The 1998 John Jowdy All-Miss Team is composed of a few holdovers, a rookie, a few surprises, and a couple of shockers.
Inasmuch as I limited my attendance at PBA Tour stops, I solicited the aid of regular tour bowling ball representatives Rick Benoit of Brunswick, Hammer’s Tim Callahan, Track’s Billy Yinger, and John Forst, the PBA’s designated lane maintenance man.
Two of the most prominent miss specialists during the past few seasons have curtailed their participation on the regular tour. Nevertheless, they left such an impression during their career that they were awarded honorary membership for 1998.
Kelly Coffman, a perennial All-Miss member, was named by the selection committee for his unique ability to blow spares during his entire career.
Scott Alexander, no longer a regular touring pro, earned honorary membership because, as committee members stated, "Even though he isn’t out here anymore, he missed enough when he was on tour to still be on the team."
Co-captains for the 1998 regular team were Jason Hurd and R.D. Miller. According to committee members, Hurd’s odds on a 10-pin spare are about 50-50. Furthermore, it was stated that if Jason ever recorded an all-mark game, chances are it would be a 300.
R.D. Miller was a unanimous choice. The selection committee agreed that if titles were won on practice days, R.D. Miller would have recorded several championships. However, spares are seldom attempted at practice sessions.
Norm Titus is a holdover from 1997 and led all vote getters. Titus has displayed an uncanny ability to miss anything less than a full rack.
A surprise newcomer burst upon the 1998 All-Miss scene: Joe Firpo, a veteran of over 10 years on tour, crashed the roster for the first time, receiving the second most votes. His selection was based on the fact that his inability to strike presented him with greater chances to miss spares ... and Mr. Firpo did not waste the opportunity to earn his right for All-Miss selection.
The first team is anchored by Bob Spaulding, another virtual cinch for the team. Inasmuch as Spaulding has the strength to bench press the entire selection committee, further commentary has been withheld.
Brian LeClair, a 1997 holdover, rounds out the top six selections. As one committee member stated, "He doesn’t miss by much, but it doesn’t take too much to miss." Brian continued to miss enough to again make the first team.
Dennis Jacques made a determined bid to crash the first team. He fell one vote short, yet most selection committee members were hardly hesitant in placing him on the 1998 team.
Other players receiving recognition were Eugene McCune, Len Blakey, and left-handers Jess Stayrook, Eric Forkel, and Dennis Horan.
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The $200,000 Philip Morris Mixed Doubles Championship has been one of the most entertaining and popular tournaments in the professional ranks.
It has been previously titled the "Basic" and the "Merit," but due to new regulations that prohibit the promotion of brand names in tobacco advertising, it became the Philip Morris Mixed Doubles. Philip Morris is a corporation and is no longer a brand.
But, alas, all good things must come to an end. In accordance with recently enacted laws, the tobacco industry has been limited to only one sponsorship for any athletic event. Inasmuch as Philip Morris is heavily involved in racing and tennis, it is hardly conceivable that the giant corporation will throw its lot with bowling, particularly with racing enjoying the greatest boom of any sporting event in the country.
However, there is a very slight glimmer of hope ... and ever so slight. Philip Morris lists among its companies Miller Beer, Post Cereals, Kraft Cheese, Maxwell House Coffee, Jello, Calumet, Taco Bell, Oscar Mayer, Louis Rich Products, Claussen Pickles, Cool Whip, DiGiorno and Tombstone Pizzas, and many other name products.
The faint possibility of sponsorship by one of these companies may lie in the fallout achieved by the cigarette company.
Let’s hope one of the Philip Morris companies
takes a cue from the cigarette brands
and fills the vacuum for this outstanding tournament.
The working crew for the Philip Morris Mixed Doubles event was very pleased with the results of the tournament, both in the amateur and professional divisions. The crew expressed tremendous satisfaction with the participation of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America and bowlers throughout the country.
The mixed doubles contest became a measuring standard for all PBA players, as is the Japan Cup Tournament. Qualifications for entry into this prestigious event were based on points accumulated during the year. The top 24 point leaders were chosen and paired in order of their final positions in the standings.
In addition to the $40,000 first place check, Philip Morris staged a three-game $30,000 winner-take-all match between the top point leaders of the PBA and the PWBA. It preceded the regular tournament, pitting the sexes against each other prior to their teaming up for the regular tournament.
During the past years, the ladies have fallen short on every occasion in the Shootout event. In 1995, Tish Johnson lost to Norm Duke. Wendy Macpherson lost to Walter Ray Williams Jr. in 1996 and again in 1997. In the 1998 version of the Shootout, Carol Gianotti-Block failed to keep pace with red-hot Walter Ray Williams Jr., who, incidentally, collected the winner-take-all check of $30,000 for the third consecutive year.
In the regular mixed doubles event, the Kim Canady-Steve Hoskins duo ran away from the field for the $40,000 first-place check, finishing a whopping 369 pins ahead of the Cheryl Daniels- Parker Bohn III team.
Hoskins led all male bowlers with a 245.59 average. Dede Davidson was the top average among women with a whopping 240.59, 13 full pins ahead of Lisa Wagner, second high at 228.47.
Although Walter Ray Williams Jr. finished sixth with partner Carol Gianotti-Block, he posted a 238.55 average, allowing him to break the PBA Tour’s single-season record with a 226.13 average over a 973 games in 1998. The previous record was 225.49 by Mike Aulby in 1995.
The extravaganza was second-to-none among elite tournaments, including the granddaddy of them all, the PBA Tournament of Champions.
The entire tournament was a first-class affair, beginning with the opening cocktail party to the elegant awards dinner and the bowling party for the media, the Philip Morris crew, and the Tip Nunn Events employees.
Much of the credit must be given to Tip Nunn Events, the promotion arm for Philip Morris for this tournament. It was headed by Rosie Crews, a former BPAA employee.
Bowling is due for some good news. Let’s hope one of the Philip Morris companies takes a cue from the cigarette brands and fills the vacuum for this outstanding tournament.
PBA Hall of Famer John Jowdy is a past president of the Bowling Writers Association of America.