Author: Rich

I started "The Tenth Board" to chronicle my experiences during the road back to league bowling after my heel fractures in 1999 (it took me 7 years before I started thinking seriously about it). I now use the blog as a combination of a personal bowling journal and a news site mostly about Westgate Lanes (Brockton, MA) and its bowlers.

Mar. 12 outing with brother

My brother was over on a weekend where we didn’t have to do food shopping, so that made bowling more likely, and we did just that this morning. The youth leagues were wrapping up when we got there, but we got a lane closer to the desk. I was happy with my performance today, because, while I didn’t get my 600, I had no game under 190 and made all of my “easy” spares. I even made a couple of my splits, the first of which was a 3-6-7-10 which helped me stay for what ended up being a clean game, perhaps my first clean game under 200 (came up a pin short). My brother wanted to dispute the fact that it was a clean game, however: I had a spare in the 10th frame, but only filled that with 8 pins (left a 4-7). For his part, my brother had a major (for him) accomplishment…no first-ball gutter balls the whole day.

After the kids were done, Henry Webber took to the lanes on his own, and happened to throw a 300 game, which was worthy of being announced on the PA system. I don’t know if it was his first ever, or if he’s had some before, but it would’ve seemed to me that he’d have one in league play by now. Congrats just the same, Henry! 😀

Mar. 11 league standings update

The two points “Babe and Balls” won this week, combined with the failure by “In It To Win It” to win any, meant my team and the latter team are now tied in points for 10th place. At the top of the standings, “The Incredibowls” are now tied with “The 5 G’s,” with “Vakanczzz” three points behind.

“Bowling Ball Vault” link added to sidebar

Always wanting to give my readers alternatives when it comes to stuff like ball review sites, I’ve been pointed to the “Bowling Ball Vault” on the forums. This is another site with reviews by bowlers, but a couple of features help make this site stand out: 1) There is a feature where you can compare specifications between bowling balls, useful for when you’re looking for a ball similar to one you already have and are looking to replace; 2) The reviews and listings are on RSS feeds, and you can specify a feed for any given manufacturer.

The link is now in the “Equipment Sites” category of the sidebar listing.

Mar. 9 league night recap

My Week 26 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK series sheet)

A couple of bad shots may have contributed to my team losing the first game, and I only did enough in the 10th frame to win the other two games, or my team might have won total, as well. Other than that, I felt I bowled fairly decently tonight.

Result: 168-193-193=554
Average (78 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 178
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 572

With both teams missing bowlers tonight, the night was pretty nondescript, and the result was fitting: two points for each team.

Brockton Bowling Association now on Facebook

Wanting to become more involved in my local bowling association, I approached the Board of Directors at their meeting on Sunday morning with the idea of starting a Facebook page for the association. After some discussion, they agreed to give me the OK, and I set up the page on Monday before leaving for the lanes to let Bob Young (association manager) and Rob Young (association president) know that the page was up. Wanting others from the other association centers involved in this, I asked Mike Carter, the association’s second vice president, if he wanted to be the admin representing North Bowl, and added him as an admin after he agreed.

The URL right now is kind of complicated, as there’s a long number involved, but there is a link to the page up at the top of the association homepage (which was why I was waiting to post this). I will add the link to the sidebar when the page has reached one of its goals for “Likes.”

Winter 2011 Week 8 virtual league results

“Crazy Eights” could only take two points (the third game) from “Sk8ing On Thin Ice,” and, as a result, my virtual team now sits in a tie for 6th position with “High Five,” eight points in back of “Wrecking Balls,” who are four points ahead of “Four Splits and Giggles” and “Deadly Curves.”

Changing (plans) on the fly

I had hoped to participate in a bowl-a-thon at Boston Bowl today for Autism Speaks, however, I was going to do so with my FanForce friends (whom I mentioned in my post about the outing at Pinz), and our chapter rep was having trouble registering the group for the event online, so he and his “silent partner” backed out. After a brief discussion, my best friend Ed and I decided to, as well, and we settled for bowling three games at Westgate Lanes.

