She dominated the odd, regional sport of duckpins for a quarter century. Her presence in a duckpin alley was said to have shaken the composure of her opponents. Barger was the biggest celebrity athlete in Baltimore until Johnny Unitas unseated her.
Duckpins is essentially miniature bowling.
The highest tournament game score ever recorded is 279. A campaign to make duckpins the Maryland official sport a few years ago. But state officials allowed jousting remain the state sport.