Earl Anthony

 

 

Earl Roderick Anthony (April 27, 1938 – August 14, 2001) was a left-handed American professional bowler who amassed records of 41 titles and six bowler of the year awards on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour. His title count was amended to 43 in 2008, when the PBA chose to include ABC Masters titles earned by a PBA member as PBA Tour titles. He is widely credited (along with Dick Weber) for having increased bowling's popularity in the United States. 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). His ten professional major titles—six PBA National Championships, two Firestone Tournament of Champions titles, and two ABC Masters (now USBC Masters) titles—are tied with Pete Weber for the most by any bowler.

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.

PBA CAREER:

Anthony's first of his 43 PBA titles came on June 7, 1970 by defeating Allie Clarke at the Heidelberg Open in Seattle, Washington. His final PBA title was a major — the 1983 Toledo Trust PBA National Championship. Six of his titles were achieved by a pair of improbable "three-peats" in the PBA National Championship, the first three from 1973–75 and the other three from 1981-83.

After a nine-month layoff, he came out of retirement and won his second ABC Masters tournament in 1984, which at the time was not part of the PBA tour. Anthony had also won the Masters in 1977. The PBA later added ABC Masters titles as PBA titles, giving Anthony at least one PBA title in 15 consecutive seasons (1970–84). He joined the Senior Tour in 1988 and accumulated another seven titles there.

By 1988 Anthony had 25 career 300 games. Sadly, not one was on television; he did, however, bowl a 299 game by leaving a solid 9-pin on the last shot, although he didn't drop to the floor like Don Johnson.

After retiring, Anthony moved to the broadcast booth as a color commentator and operated a bowling center in Dublin, California.

PERSONAL LIFE:

Anthony was born in Tacoma, Washington. He was a minor league baseball pitcher with the Baltimore Orioles organization before his days as a professional bowler. He was also an excellent golfer, achieving a near-scratch handicap at the age of 60. He once set the course record at Crow Canyon Country Club in Danville, California with a scratch score of 64.

He was married to Susie Anthony; and had a son, Mike, and two daughters, Tracy Nelson and Jeri Voyles.[10]

Earl Anthony died in 2001, succumbing to head injuries suffered after falling down a flight of stairs at his friend Ed Baur's home in New Berlin, Wisconsin. He was 63 years old.

The "Earl Anthony Memorial Scholarship Fund" was established through funding by the ABC Championship Tournament, in order to provide scholarships to young bowlers. It is now administrated by the Bowling Foundation.

In January 2002, the PBA began the year with a tournament named after Anthony, "The Earl Anthony Memorial Classic." It was first held at TechCity Bowl in Kirkland, Washington. It was won by left-handed pro bowler Parker Bohn III, who beat Patrick Healey, Jr. in the final match 235 to 215. It later moved to Medford, Oregon and re-titled as "The Earl Anthony Medford Classic." In 2010 and 2011, the event took place in Dublin, California and was titled, 'The Earl Anthony Memorial'.

LEGACY:

Anthony was voted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 1981 and the ABC Hall of Fame in 1986. In 2000 he was voted "Master of the Millennium" by a wide margin in a nationwide vote conducted by Bowling Magazine. In a Sports Illustrated Magazine national vote he was named the 2nd Greatest Athlete in the history of the state of Washington (behind only former NBA star John Stockton).

The late bowling legend Dick Weber dubbed Anthony "the greatest speed-control bowler ever." When Anthony won the 1978Tournament of Champions to become the first bowler to ever reach 30 titles, Weber was in the broadcast booth and proclaimed Anthony to be "the undisputed King of Bowling." Earl's record of 41 titles stood for 23 years before it was broken by Walter Ray Williams Jr. in 2006, though it increased to 43 in 2008 when the PBA started including ABC Masters titles if they were won by a PBA member.

In 2008, the PBA celebrated fifty years in existence by commissioning a panel of experts to rank the "50 Greatest Bowlers of the Last 50 Years." Anthony was ranked #1 on the list over Williams, despite the fact that Williams had broken many of Anthony's records. However, Williams himself said, "I feel Earl's record is better than mine because it was more condensed. Earl bowled 14 years and 400 or so events. I’ve bowled well over 600 by now, maybe 700." Williams also added, "When Earl Anthony retired, he didn't have anyone to push him. He probably would have kept going to 50 if that were the case. It's hard to say what would've happened then."

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION:

  • Six-time BWAA Bowler of the Year (1974–76 and 1981–83)
  • Six-time PBA Player of the Year (1974–76 and 1981–83)
  • Twelve-time First Team All-American (1972-83)
  • Five-time George Young High Average award winner (1973–75, 1980, 1983)
  • Established a record for most consecutive PBA seasons winning at least one tournament (15), which stood until 2008 when it was broken by Walter Ray Williams Jr.
  • Holds PBA record of 15 televised finals appearances in one season (1975, 1981)
  • Holds the PBA and Professional Bowling record with 10 major tournament titles
  • Inducted into PBA Hall of Fame, 1981
  • Inducted into ABC (now USBC) Hall of Fame, 1986
  • Voted "Bowler of the Millennium" in a 2000 poll conducted by Bowling Digest
  • Voted the greatest PBA player ever, when the PBA announced its "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years" list in the 2008-09 season.

Lived from 4/27/1938  --------------------------------------------------------------------- 8/14/2001 and live he did!

NOTE: Earl was know for his extraordinary ability to duplicate the same shot time and time again, earning the nickname 'The Machine'.  Hall of Fame Member Dick Weber said "His ball speed never changes."

Earl was winning so often they started tightening up the left side making it harder and harder to play, thinking the left side was too easy.  Rumblings were out there that they were trying to shut out all the left handed bowlers completely.  Earl was often the only lefty to make the top 5 with few others, if any making even the field of 24.  This all shows what a different class he was in and why many call him the best of all time.  When Earl came out of retirement he questioned the changes he might need to make with the new reason... equipment.  He found the equipment only enhanced what he had always done on the lane and no physical changes were ever made. 

He certainly was doing things the right way!

Jamie Coy says of Earl Anthony:

First and foremost, Earl Anthony had a great foundation to his game, from start to finish and always the same.  He had a great start and a great finish!  He put himself in perfect position at the line creating maximum leverage at the bottom of the swing, over and over again.  The same each time.  At first glance his upper body appears to be too far forward at the line in order to create this but his chest bone is actually right over his arch of his slide foot.  This allowed him to have great leverage that creates remarkable carry power.  This gave him maximum roll, with maximum consistency, allowing him to roll straight through his target line.  This gave him a very high carry percentage and widened his pocket to the pins.  Once he found a line to the pocket, he simply duplicated shots over and over again, taking the game 'off the sheet' like no other!  

Secondly, it is very apparent that Earl trusted his instincts like few ever have.  He spent very little time setting himself at the line, yet it was always the same preparation each and every time.  That was special to watch!  Please, take the time to view a video he put together to teach bowlers to grow their game.  It is extremely well done and you will learn even more about this great man and the game he mastered!"