The change turned out to be a good call, as I was throwing the ball well pretty much for the entire session, scoring 241-204-213 for a 658 set. I had an open frame or two in each game, but I ended the first game with five in a row, and repeated the five in a row feat in the middle of the last game. Talking about it over pizza afterward, I told Ed that, for me, it’s all just a matter of repeating shots.

So now two people close to me have seen me at my best…I hope my sister and her kids follow in that someday. 😀

2011 Tri-City mixed doubles results

The results of last weekend’s mixed doubles tournament, run by the Tri-City Women’s Bowling Association:

Handicap

1. Debbie Butler & Harry Thibeault 1,436
2. Cheryl Bartlett & Henry Webber 1,393
3. Julianne Belsky & Steven Hamilton Sr. 1,390

Scratch

1. Marsha Hutchinson & Chris Carter 1,312
2. Sandi & Brendan Litchfield 1,304

Congrats to all of the cashers! 😀

Mar. 5 league standings update

Getting swept by “The Incredibowls” this week meant that “Babe and Balls” slipped back into the virtual last place, a point behind “Pairs and Spares,” who happen to be next week’s opposition. At the top, “The Incredibowls” now hold a single-point lead over “The 5 G’s.”

Marathon tournament note

The handicap marathon tournament that was scheduled for Sunday at Westgate Lanes has been canceled due to lack of entries. The scratch marathon scheduled for March 20 is still on, and entries for that will be taken right up until the day of the tournament.

Mar. 2 league night recap

My Week 25 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK series sheet)

I just couldn’t line anything up for the most part tonight, other than the four in a row in the second game. I made my 10 two more times than I missed it, but the three I missed, along with a flagged 2, hurt.

Result: 168-200-173=541
Average (75 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 179
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 568

I can only explain a sweep by our opponents tonight as them being hot; Brian Snow, especially, was 140+ over his average on the night.

Tuesday notes

Just a couple of random (sort of) notes…

  • The USBC has posted the oil pattern for this year’s USBC Open Championships. I’m linking the pattern not so much because the Open Championships are an event I cover on this blog, but because the Brockton Bowling Association mentions the pattern on their website as a possibility for the Hall of Fame Classic, thus I’m posting it as a service to those bowlers.
  • There will be a cosmic bowling fundraiser on March 26 from 8-10 PM at Westgate Lanes. Proceeds will benefit Gracie’s Mission, which aims to provide “alternative” veterinary treatment, as well as provide assistance in covering veterinary bills to lower income people who need treatment for their pets.

Winter 2011 Week 7 virtual league results

“Crazy Eights” won two games against “Deadly Curves,” but lost the first game by enough to lose total, so the result for my team was four points on the week. We remain in a tie for fifth in the league, with “Sk8ing On Thin Ice” replacing “10 in the Pit” as the team we’re tied with. “Wrecking Balls” only won three points this week, so we gained a point on the lead and are five points out; “Wrecking Balls” has a single point lead on “Deadly Curves.”

Tri-City mixed doubles, Day 2

Before the day’s tournament action got started, I saw my friend Al from the Friday night league practicing with one of his other friends, and I mentioned to Al about something that might happen next month that will involve a member of the BowlingFans.com community from another state. Al asked me to keep him posted on any plans I might make with the out-of-stater.

I couldn’t stay around the tournament long today because I wanted to get home in time to watch the finals of the US Open, but I did see Harry Thibeault Jr. put up a 275 game before I left. Denise has promised me the results, along with any honor scores I may have missed. I was also trying to set myself up for next year’s tournament, as I had wanted to bowl with my cousin Melissa, but she thought she needed both days off from work, and, by the time I told her she only needed one day off, it was too late to enter. I did notice that one of the Tri-City officers, who is a high school classmate, didn’t bowl this year, so I told her I may be looking for a second partner for next year (the tournament allows multiple participation with different partners).

