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PBA League Rescheduled for September 26-28; Miami Waves and Phoenix Fury Teams Drafted

New York, NY – The Professional Bowlers Association has completed its roster of twelve teams to compete in the 2020 PBA League Elias Cup with the addition of 10 of the world’s best female bowlers to the Miami Waves and Phoenix Fury.

The twelve teams now split into two divisions, Carter and Anthony, will take to the lanes at *Bayside Bowl in Portland, ME, on September 26-28, with hometown team Portland Lumberjacks, looking to defend the prestigious Elias Cup. Bowling’s most thrilling team event was postponed due to Covid-19 health and safety precautions.

The seeding round will take place on September 26, followed by eight hours of live competition broadcasted on FS1 in four telecasts on consecutive days as follows:

PBA Elias Cup: Quarterfinals – Sunday, September 27, 12 p.m. ET on FS1
PBA Elias Cup: Quarterfinals – Sunday, September 27, 7 p.m. ET on FS1
PBA Elias Cup: Semifinals – Monday, September 28, 7 p.m. ET on FS1
PBA Elias Cup: Finals – Monday, September 28, 9 p.m. ET on FS1

After winning the coin toss, Phoenix Fury selected two-time, reigning PWBA Player of the Year Shannon O’Keefe as the first pick of the special PBA League Draft, followed by 5-time PWBA Champion Danielle McEwan to the Miami Waves. The draft was conducted virtually live on FloBowling with 35 eligible players based on 2019 PWBA Points. The two new 5-player rosters were selected in order (listed below), followed by 2020 full rosters.
Shannon O’Keefe, Phoenix Fury
Danielle McEwan, Miami Waves
Liz Johnson, Phoenix Fury
Dasha Kovalova, Miami Waves
Jordan Richard, Phoenix Fury
Clara Guerrero, Miami Waves
Stefanie Johnson, Phoenix Fury
Liz Kuhlkin, Miami Waves
Maria José Rodriguez, Phoenix Fury
Missy Parkin, Miami Waves

2020 PBA League Division Line-Ups and Rosters

Carter Division:

Dallas Strikers
Manager: Norm Duke
Norm Duke
Tommy Jones
Bill O'Neill
Brad Miller
Nick Pate

Philadelphia Hitmen
Manager: Jason Couch
Dom Barrett
Tom Smallwood
Shawn Maldonado
Jason Sterner
Matt Ogle

Brooklyn Styles
Manager: Johnny Petraglia
Walter Ray Williams Jr.
Brad Angelo
Rhino Page
BJ Moore
Thomas Larsen

Silver Lake Atom Splitters
Manager: Mark Baker
Chris Barnes
Jesper Svensson
Tom Daugherty
Chris Via
AJ Chapman

Las Vegas High Rollers
Manager: Amleto Monacelli
Francois Lavoie
Andrew Anderson
AJ Johnson
Richie Teece
Ildemaro Ruiz

Phoenix Fury
Manager: Kim Terrell-Kearney
Shannon O’Keefe
Liz Johnson
Jordan Richard
Stefanie Johnson
Maria José Rodriguez

Anthony Division:

NYC KingPins
Manager: Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
Pete Weber
Marshall Kent
Kyle Sherman
Darren Tang
Osku Palermaa

Motown Muscle
Manager: Del Ballard
EJ Tackett
Anthony Simonsen
Josh Blanchard
Mitch Hupe
Matt McNiel

Portland Lumberjacks
Manager: Tim Mack
Wes Malott
Kyle Troup
Kris Prather
Martin Larsen
Packy Hanrahan

L.A. X
Manager: Andrew Cain
Jason Belmonte
Jakob Butturff
Stu Williams
Patrick Girard
Anthony Lavery-Spahr

Brew City Ballers
Manager: Marshall Holman
Sean Rash
Ryan Ciminelli
Dick Allen
Christopher Sloan
Zeke Bayt

Miami Waves
Manager: Bob Learn Jr.
Danielle McEwan
Dasha Kovalova
Clara Guerrero
Liz Kuhlkin
Missy Parkin

*Location subject to change due to local government restrictions.

PBA League Draft Announcement

The 2020 PBA League Draft will be held Sunday, May 17, at 7 pm ET, and presented virtually, live on FloBowling, the PBA announced today. The draft will be conducted remotely for the first time, with team managers making their selections from their home locations due to COVID-19.

The PBA League, established in 2013 by the Professional Bowlers Association, features 5-player teams of the top bowlers in the world. Competition is slated for July 20-23 in Portland, ME, at Bayside Bowl, with live coverage of the seeding round on FloBowling, July 20, and finals on FS1, July 21-23.

The League will be adding two expansion clubs this season, the Las Vegas High Rollers and the Brew City (Milwaukee) Ballers, bringing the the number of teams to 10.

The High Rollers, managed by PBA Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli and Ballers, managed by fellow PBA Hall of Famer Marshall Holman, own the first selections (based on coin toss) and will fill out their full 5-player rosters at the draft.

The other eight teams, including defending champion Portland Lumberjacks, will make two selections during the serpentine draft to fill out their five player rosters. Each of the eight original teams (Portland, L.A. X, Dallas Strikers, NYC KingPins, Silver Lake Atom Splitters, Motown Muscle, Brooklyn Styles and Philadelphia Hitmen) have previously protected three players from their 2019 rosters (listed below).

