The following is how the late great Earl Anthony mastered the game of bowling. 579, Mike Aulby 300, David Ozio 279 (Wichita, KS, 1993), LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY ON NATIONAL TV He won 41 titles on the regular Professional Bowlers Association Tour, a career record that still stands, and seven more on the Senior Tour. Top 6 Best Men's Bowlers of All Time - rookieroad.com 3 Jason Belmonte $419,700, Walter Ray Williams Jr. (2002-03), ROOKIE EARNINGS, SEASON He did not win on the pro bowling tour until he was past 30. "[16] Earl's record of 41 titles stood for 23 years before it was broken by Walter Ray Williams Jr. in 2006,[17] though it increased to 43 in 2008 when the PBA started including ABC Masters titles if they were won by a PBA member. 14,924, Parker Bohn III (Akron, OH, 1999) Earl Anthony, a six-time PBA bowler of the year and its greatest winner with 41 professional titles, died Tuesday at a friend's home in suburban Milwaukee. 3, Norm Duke, over two rounds (North Brunswick, NJ, April, 10, 1996) HIGHEST COMPOSITE AVERAGE FINALS ON NATIONAL TV Earl Anthony Pete Weber, MOST MAJOR TITLES IN SEASON 14 Jason Belmonte, ALL-TIME EARNINGS But later that same year, he won his most successful stop in Waukegan, Ill. "Coming back from my heart attack and winning in Waukegan in 1977 along with the ABC Masters and winning the Masters again in 1984 after I retired from the PBA Tour were my most memorable career victories," Anthony said. Before his illustrious bowling career, he was offered a $35,000 signing bonus by the Baltimore Orioles to pitch, but the deal was negated when he tore his rotator cuff. The Medical Examiner said it was not clear how long Mr. Anthony had been dead before his body was found. 3,647 Eugene McCune (El Paso, TX, 2005) Said Bowlers Journal editor Jim Dressel, "When Earl was in the house, everybody else knew there were only four other spots for TV. I golfed with them on occasion and knew the drill. Earl was always ready for whatever mission or challenge he was to do on a particular day and his enthusiasm for life was admirable. After retiring, Anthony moved to the broadcast booth as a color commentator[10] and operated a bowling center in Dublin, California. Millions of bowlers wanted to bowl like Earl and use his equipment long before Michael Jordan came along. He was on his way to the top. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. It's just too much.". 10 Earl Anthony 2 Michael Haugen Jr. (Council Bluffs, IA, 2005) His death was officially caused by a traumatic blow to the head as a result of his fall down the steps. Bob Learn Jr., 300; Johnny Petraglia, 279 (Erie, PA, 1996), HIGHEST SCORING TITLE MATCH ON NATIONAL TV 1972 American Airlines Open, St. Louis, Missouri. He probably would have kept going to 50 if that were the case. '', As Jim Zebehazy, executive director of the Young American Bowling Alliance, put it: ''He was just Mr. Although he didn't drop to the floor like Don Johnson, Anthony would remark about the 9-pin on a PBA telecast years later, saying, "to this day, I can't believe that pin stood." Earl Anthony, 63, Bowling's First HIGHEST LOSING SCORE ON NATIONAL TV 2) Johnny Petraglia vs. Walter Ray Williams Jr., 194 (PBA National Championship, Toledo, Ohio, March 5, 1994) It was the tour's 17th season, and consisted of 34 events. When Anthony pitched in the minor leagues for Tacoma in the Baltimore Orioles organization near Kent, Washington, where he was born April 27, 1938, he threw so many pitches to develop his game that tendonitis occurred in his arm and, in addition to injuring his leg on a play he made during a game at first base, those injuries encouraged Anthony to take up professional bowling instead of baseball. In 2010 and 2011, the event took place in Dublin, California and was titled the Earl Anthony Memorial. It was first held at TechCity Bowl in Kirkland, Washington. 