J.R. Schmidt earned a PhD in history from the University of Chicago and is a regular on-air contributor on Chicago's public radio station WBEZ.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

A (Very) Short History of Bowling

Mort the Moose

Long John Koster

El Zunko

Magnificent Marino

The Perfect Game

Eddie Kawolics and Me

The Old Sarge

Uncanonized Saint

An Interview with Jimmy Blouin

The Prince of Bowlers

Professor Krumske

The Legend of Junie McMahon

Seven Days to 300

The Flying Falstaffs

Bowling's Cinéma Vérité

That's Shaul, Folks!

Nobody's Buddy

Things I Learned While Looking Up Other Things

Belle of the Ball

The Joker Is Wild

The Patriotic Bowling Tournament

The Greatest Team Match

Bowling's Landmark Tour

Don Carter: An Appreciation

A Dream in Detroit

The Original Perfect Man

One Soldier's Story

Famous Nicknames

The Infamous 5-7-10

Fabulous ­Faetz-Niesen

How Jimmy Smith Became Champ

The Big Three Bowlers Tour

Where Have You Gone, Morrie Oppenheim?

How We Learned to Love the 10-Pin

Weighty Bowlers

More Things I Learned While Looking Up Other Things

The First ABC Tournament

Joe Norris, R.I.P.

Style and Substance

Brunswick or AMF?

Billy G.

Jerry Lewis Goes Bowling

Church Alleys

The Stuff of Dreamer

Beware the Count!

The Buds Shoot 3858

Gibby's Big Jackpot

Bowling's Defining Moment

Time for a Bowling Postage Stamp?

I Remember Billy Welu

The First National Tournament

Strange Inventions

Dick Weber, R.I.P.

Candy Mac

The ­Baseball-Bowling Connection

The Buzzer

Unusual Injuries

The Quiet Man

Pioneer Don Scott

The Hitchhikers

The Greatest Action Match

The Fred Wolf Story

Big Steve

Johnny Small's Magic Ball

Two Secure Records

Movie Star Bowler

A Christmas Story

Who Was Ned Day?

Ed Lubanski's Double 300

Andy Varipapa Stories

Earl Breaks Through

The Petersen Classic Turns 100

All Hail, Lady L!

The Bowling Ball That Went Around the World

Even More Things I Learned While Looking Up Other Things

In Search of Johnny King

A Different Path

Uncle Joe

Bowler's Symphony

Chief Halftown

The Schalk Team Tournament

Billy Hardwick, R.I.P.

The Longest Longshots

The Man in the Picture

Allie and Orf and Allison and Some Others

The National Bowling League

Billy Durant's Bowling Fling

The Shanghai Bowling Congress

The Pleasure of His Company

Undefeated Champion

Index