Lumberjacks manager Tim Mack, by virtue of his team's Elias Cup winning performance in 2019, twill select 10th in third round, and first in the 4th round.

To be eligible for the draft, players must be ranked in the top 75 from a rolling PBA points list of 2019 and 2020 events. Headlining the list of eligible players are PBA champions Sean Rash, Francois Lavoie, Dick Allen, Andrew Anderson, BJ Moore, Jake Peters, Thomas Larsen, Jason Sterner, Ryan Ciminelli, DJ Archer, Osku Palermaa, Andres Gomez, Richard Teece, Ronnie Russell, Matt Ogle, Matt Sanders, Graham Fach, Ryan Shafer and Chris Loschetter. (Full draft eligible list below).

The 2020 Draft was originally slated for March 15 at the site of the PBA World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas, but was postponed due to COVID-19.

PBA CEO Colie Edison and PBA Tour Commissioner Tom Clark made the announcement of the virtual draft Wednesday April 29th on FloBowling.

Draft order:

First pick, for expansion teams Brew City or Las Vegas decided by coin toss to launch draft. Then, those two expansion teams will get first two rounds: For example (in scenario Las Vegas wins coin toss):
Round 1: 1. Las Vegas (if win coin toss). 2. Brew City.
Round 2. 1. Brew City. 2. Las Vegas.
Then, other teams join snake draft, in reverse order of finish in 2019, with expansion teams first.
Two rounds of full league draft will finalize existing team rosters.
Round 3: 1. Las Vegas. 2. Milwaukee. 3. Philadelphia. 4. Brooklyn. 5. Motown. 6. Silver Lake. 7. NYC. 8. Dallas. 9. L.A. 10. Portland
Round 4: 1. Portland. 2. L.A. 3. Dallas. 4. NYC. 5. Silver Lake. 6. Motown. 7. Brooklyn. 8. Philadelphia. 9. Milwaukee. 10. Las Vegas.
Round 5 (expansion teams only, to complete rosters): 1. Las Vegas. 2. Milwaukee.
Draft complete.

Draft eligible players (listed in order by PBA points 2019-2020):
5 Sean Rash Montgomery, Ill. 41,360.00
13 Francois Lavoie, Canada 28,660.50
17 Dick Allen, Lexington, S.C. 24,622.50
19 AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill. 24,165.50
20 Brad Miller, Lees Summit, Mo. 23,990.00
22 Darren Tang, Las Vegas 22,138.00
25 Nicholas Pate, Inver Grove Heights, Minn. 18,440.00
27 Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich. 17,838.00
30 AJ Chapman, Manchester, Iowa 16,887.50
31 BJ Moore, Greensburg, Pa. 16,378.00
32 Mitch Hupe, Canada 16,185.50
33 Jake Peters Henderson, Nev. 15,325.00
34 Thomas Larsen, Denmark 15,288.00
35 Jason Sterner, Rochester, NY 15,278.00
36 Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas 14,672.50
37 Ryan Ciminelli Lancaster, S.C. 14,500.50
38 DJ Archer Friendswood, Texas 14,290.00
39 Chris Via Springfield, Ohio 14,115.00
40 Zacharay Wilkins, Canada 14,090.50
41 Osku Palermaa, Finland 13,615.00
42 Patrick Girard, Canada 13,455.00
43 Andres Gomez, Colombia 12,080.00
44 Sam Cooley, Australia 11,723.00
45 Mykel Holliman, Collierville, Tenn. 11,320.00
46 Michael Tang, San Francisco 11,065.00
47 Richard Teece, England 10,620.00
49 Patrick Hanrahan, Wichita, Kan. 10,440.00
50 Christopher Sloan, Ireland 10,415.00
51 Martin Larsen, Sweden 10,390.00
52 Greg Ostrander, Brick, N.J. 9,588.00
53 Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind. 9,337.50
54 Arturo Quintero, Mexico 8,628.00
55 Sean Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas 8,562.50
56 Greg Young Viera, Fla. 8,490.00
57 Matthew Ogle, Louisville, Ky. 8,447.50
58 Matthew McNiel, Minneapolis, Minn. 8,300.00
59 Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill. 8,183.00
60 Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela 7,752.50
61 Matt Sanders, Indianapolis 7,340.00
62 Kenneth Ryan, Farmingdale, NJ 7,235.00
63 Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas 6,915.00
65 Kamron Doyle, Brentwood, Tenn. 6,623.00
66 Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio 6,445.00
67 Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio 6,358.00
68 Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va. 6,332.50
69 Graham Fach, Canada 6,152.50
70 Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y. 5,872.50
71 Michael Davidson, Versailles, Ohio 5,770.00
72 Jake Rollins, Glen Rock, N.J. 5,758.00
73 Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio 5,733.00
74 Michael Martell, Brooklyn, N.Y. 5,628.00
75 Pontus Andersson, Sweden 5,455.00

Current PBA League team rosters (three protected players from 2019):

