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.

Oct. 14 league night

My Week 6 bowling, frame-by-frame (BowlSK)

Admittedly, I may have been bowling a bit distracted tonight, thinking too much about my 25th high school reunion coming up this weekend, but most of my problems actually had to do with not getting lane 36 figured out and missing the spares I left on that lane. I did make the right adjustment in the middle of game two, however, and put together my best game of the young season, a clean 237, to finish things off and save average. The 237 should give me something new to talk about at the reunion, so I was happy for that.

Result: 139-171-237=547
Average (18 games): 182
Average for last 9 games: 180
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 561

My team could’ve used me fully on my game tonight, as every game was just about close. A miss of a 10 pin in the 10th frame of game 2 blew the opportunity to take the point for that game, and, as we only lost total by 10 pins, the pins in fill I might’ve had would’ve been important. I won’t blame Patrick for only taking 1 point tonight, as he showed up in the first 2 games with a 181 and a 179. Patrick might be in line for a USBC series award based on that.

Sept. 2009 People’s Tournament results

The People’s Tournament reported that Angel Hernandez (Super Bowl {CT}, 205 avg.) won the event held on September 26 and 27 at Town Line Lanes. Hernandez defeated John Hayes Jr. (Westgate Lanes, 195 avg.) by a score (with handicaps) of 274-213 in the title match. A number of bowlers from Brockton Bowling Association territory cashed, but I wanted to mention one in particular: Rob Dickens, a member of my winter league and one of my teammates this past summer. 😀

Oct. 7 league night recap (includes standings update)

My Week 5 bowling, frame-by-frame (BowlSK)

I’m just a little annoyed about my performance last night: I had “hambones” (four in a row; my first of the season) in each of the first two games, yet neither game broke 200. I could sort of understand the first game because of two splits late, but a first-ball gutter ball in the 9th frame of game two, in which I let my swing get well out of plane, was very inexcusable. I also missed a single pin in each of those games (a 10 in the first game, a 9 in the second), and missed another single pin (the 2) to start the third game. I also slid by the 4 on a 4-7 to end the night after getting a double and a turkey in the game.

Result: 182-180-178=540
Average (15 games): 182
Average for last 9 games: 183
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 559

For the team, it was another strong 3-1 night after getting swept last week. We won the first game on solid games by the middle of our lineup (including a 164 from Patrick) and the third game thanks to a 160 from Carl and a 150 from Eileen (the latter of which earned her the USBC 150 game award). The night brought us up a place in the standings to 6th, 5 points behind “4 MTD,” our opponents last night. “Foxy SRS,” the current doormats of the league, await us next week.

October 2009 NEBA doubles results

NEBA reported that the team of Anthony Pepe and Alex Cavagnaro were the winners of the doubles event held on Oct. 3 and 4 at East Providence Lanes. Pepe and Cavagnaro defeated the team of Matt O’Grady and Alex Aguiar by a score of 530-476 (with both bowlers of a team bowling a complete game in each match play round) in the title match, and was the first NEBA title for both Pepe and Cavagnaro. Jon Van Hees and Brian Gaskill (on separate teams) were also involved in the match play portion of the event (link points to the full match play results).

Alex Aguiar to run two-day bowling camp at Wonder Bowl in November

This is one of those items I’ve been meaning to pass along, but hadn’t got to it when my computer went down. Therefore, I’d better post it now that I have my new computer before it is too late.

Alex Aguiar and Wonder Bowl in New Bedford will be presenting a two-day bowling camp on November 14 & 15. Featured instructors include PBA stars Mark Baker, Michael Fagan, and Bill O’Neill, along with international coach Tom Laskow. The camp will run from 9 AM to 4 PM both days and will include Bowlers Map video motion analysis along with classroom and on-lane instruction, as well as breakfast and lunch. Cost is $150 for a single day or $250 for both days. Bowlers seeking more information may contact Alex at 508-989-2012 or Doug Allard at 508-993-1746.

Sept. 30 league night recap (includes standings update)

As some of you know, I’ve been without a computer at home for about a week, but I finally got a new machine running this weekend, so I can now post a league night recap.