570 (300, 270), Bob Learn Jr. (Erie, PA, 1996) Anthony Chronology Earl Anthony 9-GAME BLOCK In order to prepare himself for the tour Anthony practiced between 300 and 350 games a week, up to eight hours day, and often without any pins (in order to save money). View Television Times, 5-GAME BLOCK 1975 Greater L.A. Open, Arcadia, California. Moore vs. Parker Bohn III, 192 (Austin, Texas, Feb. 2, 1996); 22-2, George Pappas (Kansas City, MO, 1974) 34, Tommy Hudson (1977), MOST MAJOR TITLES IN CAREER Earl Roderick Anthony, (born April 27, 1938, Kent, Washington, U.S.found dead August 14, 2001, New Berlin, Wisconsin), American professional bowler, who helped to make bowling a major television sport in the United States during the 1970s, when he was frequently a tournament finalist. For over two decades, his career title count was listed as 41. Earl Anthony (1974) He was the first bowler to earn over $100,000 in a season (1975), and the first to reach $1,000,000 in lifetime PBA earnings (1982). LONGEST TV LOSING STREAK TWO-GAME SERIES ON NATIONAL TV 7) Johnny Petraglia vs. Walter Ray Williams Jr., 194 (Toledo, Ohio, March 5, 1994); Anthony made only limited appearances on the Tour after 1983, then joined the Senior Tour in 1988. First, the producer made the excuse that they did not cater to sports figures on their show and Earl was not a good fit on their program. PBA to name its Greatest Player Ever on Sunday", "PBA to grandfather Masters, BPAA All-Star Titles", "Experts Select Earl Anthony as Greatest Player in PBA History", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Earl_Anthony&oldid=1146012763, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2010, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Six-time BWAA Bowler of the Year (197476 and 198183), Six-time PBA Player of the Year (197476 and 198183), Twelve-time First Team All-American (197283), Five-time George Young High Average award winner (197375, 1980, 1983). 24-GAME BLOCK Earl Anthony On February 27, 1982, he became the first man ever to reach $1 million in career winnings in bowling by defeating Charlie Tapp in the PBA National Championship; that was the fifth of his record six victories at that event. 153, Walter Ray Williams Jr. After spending one of my most rewarding and exhausting days with Earl, I once commented to him that we went through this day as though it was the last one on Earth, to which Earl responded, "That's my psyche, and it's the basis of my life and what I do. 16-0, Mike McGrath (Paramus, NJ, 1969) 1,352, Andrew Cain (Reno, NV, 2017) Article at www.pba.com on August 16, 2010. 8, Mark Roth (1978) 10, Marshall Holman (1981-82); He replaced popular play-by-play announcer Denny Schreiner when Schreiner was out on assignment and after he left the network (fellow PBA Hall-of-Famer Mike Durbin switched form color analysis to play-by-play). The Earl Anthony lane pattern makes sure that the hooks are on time. It was won by left-handed pro bowler Parker Bohn III, who beat Patrick Healey, Jr. in the final match 235 to 215. WebHere's the average builders segment of this telecast and it features two members of the PBA Hall of Fame Earl Anthony and Mike Durbin. Despite being a republican, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is taking on a prominent role in the coronation ceremony. Baur could sometimes talk Earl into starting later in the morning, which apparently occurred on this fateful day. 21) Jason Belmonte vs. Brian Kretzer, 231, and Mike Fagan, 220 (Las Vegas, Nov. 19, 2011) The renowned scorer began his careerwith the Denver Nuggetsin 2003, but he spent Its a no-brainer that bowling writer Barry Sparks agreed to author the first comprehensive biography of the Great Earl Anthony. One time Earl Anthony was being interviewed after one of his early victories by a reporter. '', See the article in its original context from. Earl bowled 14 years and 400 or so events. MOST TITLES IN ONE SEASON Source: -Vint, Bill. When other pros would bowl 50 games a week, Anthony at the peak of his career would bowl 200 games weekly. Walter Ray Williams