noticed that the track area was burning out with the new oiling patterns. First I tried more oil but this made the shot tough. Then I got the idea to just spray more oil in the track area. I told this to my friend Bud Anderson in Souix Falls S.D. He was using the new oiling machine an he thought about it an decided to cut the brushes to change the pressure thus allowing him to add more oil to the track area. His average next year was an unheard of 228!! It then spread like a disease with Casey Jones breaking all the ABC scoring records in Plymouth Wisconsin. Casey was avery good bowler an very accurate but with this condition he average over 230 in every league shooting more 800s then had ever been shot. He broke the Wisconsin State All events held by Ritger. Outside wall!!!
In the history of bowling the most publized bowling match was a series of matches for alot of money with alot of money in the back. The match was between Buzz Fazio and Dick Hoover. It was a house an house match with Fazio winning in his house an Hoover winning in his. They repeated it but each time the results was the same. Years later Fazio admitted that he doctored the lanes using horse hair an created a ridge that he road with his hard straight shot at the head pin. Hoover threw outside hooking the ball an had no hold. When Hoover was ask he admitted that his lanes were doctored but took the secret with him to his grave. These matches were followed by every bowling person in the country and this had to be the most celebrated action shooting in a time before PBA.
He was a 185 avertage bowler until he started bowling in Sullivan Mo. He average in the mid 180s but then started bowling in Sullivan and started a scoring spree that shocked the nation. The Horn and Lemon could probably not have beaten this unlikely character even at their best, His namer was Elvin Mesger an he shot more 300s , 299s, 298s and 800 series then any other bowler at that time. ABC checked the lanes religiously since he was breaking records. The big guns out of St. Louis knew him an thought this was a chance to break records scoring themselves. Dick Weber, Nelson Burton Jr, Ray Bluth and a host of others headed for Sullivan to win some money. Nelson said "We found the shot to be tough an struggle to stay in the 200s. While Elvin bowled with them an shot 846. They came back each week but no matter what they did none could come close to Elvin. He played each lane alittle different but struck like a machine. His approach was ackward but the results were the same. He shot 21 800s and 26 300s all sanction to lead the nation up into the 70's. He was unbeatable even by the best.
As i said before in the early years bowling balls did not have weight blocks so by drilling holes you would transfer the weight to the bottom of the ball (like drilling a three piece with the label on the underside of the ball). This would take the backend control out giving less reaction. Not the ideal way to have a ball. By studying the Counts pictures I see that he palmed the ball with the holes on top an slightly to the right. This would give him positive weight creating a much more dynamic ball reaction and allow him to change the amount of hook an direction depending on where he placed the holes. When everyone was using weak strike balls the Count was not, like a dodo ball today. Iggy predesser!!
One bowler who stands out is Guy Corminsky. If you bowl
in Vegas for money then you know him. A tiger on the lanes!! He throws
hard with alot of crank. He has had some bad breaks in some big matches
but he is always there. Never gives up. Has beaten a host of name
bowlers an is respected by all. Beat Belmonte and had his biggest win
against Chis Barnes in a shoot out at World Ten Pin Masters. Has a
bowling establishment in South Africa. Has not bowled PBA yet. Maybe not
the best but a fearless tiger ready to take on anyone for anything. Of
the young rising stars only Dominic Barrett of England looks better.
Hello joeyja,
Well, I never had the pleasure of bowling with pinboys setting the pins,
wished I had. It would have completed my bowling experience. I have worked
as a pin chaser and this makes me appreciate how hard that job was. Many of
the tough bowlers I ran into when I started had their start as pinboys.
Seems we lost that part of the game. Those people had a great appreciation
for the difficulty of the game.
This was during the Carter era, I went back to grad school in molecular cell
biology and was working at U Mass Emergency Clinic. But because of school it
became a conflict of interest. I lost my job and had to revert back to the
only thing I new how. Since I was in an area that was new I found some local
bussiness men who liked to bowl. Since I am real good at chopping spares and
also looking like a new bowler I played the game of winning but just enough
to keep a steady flow of cash without killing the golden goose. After I had
enough money I started to move up in talent. I did alright but news spread
around that I was getting much better (the real pros pick this up right
away. So matches got scarer and one morning I walked into the lanes and John
H. (who I could always beat) challenged me for $100 a game. The match
started and I noticed the outside was very dry and all my balls over
reacted. So I switched to my white dot and started pounding the pocket
leaving alot of tens. John had a much weaker release and he was firing an
LT48 up the dry boards and striking. I did not know that for the past month
he was doing the lanes and shooting above 740 every night with 3 300s. Well
by late afternoon I was down a bundle and I new I was really in trouble and
stupid! Angry and knowing that I had to turn it up another notch I started
increasing my speed, revs and lining up. The fatigue set in to John and I
started some 267's and a 279. I kept on winning until evening set in.He was
now exhausted and said he had to go to work. I ended up down $400 and a much
wiser man but angry over the fact that he quit ahead. I had been hustled and
never got another shot at him. I got back the money in some action but it
still sits with me today to have gotten beat by someone that I shouldnot.
