The LBT (League Bowlers Tournament) I won took place on the weekend of Oct. 21 and 22, 1989. I had cashed in one previous LBT tournament, so this would be my second appearance in an LBT stepladder finals. To get there, I had to qualify first, however, and I took my shot in the late squad (10 PM) on Saturday; late squads back then generally agreed with my body clock because I was working evenings and would be at my peak performance late. I was entering with a 147 average, so was getting the maximum 45 pins per game handicap.
I started qualifying with a 170 scratch game during which I had a turkey in the 7th, 8th, and 9th frames, and just kept improving, with a 194 second game, and capping it off with a one-open 220 game, which would stand as my best tournament game until my comeback. The 584 scratch series translated to a 719 handicap set, and I would learn when the results were posted that I knocked Steve Travers (one of my best bowling friends to this day) out of one of the qualifying spots and I would return the next day for the semifinals. I told a friend on Facebook many years later that I don’t know how I managed to get sleep for that Sunday, but that it would be fortunate that I did.
My spot in the finals was set up by a 211 game (that number would be important later on, as well) in which I had a five-bagger from the 4th frame. I had to hang on with games of 161 and 148 following for a 520/655 series that would put me in the third spot in the stepladder, meaning I would face the winner of the match between “Hawk” Earle and Bob Hamilton, won by “Hawk” with a 218 scratch game.
I decided I would go first against “Hawk” because I liked being in a position of knowing what I needed to win, and starting first meant finishing last. The match turned out to be nothing too special, as I had a 162 scratch game, but “Hawk” only threw a 188 scratch game himself, which was not enough to overcome the difference in handicap. Back then, “Hawk” was one of the better bowlers in the house (and is still pretty good today), so knowing I survived against him provided a shot of confidence.
My second match would be against Jim Yost, who had the same average as “Hawk” did (or at least as much handicap). Jim left four straight single pins to start the match, when I would really get going with a five-bagger from the third frame. Jim doubled in the 5th and 6th, but the roll I started on prompted the scorer to provide “commentary” by first switching our handicaps on the scorer, then making Jim’s handicap “+145”. I had not a single spare in the match, but I did shoot 190 scratch and 235 with handicap to Jim’s 179/187 to advance to the title match.
The title match would be against Joyce Bernard, and I’ll post the scoresheet below (click to view full-size):
Coming up in the 10th frame, I only needed the first strike, a five in count on the second ball, and make the spare. However, in an error probably caused by me wanting to be aggressive, I thought I needed the double to win, and still got it, punching out on the fill to put the icing on the cake. The top part of the item attached to the telescorer sheet was how Dick Roche wrote up the event for the Thursday bowling column in the Enterprise.
A couple of other items worthy of note:
- I threw a used original black Angle throughout the tournament, and I believe that was the first ball I ever had drilled fingertip. I believe the ball was lost a couple of years later.
- In the days leading up to the tournament, I could visualize in my mind my name in big red letters on the back-end wall (as was custom for Westgate Lanes back then), and I share this only to show a little positive thinking really does help. 😀
My 5th high school reunion was just a month later; you can imagine my joy in telling my friends of my accomplishment. My mother was proud, as well. 😀
The Tenth Board 