Tuesday, December 16, 2008

More Greatest Players of All Time

Numbers 4-8 on the list of 50 Greatest Players in Professional Bowlers Association History were revealed on Sunday's ESPN telecast.

4: Pete Weber
Career Titles: 34
Career Major Titles: 8
Career Earnings: $3,230,394
Highlights: His 34 PBA Tour titles ranks tied for third all time while his eight Majors ranks tied for second… One of just five bowlers to complete the Triple Crown, winning the Tournament of Champions in 1987, the National Championship in 1989 and ’98 and winning the U.S. Open a record-tying four times (1988, ‘91, 2004, ’07)… Also won the 1992 Touring Players Championship and is just a Masters title shy of becoming the second bowler to complete the Super Slam… Second all-time in career earnings as he is one of just two bowlers to go over the $3 million mark… Named the 1980 PBA Rookie of the Year… Won the George Young High Average Award in 1989… Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1998.

5: Mark Roth
Career Titles: 34
Career Major Titles: 2
Career Senior Tour Titles: 2
Career Earnings: $1,631,356
Highlights: Captured multiple titles in six different seasons, including a Tour-record eight in 1978… Followed that up with seven more titles in 1979… Won the 1984 BPAA U.S. Open and the 1984 Touring Players Championship… Four-time PBA Player of the Year (1977-79, ’84), one of just three players to win the award three consecutive seasons… Was a six-time winner of the George Young High Average Award (1976-79, ’81, ’88)… Was the first of just three players to ever pick up the 7-10 split on TV which he did in 1980 in Alameda, Calif…. Won the 2001 PBA Senior World Championship en route to the 2001 PBA Senior Rookie of the Year Award… Named PBA Senior Player of the Year in 2002… Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1987.

6: Mike Aulby
Career Titles: 29
Career Major Titles: 8
Career Earnings: $2,096,060
Highlights: Captured eight Major titles which ranks tied for second all time… Won the 1979 PBA National Championship in his rookie season and went on to be named 1979 Rookie of the Year… Named PBA Player of the Year in 1985 and ‘95, becoming the first player to win both awards in a career… Three-time winner of the USBC Masters and two-time National Champion; also won the Tournament of Champions, Touring Players Championship and U.S. Open to become the only bowler to have won all five Majors… Twice won two Majors in a season (’89, ’95), the only bowler to accomplish that feat… Twice won the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award (1994, ‘95)… One of only two bowlers to shoot 300 in a nationally televised title match… Named to PBA Hall of Fame in 1996.

7: Norm Duke
Career Titles: 29
Career Major Titles: 5
Career Earnings: $2,602,414
Highlights: Duke’s 29 titles rank tied for seventh all time… Owns five Majors including the USBC Masters, Tournament of Champions, World Championship (twice) and U.S. Open, making him one of just two bowlers to complete the PBA’s Grand Slam and one of just five to complete the Triple Crown… Was just 18 when he won his first title in 1983 becoming the youngest to ever win a PBA Tour title… Two-time Player of the Year (1994, 2000) and four-time George Young High Average Award winner… Also won the Harry Smith Point Leader Award in 2005-06… Won a career-best five titles and banked $273,753 in 1994… Has won three or more titles in four different seasons… One of 19 players to shoot 300 on national TV.

8: Don Johnson
Career Titles: 26
Career Major Titles: 2
Career Earnings: $663,426
Highlights: Ranks ninth all time with 26 PBA Tour titles… Won at least one title in 12 straight seasons (1966-77) and captured multiple titles in seven consecutive seasons (1967-73)… Won the 1970 Tournament of Champions and the 1972 BPAA U.S. Open… Rolled a historic 299 in the 1970 Tournament of Champions finals… Named PBA Player of the Year in 1971 and ’72, becoming the first player to win the award in consecutive seasons… Won the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award in 1977, the same year he was elected to the PBA Hall of Fame.

9: Marshall Holman
Career Titles: 22
Career Major Titles: 4
Career Earnings: $1,705, 990
Highlights: Fiery right-hander twice won the Tournament of Champions (1976, ’86) and the U.S. Open (1981, ’85)… Won George Young High Average Award three times (1982, ’84, ’87)… Was the 1987 PBA Player of the Year… Won multiple titles in seven different seasons… Won three apiece in both 1979 and ’81… Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1990 in his first year of eligibility.

10: Parker Bohn III
Career Titles: 31
Career Major Titles: 1
Career Earnings: $2,694, 717
Highlights: Bohn’s 31 titles ranks fifth all-time… Won titles in five straight seasons from 1997 through 2001-02, capturing 18 titles in that span… Won a career-best five titles in both 1999 and again in 2001-02… Named the PBA Player of the Year in both seasons, also winning the Harry Smith Point Leader and George Young High Average Award in both seasons… A four-time winner of the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award… Lone Major title came in the 2001 USBC Masters… One of 19 bowlers to shoot 300 on national TV… Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 2000.

11: Don Carter.
Career Titles: 7
Career Major Titles: 5
Career Earnings: $176,040
Highlights: PBA Charter Member won two titles in 1960, including the PBA National Championship, as well as four titles in 1962… Won a record-tying four BPAA All-Star titles, twice winning the event in back-to-back years (1953-54 and 1957-58)… Also won the 1961 USBC Masters… His five Major titles ranks tied for fifth all time… Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1975.

12: Billy Hardwick.
Career Titles: 18 Career
Major Titles: 3
Career Earnings: $334, 043
Highlights: Won multiple titles on three different occasions, including four in 1963… Won the 1963 PBA National Championship and the 1965 Tournament of Champions as well as the BPAA All-Star in 1969, and is one of just five bowlers to have completed the Triple Crown… PBA Player of the Year in 1963 and ’69, one of nine bowlers to win the award twice… Won six titles in 1969 and led the Tour with $61,160… Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1977.

13: Brian Voss.
Career Titles: 24
Career Major Titles: 1
Career Earnings: $2,373,838
Highlights: Won 24 PBA Tour titles, which ranks 10th all-time… Won at least one title in 12 straight seasons from 1987-1998, three shy of the all-time record… Named the PBA Player of the Year in 1988, winning two titles including the PBA National Championship, his lone Major title… Won the Harry Smith Point Leader award in 1987 and ’88… Amassed over $2.3 million in career earnings, ranking fifth all-time in that category… Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1994.

14: Dick Ritger
Career Titles: 20
Career Earnings: $420,395
Highlights: Captured multiple titles in five different seasons, capturing two each in 1966, ’68 and ’69 and three each in 1973 and ‘74… Ranked fourth on the money list in 1973 ($55,818) and fifth in 1974 ($46,358)… Won the 1970 Japan Cup… Finished second in a Major four times, tied for the most all-time among bowlers without a Major title… Won the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award in 1970 and 1973… Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1978.

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