Motown Muscle
Manager: Del Ballard
EJ Tackett
Anthony Simonsen
Josh Blanchard

Philadelphia Hitmen
Manager: Jason Couch
Dom Barrett
Tom Smallwood
Shawn Maldonado

Brooklyn Styles
Manager: Johnny Petraglia
Walter Ray Williams Jr.
Brad Angelo
Rhino Page

Dallas Strikers
Manager: Norm Duke
Norm Duke
Tommy Jones
Bill O'Neill

L.A. X
Manager: Andrew Cain
Jason Belmonte
Jakob Butturff
Stu Williams

Portland Lumberjacks
Manager: Tim Mack
Wes Malott
Kyle Troup
Kris Prather

Silver Lake Atom Splitters
Manager: Mark Baker
Chris Barnes
Jesper Svensson
Tom Daugherty

NYC KingPins
Manager: Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
Pete Weber
Marshall Kent
Kyle Sherman
 

Expansion teams:
Las Vegas High Rollers
Manager: Amleto Monacelli

Brew City Ballers
Manager: Marshall Holman

Jerseys, Balls Among PBA League Auction Items

From the BJI weekly eBowler Newsletter

A special PBA League auction has begun on pba.com, featuring a variety of autographed merchandise donated by PBA League members. Proceeds from the auction, which ends on March 26, will benefit NBA star Chris Paul’s CP3 Foundation.
The online auction brings to a close competition among PBA League teams that began during the PBA World Series of Bowling V at the South Point complex in Las Vegas last November. A special Skills Challenge pitted the eight team captains against each other in a series of unique bowling events, with the winner earning the right to name the charity that would benefit from the auction. Jason Belmonte, the captain of the L.A. X team owned by Paul, won the challenge, and he selected Paul’s charity as the benefactor.

Established in 2005, the Los Angeles Clippers’ all-star point guard’s CP3 Foundation provides funding for activities ranging from a scholarship program to food drives to recreational support programs for children in under-served communities. For more information about the CP3 Foundation, click here.

Bowling fans are asked to visit pba.com to check out the merchandise available, and then submit bids via email to bids@pba.com.

Included in the auction are a number of bowling balls and game-worn jerseys belonging to PBA League franchise players Belmonte, Pete Weber, Norm Duke, Sean Rash, Mike Fagan, Bill O’Neill, Osku Palermaa and Chris Barnes. Other items were donated by PBA Hall of Famers Amleto Monacelli, Parker Bohn III, Walter Ray Williams Jr., and other PBA League competitors, including established PBA champions and stars of the future.

PBA Tournament of Champions Rescheduled

The 2014 Professional Bowlers Association Barbasol Tournament of Champions will move to Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, MI, beginning Jan. 18 and concluding with a live ESPN telecast at noon ET on Sunday, Jan. 26, the PBA announced.

 

The change in venue and dates for the 49th TOC from previously announced April in Indianapolis is accompanied by a revised PBA League competition and ESPN air-date schedule. 

 

The 2014 PBA Tournament of Champions will be open to any PBA member who has ever won a PBA Tour, International Tour, PBA50, PBA Women’s Series or PBA Regional title. The PBA champions will compete in a 49-game qualifying and match play format with the top five players advancing to the stepladder finals.

 

The Tournament of Champions was first held in 1962 in Indianapolis as a showcase tournament for the elite players who had won PBA national titles. In April 2013, in its return to Indianapolis, PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, at age 50, became the oldest TOC winner when he defeated Australia’s Jason Belmonte, 224-179, to win the title for the second time. With his win, Weber also tied bowling legend Earl Anthony for most PBA major titles (10) and he became the first player ever to complete the PBA Triple Crown (TOC, U.S. Open and PBA World Championship) twice.

 

All 2014 TOC qualifying and match play rounds Jan. 18-21 will be covered live on PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, Xtra Frame. For Xtra Frame subscription information, visit pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

The PBA League season on ESPN kicks off with the Chris Paul PBA League All-Stars on Sunday, Feb. 2, with the first week of quarterfinal action in the eight-team bracket airing Feb. 9. Each match in the eight-team bracket seen on ESPN will feature singles, doubles, trios and five-player Baker-format games. The final two teams will advance to the PBA League Elias Cup Finals which will be held in North Brunswick, NJ. The final will air on ESPN on April 13.

 

The PBA League, in its second year, features eight teams of five PBA stars each, representing different cities and prominent team owners from the sports and entertainment worlds. The New York City WTT KingPins, owned by tennis legend Billie Jean King, are defending champions. Other teams include the Motown Muscle (owner Jerome Bettis), Pittsburgh Jack Rabbits (owner LaMarr Woodley), Silver Lake Atom Splitters (owner Chris Hardwick), Philadelphia Hitmen (owner Kevin Hart), L.A. X (owner Chris Paul), BROOKLYN STyLES (owner Jesse Williams) and Dallas Strikers (owner Terrell Owens).

2014 PBA League Signing Season Is Underway

Planning, preparation and strategic movements heading into the 2014 PBA League season are officially underway with team managers beginning the process of re-signing players and releasing others to free agency. Under the new rules for the 2014 season – which officially gets underway Jan. 1 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich. – team managers have until Aug. 31 to re-sign up to three players (in addition to the No. 1 player, who is automatic) from last year’s rosters, and assign them to “slot” positions on their 2014 rosters – from No. 2 through No. 5.