Jr. (1993) Anthony has made $248.9 million in contracts alone in his 17 years in the NBA. Billiards was his favorite indoor sport after bowling, and golf was his favorite outdoor sport. Earl Anthony, professional bowling's No. WebPBA Earl Anthony 42: The 42 feet Earl Anthony will require tighter angles. Earl asked the waiter and then the manager what happened to the Trailblazers game. 1) Jack Biondolillo vs. Les Schissler, 216 (PBA Tournament of Champions, Akron, Ohio, April 1, 1967) 18-GAME BLOCK 1976 Midas Open, Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Earl and I stopped into a sports restaurant, which had several TV screens for sports events. 199, Mika Koivuniemi (299) vs. Tom Daugherty (100), PBA Tournament of Champions (Las Vegas, 2011), MOST CONSECUTIVE STRIKES, CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND WebIn his first season bowling, Earl achieved an official league average of 165. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. By his third season, his average had surged to 217. Anthony, who died in 2001 at age 63, carved out a dominant career on the PBA Tour from 1970 to 1983, winning 43 titles. Pete Weber (Windsor, Ontario, 1984) Earl Anthony: The rebel with a cause among pioneers He rallied to win four tournaments in 1981, including the National Championship and earning a career best $164,735. 5) Sean Rash vs. Ryan Ciminelli, 214 (Tournament of Champions, Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 15, 2015) 1974 Winston-Salem Hawaiian Invitational, Honolulu, Hawaii. Earl Anthony Anthony was persuaded to come back on Tour with the Seniors in 1988 and responded by winning the PBA Senior Championship in Canton, Ohio, the former home of the PBA and Earl won the Senior Championship again in 1990 along with victories in Houston and Las Vegas. The streak that made him the face that personified the PBA Tour in the 1970s was the stretch from 1974-76 when Anthony won an average of six tournaments per year, including the 1974 Firestone Tournament of Champions. He was bowler of the year a record six times and the Tour scoring leader five times. One autograph hound was so enthusiastic about Anthony making a surprise visit to a local bowling center that he hyperventilated and nearly fainted after talking to Earl. In January 2002, the PBA began the year with a tournament named after Anthony, "The Earl Anthony Memorial Classic." Walter Ray Williams Jr. (Rochester, NY, 1995) "You can't win them all, and I should know because I've finished second on the tour more times than I won." BEST MATCH GAME RECORD (18-game format) ", Bowling great Dick Weber once described the left-handed Anthony as "the greatest speed-control bowler ever to play the game. Earl Anthony After failing to win his first 13 tournaments in 1974, Anthony captured the Tournament of Champions and the National Championship, back-to-back events, and won four other tournaments, setting records for earnings (more than $99,000) and titles in a single year and for scoring average. He tried again on the Tour in 1969, finishing second in his first tournament, then won at Seattle in 1970 and again in New York in 1971. BIGGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY, ROUND ROBIN MATCH PLAY For the next seven years he satisfied himself bowling at local tournaments in Tacoma, winning about $8,000 in the process. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Anthony, who died in 2001 at age 63, carved out a dominant career on the PBA Tour from 1970 to 1983, winning 43 titles. Mark Roth (1984) It was the tour's 17th season, and consisted of 34 events. Earl Anthony 770 pins, Dave Davis (42 games, Palatine, IL, 1980) Earl Anthony May 13th & 14th Earl Anthony - born April 27, 1938, is arguably one of, if not the biggest name in bowling of all time. Thomas, Jason. 