The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-12
REFORM IN BOWLING
Too Many Individual Prizes
Cause Dissatisfaction.
SEVERAL CHANGES SUGGESTED
Present Distribution of Prizes show
that Teams Fail 10 Receive Proper
in the MOney-Chamber of Conn
meree Plans 81. Louis Trip.


BY "LENs COLLINS.
Strange as it may seem. the local bowl
ing game at the present time is under
going about the same experience which
is taking up SO much time of the leaders
in the baseball profession, the issue being
as 10 the ACCESSIBILITY of allowing prizes
for individual accomplishments. While
no incident has come up before the local
bOwlers which borders on the same lines
as that pulled off" at st. Louis during
the latter part of the baseball season, it
nevertheless remains a fact that the in
dividual prize list was one OF the princi-
pal causes of the split among the eity's
pin. knights
The prize list as made up in the ma
jority of leagues in this city, ia joke
Take any of the local organizations and
glance al their schedule books will
show that the individual prizes outnum-
Der those of the team by about three
to one While a league is supposed to
be a five-man event, it is pretty hard
to figure the dope from some OF the
prize lists where teamwork is rewarded
by only five or six prizes and the in
dividual prize list shows that IL is pos
stble for one man TO win close on to
forty prizes. When it is taken into con-
sideration that a league is made up of
teams Of five men, why not revise the
prize list so as TO show - per cent to
the teams and - per cent to the indi-
viduals? In this manner ii would slim
ulate interest in a bowler 10 roll with the
team always in mind. rather than some
weekly or monthly prize as his goal
good plan would be TO reverse the
weekly and monthly prizes from the in
dividual class 10 that of teams While
neither one of these prizes represents a
very large amount. a team stands
chance of winning enough during the
season TO make II worth while dividing
or TO = be used as they see fit.
This scheme of distributing the prizes
was brought 10 the attention Of a couple
of Washington's well-known bowlers, and
it met with their hearty approval
Put TO a test during the present
season in either the old or new Dis
triet leagues and the two leaders OF
their respective organizations would
have cleaned up about three-fourths of
the money, but place league In the
field next season, composed of six or
eight teams picked from both these or
carnations, and. see how it works
Maybe there wouldn't be some class TO a
league Of this kind? In the first place
both leagues have brought out men who
rank high in the game. but who are
shooting for the first time in a league
where each team has its own home al
leys. With these new men available. I'M
doubtedly the fastest six or eight club
circuit ever organized in the District
could be launched. and no doubt the
classiest bowling ever seen in the
National Capital would be the result
Another instance where the individual
prizes fail TO lend encouragement to the
amateurs of a league. can be illus
trated by the few number Of times that |
a man whose average has a tendency TO
stick around the 40 mark. cops weekly |
or monthly prize Yet these same men. |
who, on an average of about twice a sea-
son throw in about 245 in one of their |
games, and finish up with a set of about !
$50, are the ones who contribute the |
lucre to the crack who comes along. piles |
up 90. and finishes with close on to 6i9 /
There are exceptions to every rule and /
you will ind where one of |
the low average men cops the weekly |
prize, but seldom. indeed, do you ever
see where one Of them has the best |
monthly average. Looks like a case of |
the average bowler paying for the privi- |
lege of rolling with the cracks.
A meeting was held at the Saengerbund |
yesterday afternoon by the members of |
the Chamber of Commerce team relative |
to their trip 10 81. Louis next February. |
and Manager Hammer was instructed TO |
inform Secretary Grant that the team
would be composed of Jimmy" Cooper, |
George Garrett, Lew Collins, Bert |
DeyO. Dick" Barber. and George Ham |
ner, so that arrange ments may be made |
accordingly. It was also decided to send |
the entrance fee 10 Secretary Langtry |
just as soon as the entry blanks were re- |
ceived. with the request for dates during |
the latter part of the tourney.
A movement IS nov on foot to have six
or possibly eight teams from the Wash |
ington Saengerbund League compete in |
the coming City Association tournament |
The Germans have taken to the PROPOSE |