 

“Slot” positions for 2014 rosters are compensated within pre-set salary ranges, starting at $20,000 for the No. 1 position (formerly known as the “franchise player”). Team managers have a total “cap” of $71,000 within which they can negotiate player salaries. For No. 2 slots, players must be paid between $14,000-18,000. For No. 3 slots, the salary range is between $12,000-16,000. For No. 4 players, the range is $10,000-14,000. For No. 5 slot positions, the range is $8,000-12,000.

 

Existing rostered players who are released or unsigned as of Aug. 31 will become free agents, eligible to negotiate with other teams as of Sept. 1. If the free agents do not sign with another team by Oct. 1 (the maximum number of players who can be signed through the free agency period is four including the franchise player), free agents will enter the 2014 player draft along with any player from the top 50 players based upon the 2012-13 PBA competition points list not on a team. The 2014 player draft – which will be conducted in reverse order of how teams finished last season – will be conducted on Monday, Nov. 4, following the World Series at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas.

 

It’s important to note that players on 2012-13 rosters are not required to re-sign with their previous teams, even if they are made an offer. Players are allowed to decline offers and enter free agency if they wish.

 

Also note, after the re-signing period and the free agency period, the most players a team can have on its roster is four (including the No. 1 player). That insures every team will have at least one opening for the draft.

 

All 2014 PBA League roster transactions must be approved by PBA Commissioner Tom Clark.

 

For immediate PBAL news, visit pba.com or find “PBA Tour Commissioner” on Facebook

 

You can also follow “The League” on pba.com:

 

http://news.pba.com/post/2013/8/14/Updated-PBA-League-Transactions-Through-81513.aspx

 

Here’s what has transpired since the re-signing period began on Aug. 1: 

Dallas Strikers’ Player/Manager Norm Duke signs No. 2 Rhino Page

PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke, the No. 1 player on the Dallas Strikers and Strikers’ team manager, was the first manager to initiate a re-signing, securing left-hander Rhino Page of Dade City, Fla., to his No. 2 roster position ($15,000). Duke also released last year’s No. 4 player Bryon Smith of Roseburg, Ore., and “supplemental pick” Mike Wolfe of New Albany, Ind. Both are now on the “free agent” list and will be eligible to sign with any of the other teams when the free agent signing period opens on Sept. 1.

 

Motown Muscle re-signs Mike Scroggins

Muscle manager Del Ballard Jr. has announced the re-signing of veteran left-hander Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, to his team’s No. 4 slot ($10,000). Mike Fagan retains the No. 1 position. Scroggins was No. 3 in last year’s Muscle lineup, but has been sidelined since the PBA Tournament of Champions while battling a painful bout with plantar faciitis. Ballard also has released Jesse Buss of Belvidere, Ill.; supplemental pick Brad Angelo of Lockport, N.Y. (who was acquired in a trade with the New York WTT KingPins for Kelly Kulick), and D.J. Archer of Friendswood, Texas, who replaced Angelo when he withdrew due to injury. The Motown Muscle team is owned by former Pittsburgh Steelers star Jerome Bettis.

 

BROOKLYN STyLES re-signs, elevates Jason Sterner; Walter Ray returns to fold

STyLES manager Johnny Petraglia has not only re-signed Jason Sterner of McDonough, Ga., but elevated last year’s No. 5 player to the No. 2 slot ($15,000) in his 2014 lineup after Sterner won his first PBA Tour title and almost claimed a second earlier in the 2012-13 season. Petraglia also secured the PBA’s most successful player ever, Walter Ray Williams Jr., to the No. 3 slot ($13,000) and released left-hander Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y. Sean Rash returns as the STyLES’ No. 1 player. The STyLES owner is actor Jesse Williams.

 

Silver Lake Atom Splitters retain England’s Dom Barrett

Atom Splitters manager Mark Baker has re-signed England’s Dom Barrett to the No. 4 slot ($11,000) on the team owned by Internet podcast entrepreneur Chris Hardwick. Barrett held the No. 2 position on last year’s team. Chris Barnes is Silver Lake’s No. 1 player. Baker also released the rest of last year’s Atom Splitters roster to free agency: Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, Ariz.; Stuart Williams of England; Nathan Bohr of Wichita, Kan., and supplemental player Jon VanHees of Charlestown, R.I.

 

New York City WTT KingPins re-sign Norton, Szczerbinski

KingPins manager Carolyn Dorin-Ballard – the only woman manager in the PBA League – has re-signed two-time 2012-13 PBA Tour winner Scott Norton to the No. 2 slot($17,75)  on the only team owned by a woman (women’s sports legend Billie Jean King). The defending PBA League Elias Cup champions are led by No. 1 player Pete Weber, a PBA Hall of Famer. Dorin-Ballard (a hall of famer herself) also retained former Wichita State collegiate star John Szczerbinski to the No. 4 slot ($10,500) on her team. Previous team members Tommy Jones, Jack Jurek and Kelly Kulick all will enter free agency on Sept. 1.