210 (1993) Anthony has made $248.9 million in contracts alone in his 17 years in the NBA. 10) Bob Learn Jr. vs. Johnny Petraglia, 279 (Erie, Pa., April 6, 1996); Doug Wallace vs. Baur was Anthony's golf partner, and they joined each other often to play their favorite courses. Dave Wodka (Wichita, KS, 1998) The tournament is still scheduled for October 20-21, and Ted Hoffman will make the presentations on Earl's behalf. Earl Anthony, 63, Bowling's First 4) Pete McCordic vs. Wayne Webb, 249 (Torrance, Calif., Jan. 31, 1987); PBA Bowling Tour: 1975 Season 19) Ryan Shafer vs. Jeff Carter, 228 (Indianapolis, Ind., March 18, 2007); By his third season, his average had surged to 217. Jim Zebehazy, executive director of the Young American Bowling Alliance in Greendale, Wis., said Anthony was always ready to help when his organization held events in his area. Earl Anthony 157, Dennis Jacques (Windsor, Canada, 1983). 12-GAME BLOCK 16-GAME BLOCK Bryan Goebel (Peoria, IL, 1994) He lived in North Plains, Ore., and owned a bowling center in Dublin, Calif. Anthony is one of only three bowlers in history (with Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Norm Duke) to have reached the 40-title plateau on the PBA Tour. Anthony, Earl Mike Limongello (1971) John Mazza (Las Vegas, NV, 1996; Reno, NV; Austin, TX, 1997); So thanks to the producer's rationale, Earl never appeared on the show. Earl Anthony is considered by many as the greatest bowler ever. We sat down for dinner and looked everywhere for the Trailblazers on TV and we figured it would be on since they were in the playoffs and it was telecast on the TNT network. 1981 AMF Magicscore Open, Peoria, Illinois. [9] Sadly, not one was on television in the United States; he did, however, bowl two televised 299 games, leaving a solid 9-pin on the last shot in one and a 6-pin on the other. "He maybe didn't have the perfect approach, but he was probably the most accurate bowler of all time.". Earl Anthony, professional bowling's No. Wherever Earl went, autograph seekers were not far behind. 8, Kelly Coffman (1994); 1975 Buzz Fazio Open, Battle Creek, Michigan. HIGHEST FIRST PLACE MARGIN (after match play) PBA Bowling Tour: 1975 Season Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He is also one of three bowlers (with Williams Jr. and Pete Weber) to earn at least 50 combined titles between the PBA Tour and PBA Senior Tour (now PBA50 Tour). MOST CASHES, SEASON It later moved to Medford, Oregon and re-titled as "The Earl Anthony Medford Classic." 42 GAMES (with bonus pins) Earl Anthony, 63, Bowling's First $1 Million Man, Dies, https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/16/sports/earl-anthony-63-bowling-s-first-1-million-man-dies.html. Never brash or flashy in a crew-cut and plastic-frame "marshwood" style eyewear (which he abandoned for more modern frames later in his career), Anthony was dubbed "Square Earl" by fellow pro bowlers.[4]. He retired temporarily in 1984 with records of $1,216,421 US in career winnings and 41 tour victories. "He was always a gentleman on and off the lane," Johnson said. 15,479, Parker Bohn III (Akron, OH, 1999) Earl Anthony, a six-time PBA bowler of the year and its greatest winner with 41 professional titles, died Tuesday at a friend's home in suburban Milwaukee. The following is how the late great Earl Anthony mastered the game of bowling. 17) Mika Koivuniemi vs. Jason Couch, 248 (Windsor Locks, Conn., Dec. 7, 2003); Brett Wolfe (USBC Masters, 2003) Earl Anthony: The rebel with a cause among pioneers Free Shipping. Scoring Records He led the PBA Tour in scoring from 1973 to '75 and in 1980 and 1983. 14) Steve Jaros vs. Ricky Ward, 200 (Chattanooga, Tenn., Feb. 13, 1999); Although his 41 wins is still the record, he ranks 11th in career earnings because prize money has increased so much since his peak years. 