As one of the teams we were tied with at the bottom of the standings going into Wednesday night failed to win a point, our two-point night was enough to get out of the basement. We face “The Badgers,” the second place team, this coming week.
Archive for October, 2008
Oct. 31 league standings update
October 31, 2008Cross-training #64
October 30, 2008The New Orleans Times-Picayune notes that New Orleans Hornets forward Peja Stojakovic will hold his second annual “Peja’s Charitabowl” on Dec. 7 to benefit his children’s foundation, which promotes health and fitness education through basketball. No word on if Chris Paul is scheduled to appear at the event.
Cross-training #63
October 30, 2008This motor sports site notes that NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Sam Hornish, Jr. will host his second annual celebrity bowling tournament, which is connected to the fall Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, tonight. The event, which will feature several Sprint Cup drivers, benefits several childrens’ charities in the state of Texas.
Making progress
October 29, 2008I’m continuing to have problems making my spares on the left side, but I had a better read on the lanes and made better first ball shots overall tonight (thanks to my break point recognition work the other day), so the night didn’t get too far out of hand. I even managed to beat my AVG+1 score, bringing my average back up to 180. It’s only too bad I had my good game in a game my team lost, as we took the last two games but failed to win total, splitting the 4 points on the night.
Result: 207-165-178=550
Average (27 games): 180 Last 9 games average: 184
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 561
Cross-training #62
October 29, 2008This Detroit-based web site offers up a gallery of photos from Detroit Lions receiver Mike Furrey’s Celebrity Halloween Bowling Party, which benefited several Detroit-area charities.
Developing lane sense
October 27, 2008I devoted the best part of practice today to lane play, particularly keeping in mind a few pointers “CoachJim” gave me last night about developing a sense of the lane’s break point (the point where the ball begins its move into the pocket). The first game was easy, as I played the lane as I normally begin to play it, and I had a clean 200 (the clean game being saved at one point by a conversion of the 5-7 split). I began using the pointers when I determined I had to move, and though my scores didn’t necessarily show it (due to bad shots, not enough carry, and missed spares), I thought I was beginning to develop that sense of the break point, as at the end of the practice, I flushed my first two balls in the 10th frame on shots standing on the 18 board before I missed my last shot right and slid past the break point. I will continue to keep the pointers in mind in my next practices.
Just for fun
October 25, 2008I had another bowling outing with my brother today, and, for the first game, anyway, it looked like it would be a repeat of my birthday outing, as I was clean with 5 in a row going into the 10th frame of the first game. However, I would leave the 4-6 split in the 10th frame for a 226 and I really wasn’t the same afterward, as I could only manage a pair of games in the 170s the rest of the way. My second game also only had one open, but it was a spare shooting show similar to what I had in league the other night. I would rather forget my last game, as I missed a single 4 and a 4-7; it seems my left side spares have been giving me more trouble than the right side lately. It was good fun, all the same, and my brother needed the outing after dealing with my father, who had been hospitalized, all week.
Van Hees loses to Scroggins at PBA World Championship
October 24, 2008PBA World Championship round of 32 results
Mike Scroggins ended Jonathan Van Hees’ run at the PBA World Championship tonight, winning their round of 32 match 4 games to 3. Van Hees had a chance to win the match in the 6th game, but Scroggins won the 6th game 233-199, then eliminated the Newport, RI bowler 278-196 in the decisive game.
Brunswick Mixed League standings update
October 24, 2008My league’s standings seem to update on Fridays, and will always be found at the link I posted in the sidebar, so readers are directed to check there for the update on Fridays.
As for this week, my team dropped into a tie for last place with “The Handicaps” and “Backyard Bowlers.” Keep in mind that it is a split season, and the first half will end with a position round the week before Christmas.
Another recent 300: I had forgotten to post earlier that Danny Khuu shot another 300 in the youth league earlier this month, so congratulations to him.
Jonathan Van Hees PBA World Championship cashers round update
October 24, 2008Standings of PBA World Championship after cashers qualifying round
Jonathan Van Hees survived the cut to 40 for match play at the PBA World Championship, standing in 31st place with a +352 score (213.04 average for 27 games). If I figured out the brackets correctly, Van Hees will face Mike Scroggins in the first round of match play later today (top 8 in qualifying get a two-round bye in match play).