 

Pittsburgh Jack Rabbits keep Allen at No. 3

Continuing the trend in retaining top left-handers, Jack Rabbits manager Tim Mack has re-signed Patrick Allen of Wesley Chapel, Fla., to his team’s No. 3 slot ($13,000), moving Allen up one spot from last season. Finnish two-handed star Osku Palermaa returns as Pittsburgh’s No. 1 player. The Jack Rabbits are owned by Pittsburgh Steelers all-pro linebacker LaMarr Woodley, and hold the No. 1 position for the 2014 PBA League player draft.

 

Waiting in the wings: L.A. X and Philadelphia Hitmen

It’s still early in the re-signing period, but thus far L.A. X manager Andrew Cain and Philadelphia Hitmen manager Jason Couch have yet to make a move. Cain’s team is owned by Los Angeles Clippers all-star point guard Chris Paul, with Jason Belmonte as his No. 1 player. Couch’s Hitmen are owned by actor-comedian Kevin Hart and his No. 1 player is Bill O’Neill.

PBA League 2.0 Disclosed for 2014 Season

When team owner Billie Jean King raised the Elias Cup over her head with the help of her victorious New York City WTT KingPins presented by GEICO bowlers last April on ESPN, the first season of the Professional Bowlers Association League was complete – and work on improving the groundbreaking team concept began.

The second season of the PBA League, set to begin January 1 in Allen Park, MI, will include a variety of enhancements, including revamped team lineups, the addition of team managers, new competition formats, and a special new Mark Roth PBA League MVP Award, PBA Commissioner Tom Clark announced today.

“The PBA League, in its inaugural season, achieved every goal we could have hoped for,” Clark said, “and it has provided us with a solid foundation to build the PBA League into the kind of dynamic, exciting new aspect of the PBA we envisioned. Some of the new concepts will be unveiled as we enter our second year of PBA League competition.”

Among the changes for the 2014 PBA League season:

The eight original teams and owners will be back, and each team's franchise players will be retained. A new manager will be added to each team who will have responsibilities for acquiring players, negotiating trades and determining lineups for competition, among other duties:

● BROOKLYN STyLES (owner Jesse Williams, Grey’s Anatomy actor; manager Johnny Petraglia, PBA Hall of Famer; franchise player Sean Rash).

● Dallas Strikers (owner Terrell Owens, NFL All-Pro wide receiver; franchise player/manager Norm Duke).

● L.A. X (owner Chris Paul, L.A. Clippers all-star point guard; manager Andrew Cain, PBA member and United States Bowling Congress President; franchise player Jason Belmonte).

● Motown Muscle (owner Jerome Bettis, retired Pittsburgh Steelers fullback and Super Bowl star; manager Del Ballard Jr., PBA Hall of Famer; franchise player Mike Fagan).

● New York City WTT KingPins (owner Billie Jean King, women’s sports icon; manager Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, women’s bowling hall of famer; franchise player Pete Weber).

● Philadelphia Hitmen (owner Kevin Hart, actor/comedian; manager Jason Couch, PBA Hall of Famer; franchise player Bill O’Neill).

● Pittsburgh Jack Rabbits (owner LaMarr Woodley, Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro linebacker; manager Tim Mack, international bowling champion and coach; franchise player Osku Palermaa).

● Silver Lake (Ca.) Atom Splitters (owner Chris Hardwick, Internet entrepreneur/comedian; manager Mark Baker, four-time PBA Tour titlist and renowned bowling instructor; franchise player Chris Barnes).

Each PBA League team will have a five-player roster. Teams will have the right to re-sign up to three players from their 2013 rosters between Aug. 1 and Aug. 31.

● Players who are not re-signed by Aug. 31 will become free agents. If the free agents do not sign with another team by Oct. 1 (maximum number of players signed through the free agency period is four including the franchise player), free agents will enter the 2014 player draft along with any player from the top 50 players based upon the 2012-13 PBA competition points list not on a team.

● Players who are eligible for the draft will have until Nov. 3 to declare themselves for the draft.

● The 2014 PBA League player draft will be held on Nov. 4, at the completion of the PBA World Series of Bowling V in Las Vegas.

● Draft order will be in reverse order to how teams finished in the 2013 PBA League points competition (No. 8 Pittsburgh will draft first followed by Philadelphia, Silver Lake, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Dallas, Motown and New York City).

● Trades will be allowed, subject to the PBA Commissioner’s approval, up to Nov. 17. Allowances also will be made for players who are injured and unable to participate.

● Teams have a base payment cap they must work within to build their squad.

“There will be a few changes to the program next season, but one thing that won’t change is the outcome,” said Weber, the PBA Hall of Famer who led the New York City WTT KingPins to the inaugural Elias Cup title. “I had the best team last year, and I’ll have the best team next season, too.

“The PBA League was great fun, a great experience,” he added. “I’m really looking forward to defending our title in 2014.”

PBA League competition in 2014 will feature head-to-head team competition featuring four singles matches, two alternate-ball doubles matches, a Baker trios match and a four-player Baker team match. In the round-robin team competition, every team will bowl each of the other teams.

