Mark Roth and Johnny Petraglia Jr.
Roth, originally from Brooklyn,
N.Y., attacked the Tour with a cranking, hard-throwing style which created a
generation of imitators now prevalent throughout the sport. Never one to rest on
his laurels, Roth not only surpassed the great Earl Anthony's all-time PBA
earnings record on the 1987 Fall Tour, but also added his 33rd PBA title in the
Greater Buffalo Open and won the No. 1 PBA invitational in Toronto. Roth won PBA
Player of the Year honors in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1984. He led the Tour in
average in six different seasons, including a then-record 221.699 in '79.
Another of his records is the eight titles he won in 1978, which he followed
with seven titles in 1979. Is one of three players to earn both PBA and PBA50
Player of the Year honors. Finished his career with 34 Tour titles and
$1,619,136 in earnings. He also owns two PBA50 Tour titles.
Petraglia, a Brooklyn, N.Y.,
native, claimed his first PBA championship in the 1966 Ft. Smith (Ark.) Open.
The lean lefthander had his career interrupted for a couple seasons when the
Armed Forces called and sent him touring Vietnam instead of the pro bowlers
circuit. He came back to fulfill his early promise and meet and surpass all of
the goals and aspirations he had for himself. One of the highlights of his
career was in 1971 when he finished the winter segment with three consecutive
titles, all earned from the top-seeded position, climaxed by the Firestone
Tournament of Champions triumph. Petraglia concluded that year with five titles
and more than $85,000, a record earnings figure for the time. Petraglia won the
1977 BPAA U.S. Won the 1980 PBA National Championship for his 14th title and one
that completed the cycle of major tournament victories. He was a long-time
member of the Tournament Committee, he served as President of the PBA in
1979-80. He has been involved in untold amounts of charitable functions and
efforts. Petraglia was the 25th person to be bestowed with the prestigious PBA
Hall of Fame ring. In 2012, became the first player in PBA history to win a PBA
Tour or PBA50 Tour in six different decades by capturing his eighth career PBA50
Tour title in the Dayton event.
Two of the greatest bowlers of our era stopped by Bowl-A-Roll Lanes as part of Brunswick's Radical workshop and ball demo.