3) Jess Stayrook (Tucson Open, Tucson, AZ, 1991), MOST TELECASTS ONE SEASON, NO TITLES It was in the early 1970's, and the reporter wanted to be controversial about the lefty-righty situation that had run rampant in the late 1960's. Ive bowled well over 600 by now, maybe 700. Earl Anthony became the first PBA player to win seven titles in a season since Dick Weber (1961), while also gaining an unprecedented "three-peat" in the Brunswick PBA National Championship. [15], The late bowling legend Dick Weber dubbed Anthony "the greatest speed-control bowler ever. Earl always impressed me by his stamina. return to top, CONSECUTIVE 200s, INDIVIDUAL "The Professional Bowlers Association is deeply saddened by the loss of Earl Anthony," the Seattle-based organization said. "He was just Mr. 1970 Heidelberg Open, Seattle, Washington. Weber hailed him then as ''the greatest speed-control bowler ever.''. 2 Bob Strampe (1964) CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 10% of the proceeds from the book will be donated to Earl Anthony Scholarship Fund, managed by the USBC. A new biography of Earl (focusing more on his bowling career but with a few personal insights) was published in October 2019 by Luby Publishing. Selected by Bowling Magazine readers as the "Greatest Bowler in American Bowling Congress' first 100 years," Earl accomplished this feat by developing his own raw talent with a massive number of practice games. Anthony ''He was as smooth as the pin-setter,'' recalled Chris Schenkel, whose Saturday afternoon telecasts on ABC brought bowling into the pro sports limelight during the 1970's. He then joined the new PBA Senior Tour in 1988 and won seven titles and another $225,000 US. Anthony is survived by his wife Susie; a son, Mike, and daughters Tracy Nelson and Jeri Voyles. New Earl Anthony Biography Available for Order, October 18th, 2019-Johnson, Bob Sparkss Biography on Earl Anthony Is Release by Luby, October 18th, 2019,BJI Cyber Report newsletter, **ALL ORDERS PLACED BEFORE 4 PM EST WILL SHIP THE SAME DAY - FREE SHIPPING EVERY ITEM EVERY DAY**, Use and distribution of this article is subject to our, bowlingball.com 1997-2023. Earl Anthony ''I had set pins to make money as a kid, but I had never bowled before.'' 64-GAME BLOCK Chronology 10/22/2019. Mike Aulby (1989) PBA Bowling Tour: 1975 Season Yong-Jin Gu, South Korea (Scorpion Championship, Las Vegas, 2010) We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. 1 title-winner and its first $1 million man, was found dead Tuesday at a friend's home in New Berlin, Wis., having fallen down a flight of stairs. "He may have had had a heart attack and fallen down the stairs," he said. 239, Harry Sullins (July, 1986 - August, 1993), MOST PBA TOUR EVENTS, CAREER 247.50, Chris Barnes (Vernon Hills, IL, 2007) "It happens wherever I go but I'm glad the fans care," Anthony said. WebEarl Anthony Six PBA National Championships (1973-1975, 1981-1983) Two-time Firestone Tournament of Champions winner (1974, 1978) Leading money winner (1974-1976, 1981-1983) 43 PBA Tour titles 7 PBA senior titles Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1986 LOWEST SCORE ON NATIONAL TV 1982 Miller High Life Open, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. National Championship six times and the Tournament of Champions twice. Dave DEntremont (1995); MOST TV MATCH WINS (singles events only) 153, Walter Ray Williams Jr. Its a no-brainer that bowling writer Barry Sparks agreed to author the first comprehensive biography of the Great Earl Anthony. Where most pro bowlers circulate in public with anonymity, Anthony was the most high profile of any bowler and was frequently recognized by the general public. 6-GAME BLOCK In 1982, he became the first to amass $1 million in career earnings. Ed Baur was the public relations director of the BWTC and was delighted to have the high profile Anthony as commentator of this new venture and have Earl and Jay as his regular golf partners as they toured with the bowling telecasts of the team competition finals weekly nationwide. WebHere's the average builders segment of this telecast and it features two members of the PBA Hall of Fame Earl Anthony and Mike Durbin. By 1988 Anthony had 25 career 300 games. ABC-TV picked up the PBA Fall Tour the following year on its schedule, and the commentary went to Chris and Bo with commercial interruption in the title match. 