● All preliminary round matches will take place Jan. 1-7 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, MI.
● Teams will earn points for each match to secure positions for the PBA League Playoffs which will be conducted as part of USBC Masters week, Feb. 22-23, at Brunswick Zone Carolier in North Brunswick, N.J.

● The Elias Cup finals will follow the live ESPN-televised finals of the PBA Tournament of Champions at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis on Sunday, April 6, and will air on Sunday, April 13.

PBA League television coverage on ESPN will feature selected matches to-be-determined during the singles/doubles/trios/team rounds. The first round airs live on ESPN, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014. The PBA's Xtra Frame online streaming video service will provide full coverage of all matches.

All players selected to participate in the 2014 PBA League will receive prize fund compensation based upon their position (1-5) on the team ($600,000 total in base pay) in addition to competing for shares of $300,000 in prize money. The winning team will earn a total of $130,000, the runner-up will earn $80,000, the third-place team $50,000 and the fourth-place team $40,000.

The player who accumulates the most points during the PBA League season will be awarded the Mark Roth PBA League Most Valuable Player Award, named after the revolutionary PBA Hall of Famer.

Looking ahead to the 2015 season, the PBA League may retain the same eight team names and owners or expand. The term “franchise player” will be eliminated; team members will be designated as 1-5 based upon their position in the draft. All teams will re-draft their entire rosters from a pool of 50 players that will be based on a rolling point system beginning with the 2013 World Series V and continuing through the 2014 Summer Swing. Any rostered PBA League player from 2014 who doesn’t make the top 50 also will be included in the draft pool.

Complete 2014 PBA League rules, base pay team cap information, 2013 team rosters, schedule and television details are posted at:http://www.pba.com/content/images/forms/2014%20PBA%20LEAGUE.pdf

"During the offseason, fans will be able to strategize along with the team managers in how they would construct a team," Clark said. "As players are secured with clubs or picked up through free agency, that news will be made public."

2013 Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions

The Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions (TOC) 48th edition returns to the city where the classic was born in 1962. 

The TOC, which represents the Tour’s elite because it requires a PBA Tour title to be eligible to compete, will be conducted March 26-31 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. 

The five-player, two-hour stepladder finals will be telecast live on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. ET on March 31.

PBA Tournament of Champions originated in Indianapolis in 1962: 51 years later, the TOC returns to the city where it began. Established to showcase those Tour players who were PBA Tour champions, the first event was conducted at Play Bowl and offered an “unheard of” $50,000 prize fund. 

Joe Joseph won the inaugural event with a two-game 480 pinfall total, followed by Billy Golembiewski, 416, and Hall of Famer Carmen Salvino third with 409 in the two-game elimination final. 

Joseph won a $15,000 first prize. Indianapolis has hosted all of PBA’s most prestigious events: The Tournament of Champions completes the “triple crown” for Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis as the home to PBA major championships. It hosted the U.S Open (2010, 1996, 1991, 1990) Denny’s PBA World Championship in (2008 and 2006) PBA Touring Players Championship (1992, 1993, 1994). 

Indianapolis also hosted the USBC Masters in the Indiana Convention Center (1974) in addition to the first Tournament of Champions. 

PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber’s last major title came in his memorable one-pin victory over Mike Fagan (215-214) for a record fifth PBA U.S. Open win in February 2012. Weber will be trying for his 10th major title which would put him in a tie with the late Earl Anthony for the most major titles won. 

Walter Ray Williams Jr. has accomplished nearly everything there is to accomplish in professional bowling except winning the Tournament of Champions. A TOC title would make the all-time titles leader (47) the third player in history to complete the PBA “Grand Slam” (titles in the Tournament of Champions, U.S. Open, PBA World Championship and USBC Masters). 

Mike Aulby and Norm Duke are the only players who have completed the Grand Slam.  

Reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash hopes to become only the second player to defend a TOC title. Rash defeated Ryan Ciminelli in the championship match in 2012, 239-205, to win his fifth career title and second major. Only Hall of Famer Jason Couch has successfully defended a TOC title with an unprecedented three consecutive titles in 1999, 2000 and 2002. 

Third major of 2012-13 season. There have been two different winners in the two previous majors this season. Parker Bohn III in the PBA World Championship and Jason Belmonte in the USBC Masters. (The U.S. Open will be conducted in Columbus, Ohio, in July). 

Kelly Kulick of Union, NJ, made sports history in 2010 by becoming the first woman ever to win a PBA Tour event. Kulick defeated top qualifier Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, 265-195, in the title match after defeating two-time PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi in the semifinal round, 227-223. Her best finish since her historic win has been seventh. 

Indianapolis natives Mike Aulby and George Branham III made their mark in Tournament of Champions history. In 1993, George Branham III – the first African-American to win a PBA Tour title – also became the first African-American to win a "major" title at the 29th TOC at Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio. After leading qualifying, Branham defeated third-seeded Parker Bohn III, 227-214. 

While not bowling this year, in 1995, PBA Hall of Famer Mike Aulby of Carmel, IN, won the Brunswick World Tournament of Champions at Harper College Fieldhouse in Palatine, IL, in front of 3,030 fans to complete the PBA’s Triple Crown (TOC, U.S. Open and PBA National/World Championship) as well as the Grand Slam (Triple Crown plus USBC Masters). Aulby defeated leading qualifier Bob Spaulding, 237-232, for the $60,000 first prize and a 20-foot Bayliner boat, motor and trailer package from Brunswick. 

