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Sunday, October 27, 2002

By Phil Axelrod, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Don Group Sr. is attempting to bring to life a dinosaur in the world of sports -- duckpin bowling. That's the almost extinct game using the lightweight ball without finger holes and squat pins with a rubber band around the neck. The frustrating one where you can roll the ball down the middle of the lane and wind up knocking down only two pins, leaving dreaded 2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10.

Group, the manager of six duckpin lanes at the Owls Club in South Park, is looking for men, women and children to form leagues this season.

"We have the alleys available," he said. "I'm trying to get the word out. I think they're out there but don't know about us."

There currently are two men's leagues that bowl every Thursday night.

"These guys don't miss a night," he said. "They've been coming every Thursday the past three years."

The lanes are quiet the rest of the time because there is no walk-up bowling. The guys in the two leagues range in age from 30 to 60.

"I don't think the kids even know about duckpins," said Group, 65, who started to manage the lanes about three months ago.

The alleys were rejuvenated three years ago after a decade of inactivity. The automatic pin-setters didn't work, so teenagers from the area were hired as pin boys.

When Group took over, one of his first jobs was to buy some new pins. Easier said than done. Those stubby pins are hard to find. He didn't want the all-wood, slender candlestick duckpins that are so popular up and down the East Coast.

Group surfed the internet and found a place that sold rubber band duck pins -- Quebec, Ontario. They cost $22.50 each and $7.90 more for the rubber band.

"They really are nice pins," said Group, who was forced to quit bowling after he tore cartilage in his knee 10 years ago. "I remember when it was big. We used to bowl ducks all the time at Caste Village. Now you can't find a place with duckpins."

Duckpin bowling has a long and glorious history with the Owls Club, which opened in 1927. There's a plaque hanging on the wall with the scoresheet from a game immortalized in the Guiness Book of Records. The D. Carapellucci team representing a local construction company put together the highest single-game sanctioned score in duckpin history in 1971.

The five-man team had a score of 1,284, led by Al Kravitz' 278. Jim Vicklefs had a 267, followed by Dick Lew's 266, Augie Calderone's 256 and Barry Bruni's 217.

"The top scores in our leagues are around 150," Group said. "We've had some games over 200."

Group hesitated, then added, "There just aren't enough duckpin bowlers anymore."

Traveling along

Playmor's Chuck Becker (279) and John Buckoske (278) and Sheffield's Ron Franceski's (973 four-game series) were the highlights at Sheffield Lanes in Aliquippa in the second match of the Pgh. Area Scratch Travel League. They will bowl at Playmor Lanes next Sunday, starting at 9:30 a.m.

Franceski's 243.3 and Greg Nesbit's 226 are the top season averages and Sheffield Lanes is in first place, followed by Pines Plaza Lanes.

The tournament trail

Dave Blaskovich (Colliers, W.Va.) defeated Don Harris Jr. (Wellsburgh, W.Va.) in the final match, 230-222, to capture the Head-to-Head tournament at All-American Lanes in Steubenville. Blaskovich averaged 211.

Jim Cole defeated Jeff Martin in the final match, 266-233, to win Week No. 3 of the Miller Lite Head-to-Head tournament at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes. Tonight's event starts at 8:15. Entry fee is $22.

Dave Mitchell picked up $1,000 with a first-place finish in a scratch open tournament at Neville Island's Corpen Lanes, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Bowlers Tour. His 428 total in the two-game rolloff was 22 pins higher than runner-up Joe Bailey.

On a roll

Bob Warnock put together games of 269, 248 and 259 for a 776 to lead the way in the Coors Light Players League at AMF Noble Manor Lanes.

Frank Gallagher's 299/764 and Dave Berman's 268/754 topped the Bud Lite $12,000 Classic League at South Hills Bowl.

What's happening

The Pittsburgh Bowlers Tour is sponsoring a scratch open tournament today at Holiday Lanes in Altoona, with $1,000 for first place. The entry fee is $29.