Feb. 27 league standings update

The 3 points “Babe and Balls” won from “In It To Win It” meant that my team now stands two points ahead of them out of the second half basement. There is a tie at the top between “The Incredibowls” (my team’s opposition this week) and “Dee’s Boys,” with “Vakanczz,” “The 5 G’s,” and “The Mustangs” all only a point off the pace.

2010 Tri-City Women’s Bowling Association Championships results

I hadn’t seen the results of last fall’s Tri-City championships posted in the center, but I asked Denise Pease, the new association manager, to pass along the results, and she has via the new “Contact Me” page. I have no scores, but she did give me who placed where in each event:

Doubles

1. Judy Godino & Laura Gray 1,351
2. Terri & Caitlyn LaBelle 1,284

Singles

1. Judy Godino 714
2. Caitlyn LaBelle 695
3. Denise Pease 676

Belated congrats to all of the cashers. 😀

Feb. 26 outing with my brother

This morning, I had my first bowling outing with my brother in quite a while. Treating it like practice, as I usually do, I was mostly getting comfortable with the various axis rotation settings on my Robby’s Revs, and am starting to have it pay off. The middle game, I had a 224 that could have been in the 250s if not for a 10th frame split (the 6-7-10). There were a couple more in the third game, but I ended the session with a shot where I was standing 42, looking 15 at the arrows (deeper inside than I’ve ever played), playing my usual break point (7)…and had it come back for a solid strike; I was at the maximum setting on the wrist device and it helped. Also, I flagged an 8, but it was my only easy miss of the day, and I knew why it happened, as well.

My brother, for his part, had a 145 second game of his own, after which he got out his new smartphone to take a picture of the overhead scoring monitor after I was done. It was the highest game I remember him bowling in at least a while.

My brother parted the center after bowling, while I stayed behind to watch the first day of Tri-City’s mixed doubles tournament. The highlight was a second game of 279 by Mike Carter, whom I had also seen last weekend at the Brockton city tournament. I intend to return tomorrow for Day 2.

Alex Aguiar finishes 44th at 68th US Open

The standings after the cashers round of qualifying indicate that Alex Aguiar of Dartmouth, MA has finished 44th in this week’s US Open. Aguiar qualified 28th for the cashers round, but could not make a move into the top 24 for match play, ending up with a 205.69 average for his 26 games. According to Aguiar’s page for the tournament, his highlight was a 288 game in the next-to-last game of his Wednesday qualifying block, and also opened Thursday’s block with a 253 game. This is Alex’s best-ever finish in the event.

Congrats on a good week, Alex! 😀

Feb. 23 league night recap

Before I get to my bowling tonight, I must report that the league lost one of its long-timers yesterday: Bob “Creek” Creeden, who was a member of “The Mustangs.” The bowlers in the league showed to black and yellow balloons in the settee area for my league, with a Boston Bruins balloon marking the lane his team was assigned to (Creek apparently was a huge Bruins fan). There was also a moment of silence in the building before the lanes were turned on for warm-ups. The bowlers in the league signed a bowling pin and a card for the family, and a collection was taken up for a donation to the Joe Andruzzi Foundation (his designated charity). For those interested, click here for the death notice, which includes the arrangements (I plan on visiting tomorrow evening.).

My Week 24 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK series sheet)

From my BowlSK comment:

Started to get a feel for proper axis rotation after a friend online told me how to properly adjust my wrist device for it. Night would’ve been better, but all of the splits (especially the four in the first game) hurt; just one miss on a really easy spare tonight, so I’m happy about that.

It should be said that “CoachJim” was the friend online.

Result: 147-200-165=512
Average (72 games): 186
Average for last 9 games: 178
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 626

I had to count on my teammates to pick me up tonight, and two of them stepped up: Carl, who had a 178 after hitting exactly his average (129) in the first two games, and John, who broke 500 tonight on his second league night with a new ball; indeed, John beat me scratch tonight, as he had a 529. As a result, the team had its first winning night against a non-vacant team in a while. 😀

Post category for honor scores added

Consider this a project for the insomniac; however, it was something I’ve wanted to do and was thinking of doing in the summer.