This is a story I came Across of a by gone era!!! It was about Count
Gengler as there is far and few. He could have been the best to ever
throw a ball and we must remember that this was a time when scoring was
low and the toughest bowlers averaged 190's and over 200 which was
outstanding in that era, NO WALL SHOTS!!!! This happened in Kokomo IND. when bowling was just getting organized
and is titled " Hunger for Competition". Compiled and by researched by
Jon Kelley. I will quote his work: Even more amazing was that the "Count" only used a one-step delivery.
One of his trick shots was throwing a palm ball without putting his
thumb or fingers in the ball.
One of the most interesting tournaments was the invitational masters head to
head elimination tournament held in England. The hotest 16 international
bowlers are invited to go in a bracketts format on one freshly done lane for
each match. This eliminates any advantage a lefty might have. It also has
some of the tougher international women who must bowl as equal to the men.
Three women have won in the past with the last one from Maylasia who beat
Swedens Torrguson. Jason Belmonte shot a 300 and Tim Mack was in the finals.
The You Tube covered all the matchs in the 2006 (won by Chris Barnes PBA
Bowler of the year) and 2007.
In March Mike Hagan lost to Swedens Ljung in
the finals of Brunswick's Euro Challenge. This tournament is also covered on
You Tube.
Well, I am putting together a paper on history of bowling era's that I
thought off by watching some new talent on the rise and listening to Phantom
radio this week. Bowling has changed quite a bit as a new era is here. Best
action shooter would probably be Norn Duke, Rudy was tough (my friend and I
made money on Rudy betting against a hot bowler on his lanes}. Tough bowlers
would be Lichy, Steve Hardy ( USBC recorded holder in all events) , But they
do not bowl head to head action. NEBA has many tough bowlers and so do the
regional point leaders but with all the tournaments seems action matches are
very limited. The new era is upon us and this is an era of revs. Seems the
person who can achieve a smooth release with alot of turn an some good axis
tilt can create unbelieviable strike percentage. This is the modern game
with the new technology in bowling equipment. Take Tommy Jones, Jeff Carter,
Sean Rash, Rhino Page,Pete Webber, and the new two handed release of
Belmonte and the other blond kid from Aussy. Stemmel was trying to put
changes in porosity of oil absorbson but this seems to be trying to turn
back time. The cell has seemed at present to be sliding around this issue.
Technology always wins as we saw with the sockers when other methods were
devlop to get around the rules made by ABC. The balls get stronger, the
bowlers get stronger, rev rates increase and the bowler will always find a
way to develop that special ability to increase his edge over the
competition. Iggy was a master in his time and so it continues today.
Versitility such as Norm Duke and consistency of Walter Ray counts but the
rev players are catching up. Scoring can be only uniformally controled by
the weight displacement of the bowling pins. Tech verses the pins
Hello relic,
Jimmy Smith of the Brooklyn and later Buffalo was one of the greatest action shooters. After he claimed himself the world champion by traveling across the country beating all comers and had the longest reign as world champion (over Earl, Weber and Carter). From 1905 to 1925 all bowling was action and the Bowlmor had records once on this. He is in the Bowlling Hall of Fame and in his later years beat Count Gengler (forcing the Count into retirement). Also Mort Lindsey who bowled in the Bowlmor and can out of New Haven where he average 220 when 200 was fantastic. He was known as Moose and fired the ball and proved hard to beat in head to head matches. He is also in the Bowling Hall of Fame. But we never got to see these greats bowl otherwise they would be on the list.
In New England we all think of Ronnie Hatem as the great action shooters to come out of this area. He beat Jeff Kidder up here but lost in New York. He won alot of matches and lost some but when on he was tough. No one wanted to bowl him when he was on and he would bowl anyone. Jeff should remember him. He moved to Florida and ran a Bowling Lanes but became sick last year and past away a couple weeks ago. Ernie and Johnny might remember him.Eddie Butler (not anaction shooter) but a friend of Mark Roth and a legend inthis area as a tough tournament bowler and a great gentleman out of New York and Boston also past away in Florida. Bowling will miss them.
