Bowlers Journal International - November 2008 - (Page 39) ProBowling Results, Schedules and More That puts Chris Barnes in a good position, even if some suspect he would not have won the PBA’s top annual honor last season had the old voting system been in place. Barnes was able to parlay his Tour-leading nine championship round appearances and two titles to a point list victory. Norm Duke, who missed half of the tournaments due to injury, won both the PBA World Championship and the U.S. Open near the end of the season — something voters would have found difficult to ignore had there been voters. Still, there’s no denying Barnes had a great season. Barring retirement (Earl Anthony after 1983) or legislation affecting equipment (Don McCune after 1973), the best players of the previous season almost always have maintained an exceptional level of performance. It’s big news when they don’t. All of which suggests that 2008-09 could be a breakout season for Barnes — which certainly seems like an unusual observation to make about the reigning PBA Player of the Year. The PBA Player of the Year award was instituted in 1963, and until last season, its recipinet was determined by a vote of PBA members. Here’s a look at the bowlers who have received the award in consecutive seasons: Don Johnson — 1971 and 1972. Earl Anthony — 1974, 1975 and 1976. Mark Roth — 1977, 1978 and 1979. Earl Anthony — 1981, 1982 and 1983. Amleto Monacelli — 1989 and 1990. Walter Ray Williams Jr. — 1996, 1997 and 1998. The Call That Changed Billy Hardwick’s Life Forever The last line of the official press release recapping Don Carter’s season-ending victory in the 1962 PBA National Championship reads: “ pro bowlers were wondering if the Big Guy could go on forever.” Carter had just wrapped up what he would later call, without question, his “greatest season.” He notched five victories, including the aforementioned National Championship, plus the World’s Invitational. When he wasn’t winning, he was close, finishing second four times, and third twice. Add five other fifth-place finishes, and it adds up to a staggering 16 top-five finishes. After a year like that, who would have predicted that he’d never win again? It wasn’t widely reported at the time, but Carter has since acknowledged developing a knee injury in 1963 that began affecting the finish of his shot. With his long, powerful slide comprised, the magical “Carter roll” didn’t materialize nearly as well. In all likelihood, there probably were other factors that contributed to his rather quick loss of invincibility. He was a bona-fide American sports celebrity who, by that time, was making big money off the lanes — with all the distractions and obligations that accompany that level of success. Upon further review, Carter didn’t totally disappear from the standings in 1963. He had five topfive finishes, including a second, while ranking ninth on the money list. But his old form never returned for any extended period of time. Billy Hardwick’s sudden fall from superstardom after his most brilliant season must seem even more puzzling. He was not yet 30 years old, had set a single-season PBA record with seven titles, including the 1969 All-Star, and easily could have won more that season. In fact, in one-six tournament stretch during the Summer Tour, Hardwick bowled for the title five times, but came away with only two victories. Looking back, Hardwick can point to the exact instant his career hit the skids. While at the ’69 Japan Cup in October, he received a call informing him that his infant son had died. It proved to be the first of several personal setbacks, which explains why there were times during his career when he seemed virtually unbeatable, and other stretches when he’d be lucky to cash. He slipped to 22nd on the money list in 1970, then out of the top 50 for a few years. “Some of my friends on Tour helped me regroup enough to get the seventh title that fall and surpass Steffy’s (Jim Stefanich) record,” recalls Hardwick. “After that, I just shut it down mentally. I didn’t care anymore. Nothing mattered. I only bowled because I had signed a big contract with a ball manufacturer and they were paying me.” It wasn’t until 1976 that Hardwick formally sought psychological help. Regaining the same determination he displayed at the start of his career, the right-hander made a couple of telecasts, then locked in for two consecutive weeks at the close of the Winter Tour, winning a title in Toledo and finishing second at the Tournament of Champions after earning the top seed. “After that, I hung around and bowled decent for a while, but my game really didn’t keep up with the times,” he says. When Hardwick retired, in 1979, it was for good. www.bowlersjournal.com November 2008 | Bowlers Journal International 39 http://www.bowlersjournal.com
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