PBA World Championship: The local angle
October 23, 2008PBA World Championship qualifying results
Congrats once again to Jonathan Van Hees of Newport, RI, who was the only New England bowler to cash in the PBA World Championship, the first tournament and major of the PBA Tour season, taking place this week in Wichita, KS. Van Hees qualified in a tie for 40th (field was cut to the top 25%, 53 places, after qualifying) with a score of +220* (212.22 average for 18 games). Van Hees will participate in the cashers qualifying round tomorrow. The two other New England bowlers in the field were Alex Aguiar of Dartmouth, MA (87th, +79, 204.39 average) and Keith DeCambra of Quincy, MA (T175th, -325, 181.94 average).
* Scores in pro tournaments are usually given in terms of +/- 200; simply multiply 200 by the number of games (18) then add or subtract the +/- figure to determine total pinfall.
Hanging in there
October 22, 2008About the only thing I could feel good about tonight was my spare game, as I made most of the spares I could make, and I needed those spares to keep the night from getting out of hand. The second game was the only game I could get strikes in, it seemed, so my spares helped me stay over 500 tonight. The team bowled against a team with two of the top 3 average bowlers in the league, and they had good nights, so the team got creamed, failing to win a point.
Result: 155-191-167=513
Average (24 games): 179 Last 9 games average: 177
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 541
Perfect game rolled in Westgate Mixed League: I’ve never had a 300 shot in the same building and at the same time I was bowling, but it happened tonight, as Harry Thibeault, Jr. shot the first perfect game of the season in the Westgate Mixed League in the second game. As he is a customer of the pro shop, I spotted him at the end of the night going in to have a Polaroid picture taken for the “Wall of Fame,” and I made like I was going to join him for the picture as a playful congratulatory gesture before leaving him alone for the photo. Congrats Harry! 
An introduction
October 21, 2008Learning over the weekend that he (as “slap”) had posted on the BowlingCommunity.com forums, I took a more-or-less unplanned trip to the lanes tonight to introduce myself to Sammy Belton, a local USBC Bronze-level coach, who was bowling in the Tuesday Scratch Sportsmen league. When I met him, he struck me as very personable, and we got to talking about our current status in our leagues. I mentioned his struggles in the Coke Classic League (I’ve been following his bowling in that league, as well as the Tuesday Scratch Sportsmen, on BowlSK), and also my own struggles on the house shot on Wednesday nights (though I also mentioned my rebound last week). I suggested to him that he note his stance and target on BowlSK to give those of us on the forums an idea of how he’s playing the lanes, and also that a few of us on the forums chat during the day and that we hoped to see him.
I was wishing to see Alex Aguiar tonight, as well, but during the day, I learned that he would be bowling in the PBA World Championship, the opening tournament of the PBA Tour proper as well as the first major of the season. I also took the opportunity to greet some of my friends in the other leagues, including Ray Fischer’s wife Sarah, whom I had not seen since I stopped bowling in the His & Hers league during my previous bowling life.
Brunswick Mixed League standings found online: I had thought my league’s standings would not be posted online, but looking at a note near the standings for the Coke Classic League gave me another URL I thought I’d fish around, and that one, on a site named Bowler Express, actually contains links to the standings for most of the leagues running at Westgate Lanes, including the candlepin and youth leagues. Two links have been added to the sidebar, one for the league listing (in the “Bowling Sites” category), and one to the PDF file with the current standings for the Brunswick Mixed league (in the “Author’s Links” category). I do not yet know on what day the standings are updated there, and I also don’t know if the URL for the PDF file with my league’s standings is specific to that week’s standings, so I may have to update the sidebar link manually week to week.
Post-season blues
October 20, 2008The Red Sox Game 7 loss and the relative lack of recent sleep due to following the playoff games might have affected my practice today, as I had a couple of games in the 160s (I kept it light today, keeping my condition in mind). I salvaged the practice somewhat with a 198 in the last game, but it was a bad kind of 198, with 3 open frames ruining a game that had 5 strikes in a row. Some of my recent problems seem to be making my left side spares, particularly the single 4 and 7. I think I did manage to figure out the 7, as I made it in the 10th frame of the last game, but I missed both of my single 4s. A bright side on my spare shooting was that I converted a 4-5 split.