This is a story most do not know and maybe not interested. Jimmy Mellilo was born in Brooklyn in 9-19-1882. He sub one night for a Smith in 1898 and average 195 (he was a pinboy). He quickly won recognition as the best juvenile bowler from the Police Gazette. He bowled under the name Jimmy Smith (easier to remeber) In 1901 he was invited to Chicago by Promoter Nick Bruck. He took on all comers and won every match. In 1903 he bowled Bill Wernicke at Randolh Lanes and needed a strike in the final game to win. He left a 10 pin but a constuction company was dynamiting next door and the shock waves knock it over. In 1905 he bowled against Johnny Voorhies, top bowler of New York, and beat him. He beat him again later. The Brooklynn Eagle started a tournament which he won for 7 years (like the Newsday}. He won two ABC Allevents with 1919 in 1911 and 1915 9 years later. Ray Bock of Milwaukee sponsored him on a tour from 1916 to 1924.He rolled 12000 games an averaged 205 on all types of shots. During this time accurate records were kept between 1922 to 1923. He rolled 703 games including 16 300s and averaged 211. He won all his matches except an exhibition in Denver against Florette McCutchon (Hall of Fame women bowler.) He was recognized as the reigning world champion from 1905 until 1922. Smith lost his title in a 115 game match to Jimmy Blouin (run by Louis Peterson (Peterson Classic}. Billy Sixty described Smith asa graceful bowler with a high backswing who could adjust his speed and used his wrist shooting from outside.
In 1917, Jimmy Smith and Count Gengler came to Staten Island to bowl a match against two of SI's best, a guy named Alvero Boera, and his friend Jimmy Conroy. Boera and Conroy won a 2 out of 3 match, then Boera beat Smith head to head. The scores were not listed.
That is a very interesting story. Boera must of been very tough. 1917 was when Smith was bowling well. I think they were touring together. Gengler was probably not at his paek since his best days really came at the beginning of Smith's career. Gengler eventually got a match with Smith and lost. Gengler also destoyed Blouin and hi father (Blouin eventually took Smith's World Championship title in Petersen's match game classic 116 games.
When I started bowling in the Dakota's in the 60's I remember a bowler named Do Baker. His father owned a little house in Iowa. He attended Boston Univ. and since bowling ten pins was new he found the area easy He was NEBA's first BOY and won many action matches in Boston. Some old bowlers told of how he beat Kidder across the house after Kidder had beaten some local's. He also won against a young Petraglia. He moved bak to Souix City Iowa and bowled on the Gas Dividend team with such stars as Danny Blankenberg, Ken Moose Bern (mister BJ with two back to back titles and a top ABC all events finish and twice amatuer top money winner of the year) and Walt Scrieber (only PBA on team). They shot the highest scores in the nation and in the South Sioux Classic at Harmony Lanes they took all the high games the night Bev Ortner fired the first womens 818. Bev that had to hurt. Baker won almost every local tournament. He won new cars on hte Big Bowl TV show in Sioux Falls. Last I heared he won a PBA regional at Mitchell South Dakotain the late 80's. He had a style alot like Pete Weber and was very accurate with the high backswng and big hook. Hamm's Beer team out of Minneapolis was the top amatuer team dominating in the nationals and all other events they entered. These were not pros but they made their money from bowling. The team I bowled on won twelve straight league titles which was an ABC record and a few stae championships. In Iowa to of the toughest was Torguson and Firestone winner Mike Berlin. It was a fun time with alot of action.
This is a 60's story of BPAA rolloff in South Dakota. Everyone thought this fun. I had got by the house qualifying. The zone was in a small house in DeSmit near Brookings. Its a little foggy so bear with me. In South Dakota alot of the small houses supplemented the small amount of local lineage with small weekend tournaments. So this house of 4 lanes ran the zoe rolloff. I believed the lanes were Shallac. They had that strange smell found in candlepin lanes back east. They called it wax and on warming up nothing seemed to work. Lacquer lanes would show a dark track area but these lanes showed an area around the ten board that looked like a groove. I turned my thumb inside in my backswing and turned back to 12 causing a full roller. It rolled magically down the lanes to the pocket I was averaging around 210. This house had no airconditioning and they kept the windows down the lanes open. All of a sudden on a key shot a brown object moved in front of me. It was a cow's head stuck in through the window staring at me. Seems they only had night leagues and with all the noise a cow can to investigate. I was top qualifier and no damage was done but it certainly was strange. Bet this will never happen in New York City.