Wanting to give my readers an easier way to access the history of the honor scores I’ve noted on this blog, I have added an “Honor Scores” category, which can be found in the sidebar on the main page of the blog (the one the blog’s main URL loads), and gone through the entire archives, adding the category to those posts that needed it. For the most part, I note all of the honor scores at Westgate Lanes and those recorded by Westgate Lanes bowlers in other area centers that I know about, and may also, on occasion, note an honor score in something like a NEBA tournament. Here are the scores I consider worthy of honor score mention:

Men: 800 series, 300 game, 11 strikes in a row in a single game
Women: All of the above, plus series of 700+ and games of 270+, particularly if the game is a high on the season for a female at Westgate Lanes.

Usually, only the first post mentioning the honor score in question will be filed under the new category, but I did make an exception for Ed Greene’s recent 300 game, for which I have video on the blog.

If you’ll look in the sidebar, you’ll know that 100 posts are currently in the new category, and, if you sift through the category’s archives, you’ll find that the first honor score I’ve ever noted on the blog was Mike Zeoli’s 300 game in the 2008 Tri-City mixed doubles tournament.

Ed Roberts wins 2nd Sam’s Town High Roller

According to the blog for the High Roller, Ed Roberts of Braintree, MA, a member of the Brockton Bowling Association Hall of Fame, took down the title recently in the February 2011 High Roller, and, in the process, became only the third bowler in the history of the High Roller to win both in February and July. According to the posted results of match play, Alex Aguiar also made a deep run in the tournament, reaching the sixth round before bowing out.

Congrats to both Ed and Alex on their performances. 😀

Brockton and vicinity to be represented in 68th US Open this week

I found the official roster for this week’s US Open, and, while I did not see Rai Doblmeier listed on it, I noticed a few bowlers entered that have connections to the area: Alex Aguiar (Dartmouth, MA; bowler in the Tuesday Scratch Sportsmen league), Michael Berube Jr. (from nearby Fall River, MA), Mike Cordeiro (from Walpole, MA), and Ryan Evans (Acton, MA; with a recent 300 game in the Coke Classic League).

Good luck to all of our area bowlers participating in this major tournament. 😀

2011 Brockton Bowling Association Hall of Fame weekend set

I learned at the city tournament today that this year’s Hall of Fame weekend is now set for April 2 and 3.

The annual Hall of Fame Dinner will be held that Saturday at 5 PM at Harry’s Westgate Pub (inside the Westgate Lanes building), and will honor Dan Robinson this year. Tickets will be $25/person and will be available soon from the Brockton Bowling Association directors.

Sunday afternoon will feature the third annual Hall of Fame Classic at Westgate Lanes, which, unlike previous years, will have no restrictions on equipment (meaning legal urethane and reactive resin equipment can be used). The format is still a handicapped eliminator, with handicap at 90% of 240. Entry flyers will be available at all association centers, but walk-in entries will be accepted on the day of the tournament, with re-entries allowed in the 2:00 PM squad if lanes are available.

2011 Brockton Bowling Association Championships, Day 2

I was back at the lanes for the team event today, and the lanes continued to be tough, as the high game in the day’s singles and doubles squad was a 279 thrown in singles by Bill Major. The tournament finally yielded an honor score in today’s team squad, however, when Ralph Marple (yes, my former summer league teammate) threw a first-game 300 for what turned out to be the only honor score of the tournament. Congrats, Ralph! 😀

The unofficial results will be linked here when the association has them available on their website.

As an aside, Rai Doblmeier, the association’s reigning Bowler of the Year, used his paid major tournament entry to enter this week’s US Open at Brunswick Zone Carolier in New Brunswick, NJ, so good luck to Rai in that event. 😀