"Of course, duckpin bowling should be the official state sport of Maryland," said Toots Barger. "It already is the unofficial state sport."
Barger should know. No woman in any sport at any time was ever able to dominate a sport so clearly over so many years.
She was No. 1 duckpin bowler in the nation for 13 years and No. 1in Maryland for "Oh, I guess, 26 or 27 years," she says.
Barger, who lives in Pasadena and still bowls in three leagues, was front andcenter at Fair Lanes Pikesville when the campaign to make duckpin bowling the official state sport of Maryland was kicked off.
And whyshouldn't duckpin bowling be the state sport? It's the only sport that started here, that flourished here and is still played here in 50 duckpin centers. And it's reached out to other states: Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Last year 9 1/2 million games of duckpins were played. I believe that you will find that figure is a bithigher than the number of jousts that took place.
Oh, you didn't know that jousting is the official sport of Maryland? Understandable,if you don't happen to be one of the 12 or 13 people who joust. Yep,jousting has been the official state sport since 1962. You're right,nobody knows how it happened, or if they do know, they ain't talkin'.
Some people have tried to have lacrosse entered into the race for the state sport. Well, that's OK, but again we're not going to get too excited about a bunch of guys named Buzz and Sonny running aroundin short pants while they paw at each other with little sticks that have little crab nets on the end.
Duckpin bowling started here, about 250,000 play the game and you don't have to feed a horse to enjoythe sport. What more could you ask?
*
Jamie Grimes of Chesterfield bowls duckpins at Riviera Bowl in the Sunday Night Mixed League,and you are not going to get him to joust after the night he had last weekend.
Grimes, son of Glenna Grimes who manages Riviera Bowl, threw seven strikes in the first seven frames.
"By the sixth frame, everyone in the house had stopped to watch," Glenna said. "When he chopped the one- and five-pin in the eighth frame, everyone started to compare the game to the 272 that Tiger Baker had in Norfolk last month."
Tiger Baker converted that nightmare split and went on to throw three more strikes. It wasn't to be for Grimes, though.
He didn't convert the split, and in the ninth frame chopped the 1-5 again. He came back in the 10th with a strike and a 10-count for a 229 game that was the cornerstone for a fine 525 series.
"I never bowled inthe youth leagues," he said. "I started right in the adult leagues when I was 14 years old."
The 27-year-old draftsman for a local company carries a 134 average bowling in just one league a week.
It must have been a full moon that week, because Rob Dickson in the Thursday Night Mixed League threw a 202 game. That's a nice game for anyone, but Dickson carries a 108 average.
On the Sunday Night Mixed League, Luke Balmaceno, who carries a 118 average, threw a 204 game.
It looks like Riviera Bowl is the place to look for the high scores this year.
*
At Greenway Bowl Odenton it appears that high games are becoming commonplace for the tenpin bowlers.
John Babbitt, achief master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, drives from Fairfax, Va., to bowl in the Monday night league. That's about a three-hour drive. Why?
"I bowl at Greenway because of the people," Babbitt said. "The people who bowl there are great, and the people that run the center are great. My friend Steve Bergan lives in the area and he got meto try Greenway, and I just love the place."
Babbitt carries a 217 average with a high series of 813 and four 300 games. Last month inthe Monday night league at Greenway, he threw his fourth 300 game.
"I like the new system of bowling with its three units of oil," he said. "I've always been a down-and-in player, and I've always felt that the game should be a challenge, not just high scores but honest scores."
*
Bobby Burkindine works part time as a porter at Greenway Bowl Odenton and bowls in the Saturday morning youth league and the Sunday Traveling League. Last year he carried a 173 average. This year it's approaching 190-plus.
Bobby lives in Glen Burnie with hisparents, Karen and Bill Burkindine, and is a junior in Glen Burnie High School. He'll be 16 in December.
Until three years ago Bobby and his dad were duckpin bowlers, but a afternoon of tenpin bowling atPeggy and Dan Tully's insistence converted them into tenpin bowlers.Now Bill carries about 185-plus, but "Bobby usually beats him," Karen said.
Last Saturday, Bobby put all the hours of practice together. He shot games of 212, 278 and 236 for a 726 series. That second game could have been the coveted 300 game, but the nine pin stood in the third frame and the seven pin wouldn't go down in the last frame.
Bobby's a left-hander, which means that the nine-pin tap is the only true tap for him. The seven pin is just one of those things that left-handers live with the same as right-handers live with the 10-pin tap.
"I'd like to thank Miss Peggy and Mr. Dan for getting me started in tenpins," Bobby said. "And I'd like to thank Ray Robinson, HughSiar and Ray Atkinson for their coaching, especially Mr. Hugh. They really helped me with my game."
DUCKPINS
* Greenway Bowl Glen Burnie
Wednesday Carefree Ladies
Mary Bavis 140/394
Joyce Scheibe 131/358
Kathy Leonard 144/354
Pin & Ball Wizards
Kathy Shafer 158/375
Mike Mulcahy 132/380
Bobby Thompson 154/337
Ted Schmidt 133/370
Dudley Bradburn 150/357
Carr Lowrey Mixed
Gary Shaw 155/412
Janice Sparenberg 144/396
Tom Sparenberg 151/402
Kathy Leonard 129/350
Don Conrad 142/389
Bonnie Wolf 136/347
Monday Morning Ladies
Sharon Lear 131/384
Charley Fritts 357 set
Shirley Robinson 144/379
Joyce Scheibe 138/358
Pin &Ball; Wizards
Tom Hudson 186/426
Dave Hoyle 173/402
Kevin Lear 140/400
* Severna Park Lanes Youths
Early Risers
Gina Bilbo 162
Ron Cline 182
Anthony Zoccola 158
Jason Kotova 171
Brian Davids 177
Becky Davids 160
Pee Wees
Katie Kobin 70
Cameron Maloney 83
Team 3 Home Aloners 286
Preps
Jeni Myers 99/274
Michael Davidson 100/286
Jan Michael Jones 83
Holly Saxon 91
Bantams
Michael Cline 114/381
Greg Bosworth 103
Michael Saxon 110
Steven Schmidt 84
Junior/Majors
Sam Saxon 120
Brandie Falanga 100