14 Past TOC champions entered are Sean Rash (2012), Mika Koivuniemi (2011) Kelly Kulick (2010), Patrick Allen (2009), Chris Barnes (2006), Jason Couch (1999, 2000 and 2002), Mark Williams (1985 and 1988), Wayne Webb (1980), Norm Duke (1994), Bryan Goebel (1998), Michael Haugen Jr. (2008), Steve Jaros (2005), Tommy Jones (2007), and Pete Weber (1987). 

PBA Hall of Famers in TOC field include: Parker Bohn III, Norm Duke, Pete Weber, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Amleto Monacelli, Johnny Petraglia, Jason Couch, Wayne Webb, Mark Williams, Doug Kent and Danny Wiseman. 

Kent and Wiseman will be inducted during the 2013 PBA Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday night, March 30, at the Indianapolis Marriott North. 

Six countries are represented in the TOC field – Australia, Colombia, England, Finland, Venezuela and the U.S. 

PBA League Elias Cup finals to complete TOC week. The top four teams will determine the winner of the historic first season of the five-player team PBA League competition concludes TOC Week at Woodland Bowl. Teams will bowl a Baker format stepladder final round on Sunday, March 31 at 6 p.m. ET which will be aired on ESPN at Sunday, April 7 at 1 p.m. ET.

PBA League Hits The Lanes Again on Sunday

Tennis legend Billie Jean King’s New York City WTT KingPins will take a five-point lead into the PBA League Don Carter round which will be telecast on ESPN Sunday March 3 at 3 p.m. ET along with the championship match of the Don Carter Classic from Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, MI.

Sunday’s telecast will begin with the Clash eliminator round where 11 players will compete in a one-ball, low-man-out competition. Rounds continue until one survivor remains; his team then becomes the No. 4 team in the PBA League
stepladder final.

Teams will be represented in the Clash round on a weighted basis, based on their finishing positions in the qualifying round. The Dallas Strikers (the No. 4
qualifier) will have four players in the Clash field followed by L.A. X with
three, Pittsburgh Jack Rabbits with two, and Philadelphia Hitmen and Motown Muscle with one each.

The Clash round winner’s team will then bowl the opening Baker team match
against comedian Chris Hardwick’s Silver Lake Atom Splitters (Chris Barnes, Dom Barrett, Josh Blanchard, Stuart Williams and Nathan Bohr).

The match one winner advances to meet the KingPins (Pete Weber, Tommy Jones, Scott Norton, Jack Jurek and John Szczerbinski) in the semifinal.

The semifinal winner will challenge the qualifying leader BROOKLYN STyLES (Sean Rash, Ryan Ciminelli, Ryan Shafer, Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Jason Sterner) owned by actor Jesse Williams.

The Don Carter Classic is named after the bowling legend who earned six Player of the Year titles, was voted the greatest bowler of all time in 1970 and was voted the 11th greatest PBA player of all time in 2009.

In third PBA League round, the Motown Muscle (Mike Fagan, Tom Smallwood, Mike Scroggins, Ronnie Russell and Jesse Buss) owned by former Pittsburg Steelers star running back Jerome Bettis, defeated the KingPins in the final match to edge within five points of the KingPins in the overall League point standings.

After three rounds of PBAL competition, the KingPins lead the race to the Elias
Cup finals with 32 points, followed by Motown Muscle, 27; BROOKLyN STyLES, 25; Philadelphia Hitmen, 17; Dallas Strikers, 16; Silver Lake Atom Splitters, 13; L.A. X, 11 and the Pittsburgh Jack Rabbits, 4.

The fifth and final PBA League qualifying round will air on ESPN on March 24.
The top four teams will advance to the Elias Cup finals (named in honor of PBA founder Eddie Elias) which will be contested at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis on
March 31 and telecast on Sunday, April 7 at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Concluding Sunday’s telecast will be the Don Carter Classic championship match between top qualifier and seven-time Tour titlist Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, vs. Jason Sterner of McDonough, GA. Sterner, who made his television debut during the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling in November (where he finished fourth in the Bowlers Journal Scorpion Championship), is looking for his first Tour title.

 

Rhino Page Goes First in the PBA League Draft

Left-hander Rhino Page of Dade City, FL, the Professional Bowlers Association’s 2008-09 Rookie of Year, was the top selection in the inaugural PBA League Draft held Friday at South Point Bowling Center, in Las Vegas. The historic PBA League, consisting of eight five-player teams of PBA stars, will make its debut Jan. 19-27 at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, MI.

Page, a three-time PBA Tour titlist and a finalist in the 2012 PBA World Championship, was selected by PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke, one of the eight Franchise Players who will head the PBAL teams. The Franchise Players were the top players in competition points during the 2011-12 PBA Tour season. Duke won the first pick in a PBA Draft Lottery held earlier during the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling.

“I’m really happy,” Duke said. “I had been studying the list even before I got to Las Vegas, and I got everyone I wanted. You have to realize after I picked Rhino, I wasn’t going to have access to some of the other high-profile guys, but I got five bulldogs and I’m elated.”

