On the Lanes
Hambone, Four-Bagger, Baloney Ball, Banana Ball: It’s all bowling I occasionally get a chance to watch the PBA telecasts on ESPN, and recently play-by-play man, Rob Stone, called a four-bagger a “Hambone”.
Ok, so here we have a guy who has no bowling experience whatsoever, and he jumps in to the PBA telecasts from nowhere and gets to coin a four-bagger?
His designation has split bowling fans. It seems like half of them like it and half don’t. I think the ones who don’t like it are confused as to what a hambone has to do with bowling. Where did that come from?
We all know two strikes together is a Double. And, based on historical bowling fact, 3-in-a-row is called a Turkey.
But as far as all the other strings of strikes, you might think that no one has ever put much thought into it until Rob Stone decided to name his Hambone.
But, that is not really true.
I recall a few years back, local proprietor, Jimmy Matis, was joking in our league that Steve Grzesiak was getting ready to throw the “Baloney Ball”.
I thought it was pretty funny, so I asked him where he got the name. He said it was from a tournament that his guys go to every year. It seems that whenever a fellow started a game with five-in-a row, the next strike entitled him to a tube of baloney from the tournament sponsors.
Actually, I thought that was a great name for number 6.
Prior to that designation, when a player got six-in-a-row, in many leagues, he or she would earn $5. So, generally speaking, that sixth one was also referred to as the “Money Ball”. But, “Baloney Ball” has a much better ring to it.
I also remember years ago in Morgantown at Suburban Lanes, George Trapp and Mike Henry, a couple of avid bowlers and league officers declared that 4 in-a-row would hereafter be called the “Elephant.”
Then, for the rest of the season, every time someone got 4 in a row, no matter where it was in a game, everyone would put their elbow up to their nose and wave their arm like the trunk of an elephant. It was pretty hilarious.
But maybe considering the Rob Stone controversy, we should do the naming a different way.
Obviously, what has grated on most folks is the fact that he is a non-bowler and stepped over his boundary. So, how about if we let a guy with some years of bowling experience and a few 300 games under his belt be allowed to name a string of strikes. Or, at least, maybe a sponsor, like the baloney people, could be allowed to designate a name for a string.
And, if that is the case, I officially hereby name 9-in-a-row to start a game as the “Big Banana”.
That number of strikes sets the bowler up for the big tenth frame where he or she has a shot at a 300 game. That makes strike number nine a very big strike, and consequently, it should have a name.
Why did I pick “Big Banana”? Because, 10 years ago while I was at a little bowling house in Flatwoods, W.Va., there was a “no tap” tournament going on that was sponsored by a company called the Big Banana. And, every time a guy or gal got to the tenth frame with all strikes, someone always shouted that they were now the “Big Banana”. It sounded funny then, and I have been saying it for all these years. I have always referred to that ninth strike as the “Big Banana” ball.
Think it will stick?
Ramon
Wow. One of our local bowlers, Ramon Estrada, just returned from the PA State Bowling Tournament and bowled extremely well.
During the team competition he shot 235, 257, and 213 for a 705 on Saturday night. Then, on Sunday afternoon, he tossed games of 203, 280, and 279 for a series of 762 in the singles, followed by 300, 257, and 216 for a 763 in doubles.
That made his All-Events total of 2,240 the top score in the tournament.
That is tremendous shooting by Ramon.
But then, it is not really unusual for him. He has been competing in a number of PBA regional tournaments and has done extremely well for himself.
It definitely has to make us all proud that a young fellow from our area could actually lead the statewide competition in the PA Tournament. There are still a few more weeks left in the state tournament, so we will have to wait to see where he finishes, but it is bound to be near the top.
Russia
Just to put a number on it, the European Bowling Proprietors Association, EBPA, has claimed a huge growth spurt in Russia.
It states that 560 centers were in operation at the end of 2007, totaling 4,500 lanes. In addition, 64 new centers broke ground during the year. A Russian bowling center now has an average of 10 lanes.
The Association is excited about the expansion of bowling in the nation where the winters can be “long, cruel, and dark”.
Interesting isn’t it?
It certainly shows how unbelievably lucky we are in America.
We have more centers and more lanes available to us just in the state of Pennsylvania than they do in all of Russia.
Bowling News
Uniontown resident Gary George writes a weekly bowling column for the Herald-Standard. If you have any bowling news, contact George, a member of the Professional Bowlers Association since 1997, via email at probowler48@aol.com or fax at 724-438-7290. Information is welcome from all area bowling establishments. Leagues that submit their scores directly to the Herald-Standard may continue to do so.