The Washington times., 1934-04-02
HERO Of TILT
WITH conn.
ALL-STARS

This is the thirty.eighth OF the
"Duckpin makers" series, bio
0r1phical sketches of outstanding
duckpin figures. The nert In this
series wiH appear Thursday.
BY GINO SINH
"Georgie" Friend, deemed Wash
ington's greatest "open match"
bowler, will long be remembered
for two games he bowled against
the Connecticut Blue Ribbons the
first time they invaded the Capt.
tai five years ago.
With the Washington repreSen-
tative, Grand Palace, trailing
the invaders, George" (who was
attending the match as a specta-
tori was inserted in the lineup Tor
the last two games and his 129
and 156 proved the tonic that the
team needed to squirt to victory.
Tops Off Field Day
Those two games topped off a
field day for "Georgie."
During the course Of that day,
the Jewish star had vanquished
every Connecticut bowler several
times in "open" matches, includ-
ing Nick Tronsky, then just COM
ing to the fore. -.
Jack White was the "hot-shot"
Of the Nutmeggers then and Bill
Tato next best, but neither one
could score over George" that
day.
"TrOnSky was the easiest OF
the lot" "Georgie" recalls. But
now he is the best in the world"
Friend was so good in open
matches that he made other stars
quit bowling him. Then he would
bet any one who would care to
take him up that he would bowl
1875 or better. In those days 125
was a powerful score, but
George" seldom lost.
Rolls SIG Set
Shortly after the Connecticut
match, Friend piled up a SIG set
against an opponent in an "open"
match at the Coliseum, with
games of 1876, 164, and 146. It
was the second time a 800" set
had been rolled in the District in
any kind Of competition. Make
Rosenberg had rolled 500 in 1927.
Though he was great in "open"
matches, he wasn't giving way to
his rivals in regulation play. He
led the District League with a lit
average in 1925 (two points
higher than the previous
record average) and finished sec
ond the following year, losing out
by q few pins to Brad Mand!ey.
He was third in that loop IN 1873
and fifth in 1929.
Red" EIorgan and Friend won
the National Doubles champion
ship in 1929 with George" shoot
ing 400. Friend also captured the
Washington City Duckpin Asso-
citation singles in 1924 with a 41O,
the highest singles set in IA years.
Attended Central
George Gearson Friend was
born in Boston, Mass, on March
%, 1905, and was brought to
washington in 1910. He attended
Central High School but took no
part in sports there. In fact, no
sport interested him except bowl
ing.
He ran a meat market for a
while and is now carrying on a
book store, founded by his father.
He began bowling at IL years
Of age. He was selling papers at
the time, and used to stray into
the Palace to watch Harry Krauss,
Buck" Harley and the other big
shots of that day. He would roll a
game or so with them once in a
while. He was soon making the
big stars sit up and take notice.
Besides the District League, he
has bowled in the National Cap
ital, Athletic, Recreation and He
brew Interclub Leagues.
Second In Campbell
In 1880 he ended second to Max
Rosenberg in the Campbell Sweep
stakes and he was a member OF
the King Pin team which won the
city title in 1928.
On the 1927 W. C. D. A. ranking
list, Friend was placed third.
George" has not done any
bowling for the past three years,
but expects to stage a comeback
next year. He has picked up Is
pounds in weight
"T'H get rid Of about 30
pounds" George" states, "and
then look out for me. I'll show
these guys I'm still tough"