Well with today's technology it seems harder to dominate in match play. Watching Sean Rash few weeks ago seems almost unbelieveable how powerful his style is. Talking to another bowler who seems to be bowling well in regionals, local scratch and league play. He said he could not throw long enough as he had physcial limitations. Norm Duke had physical problems along with illness. Today's game is much different then those early years when endurance and consistancy was the most important. Even with the great amount of games bowled by the pros, they have to throw so hard to generate the dominant ball action that it is very difficult to last. In match play today no one seems to have an edge like we saw in the era's from Smith to Carter. Don Carter threw at around 13 to 14 mph while today many bowlers hit up to 18 mph and higher. Parker was bowling in a pro am and this junior lefty from White River Jct. , Vermont threw strike after strike (they get strikes in the 3, 6, and 9) and blasted around 870 for 3 with a ball speed of over 20 mph. Parker said "Glad he's not bowling in the tournament". How do you throw a banking hook at over 20 mph. Equipment and styles have certainly changed the game.
I can agree with that. He was at Lee's sitting in my room an mentioned how amazed he was at picking up the 7-10 in the first match an striking out only to have his opponent doing the same. He won by that pickup and went on from a possible loser to 200,000 G's. How close it sometimes is in bowling from success to failure. His NEBA record of wins is fantastic as Rev's or anyone will agree. He is also an outstanding gentleman. His mental game was the best around. To mention some other names in this group is George Tignor who beat Lichy in Atlantic City and won one in Vegas. Chris Viale is probably the most successful in this area. Billy Webb is considered one of the best bowlers in NEBA. Brian Boghesian is one of the steadyest bowlers. Paul Moser was the best of all (even Earl Anthony thought he had the best arm swing he had seen) but physcial injuries prevented him from achieving his true potential. Barry Warshafsky has had the longest time of outstanding bowling. His great shooting has gone from mid 60's to present. He has always kept in great shape and finished 3rd in NEBA with a good performance. He is 2nd to Lichy in NEBA wins and an ABC champion. Lichy has lead the class annd certainly belongs on the H O F list!!!
How true!!! From 1969 to 1977 the house (Town Line) in Boston gave $2,500 for anyone in ABC competition who could shoot 300. No one did dispite the fact that we had PBA bowlers such as Paul Moser (US Open champion) , Ron McCaull (ABC Masters Semi Finalist) , and Barry Warshafsky (ABC Champion) etc. High average was around 206.
PS. Jerry Hayes moved to Chicago an although he was a solid 200+ he got lost in the crowd. At that time Alfie Cohen was the best in Chicago if not the entire country as an amatuer (one of the greats in the ABC tournament at that time as recognized by BJ.
I was adding some possible names to the Greatest Action
Bowlers when Jerry Hayes came to mind. It was in the 1967 or 68 that Jerry
came to prominance in Rapid City where he was considered a top action
shooter. He shot the all time state record score of 846 and was beating
everyone. Hi ego was out of site. He came to the State Tournament in Huron
S.D. The tournament ran saturday and sunday. On Friday night they had money
matches with all the top bowlers in the state. In those days the lanes were
usually dry as was common before urthane. These were new lanes an the oiling
pattern was almost the entire lane by mistake. This was just right for me (a
young bowler just emerging as it leveled the field). Everyone was having
trouble carrying but I fell at home an average 230 for the evening. When
they told Jerry he had just lost his money to a beginner he went over to the
soda machine, put his money in an garbed the bottle by the top an snaped it
off. Try that!!!! I did not think it could be done. I got quickly away
despite being a tough football player but that seemed to much. With money in
my pocket an confidence I came in second in all events (missing first by 3
pins). When I was in Cincinnati there was some tough bowlers but do not know if they bowled action,( Steve Fehr, Ron Pollard and his brother. There was another who was the top multiple winner in Vegas an top amatuer money winner for a few years but I can't remeber his name. Then the young Brian Himmler took Rev's and Del Ballard for a few thosand in his house. At that time Neuman, Rev's and Himmlar dominated with their hooking power. Times have changed as they are not feared. Steve Fehr is!! There are so many tough bowlers out of Ohio and Michigan that it would become a book. Another bowler we might put on the list was Bob Chamberlain from Detroit. When I was bowling in that area the toughest bowler for action was Bob. This was told by reliable sources. Gene Stus was very tough but bowled in the big classic leagues carrying a top average. But for money on all conditions Bob was the best. I also think John Mazza (lefty) from outside Detroit bowled action but I might be wrong. With Jeff Kitter then we should put Ronnie Hatem on there from Boston. He bowled Jeff an as the story goes beat him in Boston but was a great contrbutor to Jeff in New York. He is famous for bowling action in 1960's winning some big money as well as losing. He was feared by most an can be liken to Charlie Faino in style. Once he got lined up with his full roler look out. He ran Lanes in Florida but pass away last year. He was great before urthane
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