My bowling in week #4, frame-by-frame (BowlSK)

This week was my first encounter with Jim Blyth as an opponent, and, knowing the kind of average he had two years ago (he missed all of last season recovering from knee surgery), I wasn’t about to take him lightly. I wasn’t prepared for what happened in the last game of our match, however: as I was starting to string strikes, he said to me, “I’ll match you shot for shot.” He continued his string of strikes, while my own game pretty much fell apart after the 6th frame. I know I probably should’ve ignored him, and I thought I was doing my best at it, but I guess that was easier said than done.

After the match ended, he admitted to me that he likes to play the mental game. I had thought I had a solid mental game until that point, but now I think that’s another thing I need to work on. I got some advice online that I should practice with someone and have that person try to distract me, but I don’t know of many good bowlers that practice at the same time I do.

Here’s the basic recap and stats update…I start tracking average for the last 9 games this week:

Result: 178-171-188=537
Average (12 games): 182
Average for last 9 games: 184
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 550

After two solid outings for my team, we got swept for the first time this season because not only was Jim bowling well, but Shawn Coles and David Gomes also had good nights, while the only bowler that did relatively well for my side was Eileen.

The standings now find my team tied with “The Wild Samoans” for 7th place. “4 MTD,” our opponents next week, continue to hold a three-point lead, now over “Butz-N-Gutz.”

Getting caught up

The computer I usually use to post to my blog had a motherboard failure over the weekend, so my computer access has been sporadic. I shall use this post to combine a few things into one post, and my usual league night recap may be delayed until the weekend.

Administrivia: Because of my lack of computer access, the “Cross-training” feature has been suspended until I get my new computer. You may not miss it, however, as this is generally a slow time for off-field activities in baseball and football, and with basketball and hockey training camps and/or pre-season just getting underway.

League standings update: “The Flintstones” are in a jam-up at second place, getting the #2 spot on account of pinfall, three points behind “4 MTD,” a team which includes my summer teammates, Rob and Bonnie. My team faces “Butz-N-Guts,” Shawn’s team, tomorrow night.

Monday practice: With nothing much better to do, I had a practice session yesterday, and I considered it time well-spent, as I averaged 11 pins/game over my current league average on the strength of a 228 first game. I didn’t really care about scores, however, as I just wanted to make good, consistent shots. Moving into the hold area around the second game, I found I needed to watch my speed or the ball would shoot past the break point and either miss the pocket (usually a washout) or go light and leave something like a bucket. I still had 179-ish games, however, which should’ve been better had I not missed spares.

Sept. 23 league night

My Week 3 bowling, frame-by-frame (BowlSK)

Four splits during the night really hurt, but it was a decent night otherwise. Following a suggestion given to me by “CoachJim,” I had John watch my break point (the board at which the ball starts its turn toward the pocket), and, determining that it was on the 7 board, that helped me get lined up, avoiding the problem I had in the second game last week with losing the break point. Another bright point of the night was that I made all of my single pins, which is always what I hope for if I leave them. I will be going into the start of using real averages a pin ahead of last year’s book average, so I think I’m off to a good start.

Result: 169-216-192=577
Average (9 games): 184
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 562

Team had another strong 3 of 4 night, this time against “The Mustangs,” usually one of the better teams in the league. Eileen had a strong night, breaking 100 in all three games (carrying an 84 average), and John chipped in a 176 second game to help the team win that game by 120+ pins.

Brockton USBC Bowling Association Bowler of the Year results

The Brockton Bowling Associaton reported Ryan Yelle as the winner of the 2009 Bowler of the Year Tournament, defeating Jason Sherwood 198-188 in the title match. It was in the round of 8 where Yelle made the most news, however, as he posted a 566 two-game score which included a 300 in the second game. Click the link above for a more detailed recap.

Link to “Next Level Bowling” added to sidebar

“Next Level Bowling” is a site that promotes bowling instruction and personal appearances by PBA Hall of Famers Norm Duke and Brian Voss, PBA Tour exempt player Mike Machuga, and noted bowling instructor Bill Hall. A neat free feature of the site is a collection of short instructional videos, found by clicking the picture of Brian Voss under the “Learn from the Pros” header. The link to the site is now in the sidebar under the general “Bowling Sites” category.

Sept. 17 league standings update

This is an earlier-than-usual update, and the reader is directed to the copy of the standings sheet on LeagueSecretary.com (readers viewing the individual post can click here).

