Pete Weber, who stands second on the PBA’s all-time earnings list, has been elected into the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame in the Performance category. Weber, the 35-year-old right-hander from St. Ann, Mo., will be inducted during ceremonies in Reno, Nev., Monday, Nov. 16. The induction ceremonies will serve as the prelude to the PBA’s most prestigious event, the Brunswick World Tournament of Champions.

Weber was named on 92 percent of the ballots cast by the PBA’s Hall of Fame electors. A player needs to garner two-thirds of the vote to gain election in the Performance category. Weber joins his father, the legendary Dick Weber, as the first father-son pair in the PBA’s Hall of Fame. The American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame features just one such pair, Nelson Burton and his son Nelson "Bo" Burton Jr.

"I’ve always said winning player of the year would be the biggest thrill for me," said Weber, who has never won the award despite his 24 career titles, "but being inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame is the next best thing. It’s a great honor, and it’s extra special to become the first father-son combination."

Weber showed Hall of Fame promise from the start as he garnered PBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1980. His first title came in 1982 in Windsor Locks, Conn., and he won his first "major" at the 1987 Tournament of Champions (an event his father has never won). Pete would add another major the next year at the U.S. Open. His win the following year at the PBA National Championship made him one of only four bowlers (joining Billy Hardwick, Johnny Petraglia, and Mike Aulby) to win pro bowling’s "Triple Crown."

For good measure, he added his second U.S. Open in 1990 and just this year won another PBA National Championship. His 24 titles place him two behind his father and sixth all-time. Weber, who is currently ranked second by the PBA’s computer ranking system, was the youngest player (age 26) to earn $1 million in his career when he accomplished the feat in 1989. He also made it to a million faster than anyone (10 years) did. Last year, he became just the second player to surpass the $2 million mark and trails only Walter Ray Williams Jr. in career earnings.

Weber’s best chance at PBA Player of the Year honors came in 1987 when he led the Tour in earnings with $179,516 and won the Tournament of Champions. Unfortunately for Weber, the vote of the PBA membership went to Marshall Holman, who led the tour in average (Weber was second) but did not win a tournament. Weber led the tour in average in 1989 and won two titles, including the PBA National Championship, but player of the year honors went to Amleto Monacelli, who won four tournaments and finished higher in the earnings list.

Weber will be inducted alongside Teata Semiz, who was elected earlier this year in the Veterans/Senior category. No person gained the necessary two-thirds vote in the Meritorious Service category this year. Tom Baker, Mark Williams, Randy Pedersen, Guppy Troup and Steve Martin also received votes in the Performance category.

During some free time, I jotted down a few notes about this great honor and Pete Weber. In my mind this was a "no-brainer," and Weber should have received a unanimous vote. Ninety-two percent isn’t bad, but who could the other eight percent have possibly believed was more deserving? Think about this: As stated, only four men in PBA history have ever won the Triple Crown, Weber being one of them. More importantly, he is one win away from being the only bowler to win the Triple Crown twice.

Player of the year honors have eluded Weber for only one reason: personalities. Holman was no more deserving of that honor in 1987 than I was. The only mark Holman made on the PBA Tour that year was high average.

Weber set the 24-game scoring record of 6,109 pins in 1996. He also set the 32-game record of 7,794 in 1994.

Everyone likes to make comparisons between Pete and his father, and no one is a bigger fan of Dick Weber than I am. But the truth of the matter is Pete is a better bowler. In his father’s day, there were not nearly as many quality bowlers as there are now. Team bowling was the game, and there was very little difference in equipment. Ball drilling and ball manufacturing didn’t play a major role in Dick’s heyday.

Everyone likes to bring up Pete’s problems on and off the lanes and, unfortunately, it has been more of a focal point than his great bowling record.

A Hall of Fame should never be deprived of the very best because of personalities. That holds true for bowler of the year honors. Everybody doesn’t like everybody, but those feelings should be put aside, and the electors should do what’s right.

See you on the lanes.

Don Wright is a member of the Bowling Writers Association of America. His home page is located at www.vvm.com/~wrightd.