USSSA Bowl-a-Thon: The USSSA will hold a New England Hall of Fame bowl-a-thon at Westgate Lanes on Sunday, November 23. Teams of 4 (any combination of men and women) can sign up for $100, and single bowlers are welcome at $25/each. Flyers for the event are available at the control desk.
Thoughts on Chris Paul Celebrity Invitational
October 19, 2008Just a few quick thoughts about today’s PBA Tour telecast opener:
- Of the NBA stars, I thought Chris Paul (of course) had the best form; he just didn’t get the breaks LeBron James did in the final match.
- I haven’t seen much of Jason Couch pre-knee-surgery, but this untrained eye couldn’t tell he had it. If he keeps up this level in the regular tour season, he’s going to be deadly once again.
- Finally, what is Ebonite thinking in their ad campaign? An annoying guy who only appeals to the dumb bowler stereotype. You’d think the #1 name in bowling balls could do better.
Thursday odds and ends
October 16, 2008- Stopped in at the pro shop today to give Ray my feedback on Brian Frank and learned Ray had a history with him, as Ray worked with him in New York and picked up Brian’s services when Brian moved here.
- Forgot to mention in the league post last night that there was a vote on what will be served at the league’s end-of-season banquet, which will be held in the pub adjoining the bowling center. The choices were baked stuffed chicken breast, prime rib, surf & turf, or a prime rib buffet. I voted for the chicken, but I didn’t learn what the league went for. I’ll probably know next week.
On the rebound
October 15, 2008The basic line I found working with Brian Frank worked for me tonight, though I, of course, had to make adjustments (lane 39 was hooking more than lane 40, so I made a 2-and-1 move in the beginning of the 2nd game) as the night went on. A couple of splits killed me in the second game, but I’ll blame more my poor shots in the 10th frame of the last game for not getting my first 600 series in this league tonight. As it was, it was both my high game (the 231 last game) and series to date in this league, so this should be something I can build on. The bonus is that I gained back the pins I lost from my average last week, so hopefully, this is the start of an upward trend.
As for the team, Ted had just gotten out of the hospital after passing out on Monday, so he was not up to bowling. We could only take one point tonight (the game I shot my 231 in), and I expect us to be back in the cellar, as we started the night next to last.
Result: 190-172-231=593
Average (21 games): 181 Last 9 games average: 178
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 562
PAP redux
October 14, 2008With the thought in mind of getting an oil ball, I went back down to the lanes (and pro shop) today to have my PAP remeasured, keeping in mind that I shouldn’t turn the ball (release definitely will affect PAP), but rather swing through the ball and let it roll off my fingers. Brian (Frank, not Shea) was doing the work this time, and his measurement should be considered more accurate, as he was actually watching me bowl much of the time when it was being taken. The updated numbers (including the drilling of the High-Voltage) follow:
PAP: 4 7/8″ over, 1/2″ up, 3 1/16″ leverage
Drilling (traditional notation): 3″ x 4″
Drilling (dual-angle notation): 82° x 3″ x 45°
Working with Brian, I also found a line I could play on the winter house shot (I made sure I was on a lane with the house shot so as to not wreck the Tuesday Scratch Sportmen’s lanes’ oil)…stance about the 16 board straight up to 7 or 8 at the arrows, and I had a nice looking strike for the last shot Brian needed. We’ll see if it holds up in league tomorrow night. The decision to buy the oil ball has also been delayed, as I was getting something like the reaction I was looking for all this time on the new line.
People’s Tournament September 2008 results
October 13, 2008The People’s Tournament reported Tammy Bellavance (AMF Cranston Lanes {RI}, 140 avg.) as the winner of the September tournament at E. Providence Lanes. She defeated Phil Hall (Brunswick Zone Lowell, 186 avg.) in the final match by a 224-169 score (with handicaps). For Westgate Lanes bowlers, Matt Richard and Alfredo Donato both made the final eight.
Note: There is no post about practice today, as I took the day off because of the Columbus Day holiday.
BowlingTracker.com back up
October 11, 2008After experiencing some down-time and database problems in the last couple of weeks, the BowlingTracker.com site is once again fully functional and the sidebar link to my Brunswick Mixed League stat sheet now works as it should. The stat sheet has also, of course, been updated with the last couple of weeks’ scores.