1976 AMF Dick Weber Five-Star Open, Tamarac, Florida. 42-GAME BLOCK 3, Dave DEntremont (Peoria, IL, 1995) 4,231, Rick Steelsmith and Matt Smith (Erie, PA., 1999) It didn't matter that he was the best-known pro bowler because the media's discrimination against bowling and the concept of it as a sport still existed on a national level. Pete Weber (U.S. Open, Indianapolis, IN, 1991) Though he did not cash in any of the three events, he had succeeded in learning how much he would need to improve before he could entertain any idea of going out on the PBA Tour full-time. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. The Earl Anthony lane pattern makes sure that the hooks are on time. 280, Norm Duke (Peoria, IL, 1994), LOWEST WINNING SCORE ON NATIONAL TV Do you have a blog? 227.8 Sean Rash (487 games). Anthony was an avid sports fan and enjoyed watching sports as much as playing them. Earl Anthony ''He was not a big personality. In 1963, he bowled three PBA summer tournaments in the Pacific Northwest to get a feel for what it would take to successfully compete on the tour. "[19] Williams also added, "When Earl Anthony retired, he didn't have anyone to push him. David Ozio vs. Mike Edwards (San Antonio, TX, 1993); In 1963 he turned pro. 1974 Home Box Office Open, San Jose, California. BEST TOP 24 QUALIFYING PERCENTAGE, SEASON Find out more. He was 63. Most observers believe Earl was the best professional bowler to have ever lived. Anthony earned $1,441,061 in his career, but with the rise of prize money in the past two decades, he is only 11th on the career list, which is headed by Walter Ray Williams Jr. with more than $2.5 million in prize money. 24) Ronnie Russell vs. Sean Rash, 266, and J.R. Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 186, (Las Vegas, Dec. 28, 2014) Many thanks to him. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account. He was also an excellent golfer, achieving a near-scratch handicap at the age of 60. WebPBA Earl Anthony 42: The 42 feet Earl Anthony will require tighter angles. return to top. He was 63. Pete Weber (Louisville, KY, 2001) Carter was Anthony's idol, and he wanted to be at least as memorable as the star of the 1950s and '60s during his career in the 1970s and '80s. FOUR-GAME SERIES ON NATIONAL TV Earl Anthony is considered by many as the greatest bowler ever. Sometimes fans would follow him out the door as though Earl was the pied piper of bowling. TWENTY-FOURTH PLACE (MATCH PLAY) TO TITLE, Dave Soutar (Buffalo, NY, 1974) Voted the greatest PBA player ever, when the PBA announced its "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years" list in the 200809 season. 1976 AMF Grand Prix of Bowling, Allen Park, Michigan. By his third season, his average had surged to 217. Carmen Salvino (82, 2016 PBA Tournament of Champions), WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING RECORDS (THROUGH 2018), MOST TELEVISION APPEARANCES 64 GAMES (with bonus pins) He was 63. 23, Jim Tilton (Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Aug. 4, 1985) LOWEST COMBINED MATCH SCORE ON NATIONAL TV Hall of Famer Earl Anthony dies at 56 GAMES (with bonus pins) WebCareer Stats; Year Events Cashes Match Play CRA Titles AVG Earnings; Total : 406 : 306 : 231 : 113 : 41 - 1997 He said that he needed to be at his best for the public because you never know who is watching you for the first time. Johnny Petraglia (1971#). 79, Mike Scroggins, over two tournaments (Council Bluffs, IA; Milwaukee, WI, 2005), 200s IN ONE TOURNAMENT, INDIVIDUAL Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. Norm Duke (Kennewick, WA, 1995) ''I set goals throughout the years,'' Anthony told The Oregonian in 1991, when he expected to retire for good, only to return five years later and capture three more senior tournaments. WebCareer Stats; Year Events Cashes Match Play CRA Titles AVG Earnings; Total : 406 : 306 : 231 : 113 : 41 - 1997