Having won 4 points and lost 4 points in the young season, my team finds itself in a four-way tie for fourth place in the standings, getting the fourth spot on pinfall. “4 MTD” and “The Mustangs” (the latter team being next week’s opponents for us) are jockeying for the early momentum.

Individually, Carl qualified for a USBC 175 game award with his 187 last night.

Sept. 16 league night

My Week 2 bowling, frame-by-frame (BowlSK)

A better night than last week, certainly, though I’m not proud of my spare shooting, especially missing two single 4s in the third game. Talking it over with my online friend Jim earlier today, he seems to think I lost the break point in the second game, and, with my vision not being great, I’ll need to have someone tell me which board it is on down the line to help me line up better.

Team took 3 of 4 points from “The Wild Samoans” (last year’s “Backyard Bowlers”), and it would’ve been a sweep in all probability if I made the 2-8 in the last frame of Game 2. Carl carried the day in the third game with a 187, which might be the best game I’ve seen him throw.

Result: 213-146-191=550
Average (6 games): 180
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 548

Sept. 14 league standings update

Every team took at least one point on opening night, but, as my team only took one point, it’s understandable that we’re near the bottom of the standings, and we are, in fact, tied for 8th with “Foxy Srs,” as we had exactly the same pinfall with handicap. Four teams, “MTD,” “The Mustangs,” “Vakinc,” and “Warren’s Girls,” took 3 points last week, and I listed the four teams in pinfall order.

“Wild Samoans,” who are, as you’d expect from the summer league, the Boermans’ team, are my team’s opponents Wednesday night.

As the administrivia for this post, the link to the standings sheet for the league on Bowler Express has been added back to the sidebar (under “Author’s links”), and the summer league stuff will be taken off once there’s a current league standings sheet on LeagueSecretary.com.

“MyBowlingBlog” added to blogroll

I came across “MyBowlingBlog” by way of a user comment (The blog actually wanted to filter the comment as spam, but, upon seeing that it was actually related to the post in question, I approved it.) to my post of Osku Palermaa’s trick shot. Upon preview, he mainly wants to use the blog to post bowling news summaries, but he has it set up so that he also wants to devote space to youth and collegiate bowling. The link is now in the “Blogroll” sidebar category. Note: the blog currently contains World Series of Bowling “spoilers,” so avoid this blog if you want to wait until the shows air to see the results.

Welcome aboard, Aaron! 😀

Photographic evidence

For those who still doubt my veracity when reporting Westgate Lanes honor scores, I offer this photo of the overhead scoring monitor (or was it the scoring console screen?) for Derick Thibeault’s 300 the other night. It was taken by my friend Sandi Litchfield, who happens to be Derick’s cousin, with (presumably) a cellphone camera.

Derick300

Westgate Lanes 50th anniversary notes

I got into the building just after 4:30 in the afternoon, said hello to Junior and Tim Major, who were working the desk at the time, and then found Mike Litchfield’s family bowling w/ Steve Travers watching on. Later, when I spotted Rob Dickens at the desk, I asked him if I could join him on the lanes (I would’ve hated bowling by myself on this day.) and joined him with my equipment in hand on one of the lanes after he agreed.

Rob and I were being semi-competitive, with Rob forcing me to mark in the 10th in the first game, which I accomplished with a first-ball strike. Rob found his line while I struggled in the second game. It was really a game over 200 that I wanted on this day, however, and I got that in the third game with a 214. The last game was another mark-to-win situation for me, and, again, I sealed it with a first-ball strike. Just as a note, I was playing around the 28 and 29 board in my stance much of the time, which is as deep inside as I’ve ever played these lanes, and started feeling comfortable playing in there. I’m also sure Steve Travers saw at least one of my strikes, though he also claims knowing I was going to get a ringing 10 on one of my shots. 😉

I was hoping to stay around for the Friday night TNBA league (at least the start of it) and my cousins, but I really felt like getting back home and eating dinner, though there was a free buffet in the pub. I also wished Harry Minassian Sr., the owner, a happy anniversary before I left. As a parting note, I also saw Eileen, one of my new teammates, bowling, and she had a game in the 160s during her time, so she’s starting to get the hang of it, at least when it doesn’t count.