The draft was conducted in a serpentine fashion, whereby once the eight players selected their first picks, the draft order was reversed for each subsequent round. For example, Finland’s Osku Palermaa, who picked eighth in the first round, then picked first in the second round. Each team consists of five players plus a supplemental pick who will only enter the competition if a roster player is unable to perform.

PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann., MO, drafted second, and his first pick was 13-time PBA Tour titlist Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC.

“My first pick wasn’t going to be anyone else,” Weber said, “and after that, Tommy and I together talked over the guys we wanted to pick. Our sleeper is (former Wichita State University star John) Szczerbinski (of North Tonawanda, NY), but he’ll be all right. I’m just looking forward to seeing my team on TV.”

Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, PA, picked third.

“I’m very happy,” O’Neill said. “There were a few guys I had high on my list who I didn’t think would be there, but there they were.”

Australia’s Jason Belmonte was No. 4 in the draft order.

“I have a really well-balanced team. Everyone has TV experience, everyone has big-time tournament experience,” he said. “Walking into (Thunderbowl), I know everyone is going to be prepared. I’m really happy with my third pick, Parker Bohn III. He’s a proven champion. He’s going to give 110 percent, and I know he has something to prove.”

Mike Fagan of Dallas followed Belmonte.

“I feel really good about our team. We don’t have any weak links,” Fagan said. “I wasn’t too concerned about having one superstar; I was looking more at the composite of our group.”

Reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash of Suburban Chicago (Montgomery, IL), also was pleased.

“I got one of the best lefties on tour (Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, NY) Ryan Shafer is a proven champion. I got the greatest player of all-time (47-time PBA Tour champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL) I looked into who has bowled well currently and at Thunderbowl (in 2009) and team chemistry as well.”

No. 7 Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, said, “I feel great about my team. Everyone I drafted was in the top 25 in points last year. They all have the ability to play straight or hook the ball. With the exception of me, they’re all young. They are all team players. I didn’t think (first pick) Dom (Barrett of England) would get to me, and I certainly didn’t think (fellow Englishman) Stu (Williams) would still be on the board. I have no complaints.”

Palermaa, who has extensive international experience, picked Sweden’s Martin Larsen and Canada’s Dan MacLelland with his back-to-back picks. “The best guys were going to go first, but I’ve got a versatile team. That’s what you have to go for.”

The inaugural PBA League will introduce its unique professional bowling league concept, including celebrity owners, during the Detroit Winter Swing Jan. 19-27 at Thunderbowl, concluding the week with five ESPN television shows including a live telecast of PBA League Round 1 on Sunday, Jan. 27. Subsequent shows will be taped to air on Feb. 10, Feb. 17, March 3 and March 24.

The team championship will be decided during the PBA League Elias Cup Finals, honoring PBA founder Eddie Elias, at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis on Sunday, March 31 (airing Sunday, April 7 on ESPN).

During the first four days in Detroit, the PBA will conduct a series of open-field tournaments (the Carmen Salvino Classic, Mark Roth Classic, Don Carter Classic and Earl Anthony Players Championship). Those four events will award individual PBA Tour titles and the qualifying scores posted by each PBAL team member will be combined to produce the team qualifying scores for the ESPN telecasts. All PBAL matches on ESPN will be Baker Format matches where each team member will bowl two frames in each game.

PBA LEAGUE TEAM LINEUPS

South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Friday

NORM DUKE, CLERMONT, FL.

Dallas Strikers (celebrity owner Terrell Owens)

2, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla.

3, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela.

4, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore.

5, Mike Machuga, Erie, Pa.

Supplemental pick: Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind.

PETE WEBER, ST. ANN, MO.

Team name, celebrity owner to be announced

2, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C.

3, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif.

4, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y.

5, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y.

Supplemental pick: Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y.

BILL O’NEILL, LANGHORNE, PA.

Phillie Hitmen (celebrity owner Kevin Hart)

2, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland.

3, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio.

4, Mike DeVaney, Hemet, Calif.

5, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C.

Supplemental pick: Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas.

JASON BELMONTE, AUSTRALIA

Team name to be announced (celebrity owner Chris Paul)

2, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas.

3, Andres Gomez, Colombia.

4, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J.

5, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev.

Supplemental pick: Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela.

MIKE FAGAN, DALLAS

Motor City Muscle (celebrity owner Jerome Bettis)

2, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich.

3, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas.

4, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind.

5, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill.

Supplemental pick: Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J.

SEAN RASH, MONTGOMERY, IL.

Team name, celebrity owner to be announced

2, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y.

3, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y.

4, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla.

5, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga.

Supplemental pick: Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa.

CHRIS BARNES, DOUBLE OAK, TX.

Team name, celebrity owner to be announced

2, Dom Barrett, England.

3, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz.

4, Stuart Williams, England.

5, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan.

Supplemental pick: Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I.

OSKU PALERMAA, FINLAND

Team name, celebrity owner to be announced

2, Martin Larsen, Sweden.

3, Dan MacLelland, Canada.

4, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla.

5, Thomas Larsen, Denmark

Supplemental pick: Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill.