Perfection Strikes Again

By Lawrence Lang

Game One 300 Perfection again ( 2nd on Friday Night League and #14 overall)
Well, now for the folks who are starting to read my league recaps, back on 09/01/23, I bowled 300 in game one and the fourth game of the season, the second quickest I’ve done to start the league. The only other time I’ve done it quicker was back in 2018 when I shot it in game two of the first week of the season. Nonetheless, it’s still a great feeling to get another 300 under the belt, considering in the month of October, I flirted many times with games of 287,280,279,275. So, packing 12 shots in the pocket and below, you will see the 12th of the game. It’s sweet to have family there as well to see me shoot 300. My mother has seen all my honor scores in bowling except one 300, and she was pulling into the parking lot of the alley while I was shooting it. My uncle Wayne (nonblood-related uncle) was also there, and he said he wasn’t leaving till I didn’t strike in the game. #14 came quicker than expected because I always feel another 300 games will not come for months after the last one, but as my uncle David would say, when you’re a lefty in bowling, all you have to do is JUST BREATHE.

Last shot of 300 #14

Game one ball of choice pin down DV8 Damn Good Verge Pearl.

Game Two 248 is a Solid, Clean Game
Now, most people who shot 300 in the first or second games are still on cloud nine and have the adrenaline going through them. I’ve never had the adrenaline when shooting 300, and even after, I get ready for the next game and focus on that. After having the front four and front 16 overall, my favorite pin came back after I got fast with my feet and opened my shoulder the seven-pin, but hey, like I talked about on Wednesday league in the previous article, we followed through and made it. Now, when I came back to the same lane as the seven-pin, we got fast with our feet again and tugged the shot, but we covered the six spare, and with one more seven-pin and spare conversion on the same lane, we gave ourselves an excellent clean 248 game.

Game two balls of choice pin down DV8 Damn Good Verge Pearl.

Game Three 203 Old Habits Come Back
Now I, for one, when it comes to having over 500 for two, the last thing on my mind is the 800 series. If it happens, it happens. I am more focused on the team trying to win the game and to get total wood for the night, plus making my shots count when it is needed. Now, the four-seven-ten split conversion is a chef’s kiss because it was an unexpected conversion. I just wanted to get the four-seven to get the wood because two is four because I was on a strike. Now, with a ball change and a move, the fourth and eighth frames were on me. When you short arm on your seven pins, you know what happens. We have talked about it. You pay for it, and it’s on you, not the ball—the third time’s charm for game three. You leave the seven-pin, and you make it, and you celebrate and smile because when you miss them, you forget it and move on. That’s bowling spare shooting. Some days will not be perfect.

Game three, pin down DV8 Damn Good Verge Pearl frame one thru four. Rest of the game, pin up DV8 Damn Good Verge Pearl.

Series 751 Entering average 231.97 New average 231 (-0.97)

700’s and The 7 Pin Left Up.

By Lawrence Lang

Tuesday and Wednesday saw back-to-back solid nights of bowling league. Starting with Tuesday Night League, as learned from Monday Night League, playing left of the center dot on the approach was the mindset going into Tuesday. 

Game One 227 Solid Start

Now, playing four boards left of the center dot and up ten ( second arrow in on the left side of the lane) is interesting because it’s on you to keep your mechanics in check. After all, it’s on you when things go wrong. A pocket eight-pin to start the night could mean you are in for a long night. In this case, it was only sometimes in a situation like that, which means you have a little more area on the lane and little room for error. So a simple two-board move right made for a double. Then, back-to-back seven pins meant to move back to draw more energy for the bowling ball to get that seven out. Then, with another eight-pin in the sixth frame, it was time to make a ball change. With a ball change, remember you don’t have to stand in the same spot with the new ball. Make a move as well.

( I always need to adjust on the other lane when making a ball change; I’ve been trying to remember for 15 years). 

The seventh- frame saw success, and the eighth- frame forgot to move, so the six-pin is deserved. Then, with a strike in the ninth frame and the proper move in the 10th frame, Turkey came early as a treat for Halloween and a solid 227 to start. 

Game One ball of choice  DV8 Pin Up Damn Good Verge Pearl Frames one threw- sixth DV8 Pin Down Damn Good Verge Pearl seven-ten. 

Game Two 287 Almost Perfection 

With a pocket eight-pin to start, I thought this might be another bump-and-grind game, but sometimes all you have to do is take a deep breath and breathe ( words my uncle says all the time to lefties JUST BREATHE!!!). With another minor adjustment, pins flew all over the lane from frames two- 11, and even a few messengers helped take out pins. It’s always fun getting them since I don’t get them as much. With the fill ball in the tenth frame on, I got super fast with my feet and tugged the shot for the split, but since it’s the fill ball frame, I didn’t have to shoot at it over. Everything was in line that game, and it was always a great feeling to get that 280+ game. 

Game Two ball of choice  DV8 Pin Down Damn Good Verge Pearl

Game Three 212 The Grind 

Now, sometimes you have to grind a game out when you can’t carry at all, and that’s when you have to keep a strong mental game and keep it in check before everything goes down the drain and you ruin what you have to get a great series. Third frame: when you get fast with your feet, you pay for it. Seven-pin after and then short-arming it to miss it is on me. When you do that, you deserve to miss it. Open your shoulder for a six-ten is on me again. Make the correction on the next seven pin, follow through to make it, learn from the mistake, and be rewarded. Now pocket five-pin.

 Only note for this: the ball muscled it, and it could have been worse. The most important part was making it because when talking about this, I want to say something other than a missed five-pin cost me 700, even though we will talk about it if it occurs—a four-bagger to end the night for the 212 with one open. The important part is that the mental game stood firm in recent years. A missed seven-pin or any single pin open would have taken me out of my game, but that’s the power of bowling, keeping a solid mental game. When stuff like that occurs, you forget about it and move on to the next frame. 

Game Three ball of choice  DV8 Pin Down Damn Good Verge Pearl 

Series 726 Entering average 230.35 New Average 229.67 (-0.68)

Wednesday Night League 

Wednesday night brought the make sure you follow through when making your seven-pin spare.

Game One 212 Follow Thru.

Now, overall, this game was great. I only missed the pocket once, and that came after having the front five when suddenly, the ball I was throwing, the DV8 Brutal Collision, dove right through the headpin, and a four-seven was left. On the spare attempt, I stood the last dot on the right side of the center dot where I stood. I shoot for a seven-pin. That was the wrong spot for this spare. Usually, two boards left of that is where it should have been for this spare, and when you make a mistake like that, you pay for it, and I did. Then, with the seven spin after that in the next frame, like we did the night before, we short-armed it and missed back-to-back mistakes on me. After that, I made a ball change because I did not like the way my DV8 Brutal Collision was rolling, so DV8 Pin Down Damn Good Verge Pearl and a double to set up the tenth frame was good until another seven-pin and short arm shot cost having a great game to kick off league that night. I was a little frustrated because I was short-arming it back to back when it came to leaving the seven-pin, but I remembered “Just Breathe.” 

Game one ball of choice  DV8 Brutal Collision frame one-five and DV8 Pin Down Damn Good Verge Pearl eight-ten.

Game Two 268 Bounce Back. 

Hey, frame one another seven-pin and a tap on the head done by yourself. Remember, follow through, and make your seven-pin. Frames two through seven were all there, and some messenger pins helped get a 290 pace going. Then, a beautiful shot in the eighth frame led to a ten-pin that shouldn’t have been there, but there is no sense in complaining once you let go of the ball; what’s left on the deck is left on the deck. Just cover your spare and move on. The fill frame for the game was on me a little fast with my feet, and six-pin is deserved. Notes here: remember, if you are struggling to make a spare you’ve been missing lately, don’t think of the last one you missed. Focus on making the one in front of you. If you dwell on it, history will repeat itself, and you could miss it. 

Game two ball of choice DV8 Pin Down Damn Good Verge Pearl

Game Three 226 Almost cost Me a 700 

Now, in the first frame, you get fast with your feet, and you will pay for it. Remember, you’re not in a race to be the first one done bowling. Take your time. Sixth frame, hey, you followed through again when making your seven-pin. Eighth frame, what didn’t I do? Follow through, and it could have been a big time cost, but we take a deep breath, relax, and forget about it. To end the night with 700 already locked up, sometimes the higher-ups make you go through one more test before the night is over with one more seven-pin left. “LAWRENCE FOLLOW THROUGH THE SHOT AND MAKE THE (BAD WORD) SEVEN-PIN!!!”. Remember, people, you’re not going to make all your spares, but you can come near close when you repeat the shot and make sure you follow through at the attempt. If you don’t, you have more room for error. If you don’t short-arm it shorting arming, it will have you doing the arm dance for it to move. 

Game three ball of choice DV8 Pin Down Damn Good Verge Pearl

Series 706 Entering average 222.04 New Average 222.21 (+0.16)

German Showdown

By Mike Rifkin

Two AFC powerhouses meet Sunday in Germany as the Miami Dolphins will play the Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams sit with a 6-2 record and are atop their respective divisions. Both teams are coming off divisional games, as the Dolphins defeated the Patriots and the Chiefs lost to the Broncos (yes, the same Broncos the Dolphins put 70 on) for the first time in the Mahomes era. This will also mark the first time Tyreek Hill plays against his former team. 

The Dolphins and Chiefs rank in the top five in the following categories: Yards per game, passing yards, and sacks. Tua Tagovailoa and Patrick Mahomes are in the top three in passing yards and touchdowns. Both quarterbacks have been near the top of the MVP conversation this season. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, along with Eagles’ AJ Brown, are in the Offensive Player of the Year conversation. 

The Dolphins and Chiefs will play each other for the first time since 2020, a game the Chiefs won 33-27. Patrick Mahomes was 24-34 for 393 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Tyreek Hill had 111 total yards and two touchdowns ( 1 rushing, one receiving). Travis Kelce had eight catches for 136 yards and a touchdown. Tua Tagovailoa was 28-48 for 316 yards, three touchdowns ( 2 passes and one rush), and an interception. To show where the Dolphins were in 2020, the leading receiver in that game was Lynn Bowden Jr., who had seven catches for 82 yards.

Last week against the Patriots, the Dolphins stars came to play. Tua threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns, Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill both went over 100 receiving yards. They had a touchdown, and significant offseason addition Jalen Ramsey made his season debut and had an interception. The Chiefs are coming off a 24-9 loss at the Broncos. Mahomes threw for 241 yards and two interceptions. Travis Kelve had six catches for 58 yards. The Chiefs, as a team, had five turnovers. 

Dolphins’ keys to the game 

  1. Make someone not named Travis Kelce beat you. The Chiefs receivers have struggled mightily. If I were Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio, I might have Jalen Ramsey or Xavien Howard shadow Kelce and dare someone else to beat me.
  2. Continue to Waddle- Steve Spagnuolo will put L’Jarius Sneed on Tyreek Hill, so if the Dolphins establish Jaylen Waddle early, it could free up Tyreek Hill.
  3. Contain Chris Jones. He is in the conversation for the best Defensive Tackle in the league today. The Dolphins cannot let him wreck the game. 

The Dolphins can erase a lot of narratives about themselves on Sunday, from people criticizing who they beat ( which is a dumb narrative because, unlike College in the NFL, you don’t make the schedule). With a win on Sunday, the Dolphins could enter their bye week as the top seed in the AFC, but they need to beat the reigning champs first. 

Confusing

By: Mike Rifkin

Tuesday was not only Halloween but also the NFL Trade deadline. The deadline was more active than usual. Four teams were deemed “sellers” that I wished had done more. 

Let’s start with the Chicago Bears, who did make a trade today. The Bears acquired Defensive End Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick. Montez Sweat so far has 6.5 sacks this season, which is the same amount the Bears defensive line has a whole so far. Right now, that second-round pick going to Washington is 35th overall, another first-round pick, and Montez Sweat is an impending free agent. So if Sweat doesn’t like it in Chicago and doesn’t re-sign with the Bears, you gave up a free draft pick for meaningless Sweat games. Now, the Bears will have the most cap space in the NFL this offseason at about 110 million dollars. But the Bears have other questions: Is Justin Fields the long-term answer at quarterback? Is Matt Eberflus the head coach? Those are the two most important questions. Jaylon Johnson, an impending free agent, requested a trade, but the Bears pulled him off the market late in the day. But why would you take him off the market and risk losing him for nothing? So my thing on why the Bears had a confusing day was why they were more of a buyer than a seller here. Not just Johnson, but Yannick Ngakoue could have been moved somewhere for even a day three pick.

I can’t mention the Bears without mentioning their long-time rival, the Green Bay Packers. The Packers traded corner Rasul Douglas to the Bills in exchange for a third-round pick in 2024. But the trajectory of the Packers changed when they moved on from Aaron Rodgers in the offseason. Now, I could be wrong, and Jordan Love could be fantastic, but right now, after Rodgers’ departure, I wish they would have said you know what? We’ve had two elite quarterbacks for over 30 years; it might be time to reset this. Right now, I don’t know what the Packers are, and if they had moved Running Back AJ Dillon or someone, they could have gotten some picks out of it. 

The Tennessee Titans made a move last week when they traded Safety Kevin Byard to the Eagles. There was a heavy rumor that star Running Back Derrick Henry could be had for the right price. There was a rumor the Ravens and Titans had a Henry deal until ownership stopped the deal. I also wish they had moved receiver Deandre Hopkins, although I’m still shocked he signed there. But here’s my thinking: Will Levis was phenomenal on Sunday, but I hope they don’t go all in after one start. But the rest of the season presents Levis an opportunity to be the Titans quarterback of the future. Mike Vrabel got a lot out of a team that has never led the world in talent. 

The final team that had me puzzled at the trade deadline was the Denver Broncos. Now, I never thought they’d trade Pat Surtain, but I felt Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy should have been moved. Some teams could’ve bought them for the future. We’re another year into this Russell Wilson deal, and even under Sean Payton, it hasn’t been great. So Denver’s a team that is going for it, but they’re not on the level of the elite of the AFC. But I do wonder what they do this offseason.

Now, these four teams did confuse me at the deadline, but I am curious how they approach the offseason and draft. 

TIME TO CLIP THE EAGLES WINGS

By Mark Halpern

    When you speak of rivalries in sports, you know certain matchups are always played more competitively than some other games during the season. In sports, you have the Yankees/Red Sox, Lakers/Celtics, Bruins/Canadiens, and Cowboys/Eagles.

        No love is lost, as both teams must play flawless football to win this game. When the Cowboys faced off against the 49ers and had to leave slumped over their horses in shame, something happened. It was like what Admiral Yamamoto said on his Battleship (after Pearl Harbor), and Kyle Shanahan possibly said on the field: “All I fear we have done is awoken a sleeping giant.” Since the 49er game, Dallas is 2-0 with wins over the Chargers and, just recently, the Rams (AKA the city of Los Angeles), in which the defense stopped the passing attack fast.

      What was very important about shutting down Kupp and Nacua is it proves this secondary is elite (not that we didn’t know this before.) The Cowboys’ Defense has an even more enormous task than stopping the Rams’s wide receivers. Now, they have to do it again, but on a much more challenging level. Jalen Hurts has had a good season primarily because his two top wide receivers, A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, are better than Kupp and Nacua. Brown has had an outstanding year and has broken the record for the most consecutive games with 125 plus yards and a touchdown. Brown has the size and speed to beat you underneath or over the top. Smith is more like a slot receiver who can play the outside. It’s different from his size that does it. It’s his speed and route running that makes defenses have headaches trying to control him. Like last week, I expect Gilmore to be shadowing Brown most of the game and will have the same type of over-the-top help (a reason Kupp really couldn’t get going), and the defensive line has to bottle up D’Andre Swift, who has had a good year. The line will likely do its job in stopping the run, but the key will be getting pressure on Hurts. Hurts is talented with his legs, and his arm is also good. If you have watched his play over the past few weeks like I have, you have to notice that he, when he is under pressure, makes very careless mistakes, which is why Washington almost beat them twice. So, the defense needs to get pressure on hurts and force some great turnovers. Hurts is also dealing with some leg injury.

     The offense has to replicate the game they had against the Rams. Dak, besides the INT, was excellent, throwing 4 TDs, running the offense, and converting on third down. Time of Possession will be essential in this game, as both team’s Offensive and Defensive lines are good. The time either line gives Dak, or Hurts will be crucial. I expect the Eagles to blitz like they have been, but this offense is different. It’s the new age one. Dak has been much better this year with keeping the interceptions down and making more intelligent plays. Dak is getting everyone involved to ensure they are getting the right squad on the field. There has been a minor regression in the running game, not because anyone is hurt. It is because teams know if Pollard and company start running and moving the ball, the passing game will open wide up, and then Dallas owns you. 

      I don’t expect this to be a high-scoring event, but not a low one. If you love to watch a good battle, then watch the trench game between both team’s offensive and defensive lines. I look for the Cowboys to win and return them to the NFC East 24-20. 

Road Warriors 

By: Mike Rifkin

One of the most challenging things to do in any sport is to win on the road. On Monday night, the Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers each completed undefeated road trips. For the Ducks, this is the fifth time in franchise history that the team swept a road trip of at least four games; the last occurred in 2013. For the Rangers, it is the first time in franchise history that the team swept a five-game road trip. 

For the Ducks, they defeated the Blue Jackets, Bruins (last year’s President’s Trophy winner), Flyers, and Penguins. For a team that I didn’t have high expectations for, this is very impressive. On the road trip, Mason Mactavish had three goals (two on Monday against the Penguins) and seven points. Frank Vatrano had five goals, two of which were scored on the power play. Unfortunately for the Ducks, goaltender John Gibson left the game Monday night with an undisclosed injury. 

The Rangers swept a Western Canada trip beating the Kraken, Flames, Oilers, Canucks and Jets. Artemi Panarin scored four goals and had 10 points on the road trip. Adam Fox had six points over the last four games. Mika Zibanejad scored his first two goals of the season in the last two games, including the OT winner on Monday. Igor Shesterkin didn’t give up more than three goals in any game of the trip.

Two teams who had different expectations at the beginning of the season both just did something very impressive here early in the season.

Monday Night Grind

By Lawrence Lang

With it being the eve of Halloween, it was a tricky night at first for the league, but it ended as a treat. Sometimes, the ghosts inside the lanes play ticks on you to make you earn your scores. 

Game One 186, The Ghost came out. 

Now, I don’t think it was the Ghost’s fault that I bowled a 186 and had no carry the first game, but there may be something in the air at the bowling alley tonight that first game. Frames one through three were all in the pocket, and with moving one left after the first two and then back after the third one, a ball change was needed, and for one frame, it worked. The fourth seven-pin left in the fifth frame called for a move back and again sent a messenger pin to take the seven-pin out in the sixth frame. Then it happened again, another seven-pin in the seventh and eighth frames. Now, the seven-pin missed in the eighth frame was on me. I short-armed my spare Ball and missed it to the left, which is most common for me that’s on me. A little fast with the feet in the ninth frame for a three, six, nine left once again on me. The drastic move happened with a ten-board move left and playing straight up. 

Game one Balls of choice Hammer Raw Hammer Hybrid frames one threw four, then DV8 Pin Up Damn Good Verge Pearl. 

Game Two 280 A Sweet Treat.

Now, this was a fun one, considering this was only my fourth 280 game ever, and a few notes from this game would be that sometimes straighter is greater minus the only spare of the game in the second frame; every shot was there in the pocket along with a few breaks in the seventh frame where I spun the Ball down the lane instead of letting the Ball do the work and missing my mark in the ninth frame and getting away with it this was a fun 280 game and was a treat.  

Game two Ball of choice  DV8 Pin Up Damn Good Verge Pearl. 

Game Three 246 Like Getting a Full Size Candy Bar.   

Here again, there are no actual notes, which is sweet, but to explain why the only moves that happened were after seven pins, and that was moving back right cause the lane finally opened up where I was able to play the lane a little bit more and have some area for error. Now, going 280,290 would have been sweet because I did only do that once unless you count Wii Bowling. But having a chance for 269 would have been just as sweet. But, like getting a pack of raisins in your bag on Halloween, a seven-pin had to make one more appearance to spoil that. 

If anything, remember, a 186 doesn’t ruin your night on the lanes. It’s how you keep your mental game in check and not get frustrated when you are not striking. Sometimes, a drastic move and a deep breath are all needed to start something. 

Game Three Ball of Choice  DV8 Pin Up Damn Good Verge Pearl. 

Series 712 Entering Average 221.70 New Average 222.86 

COWBOYS DE-HORN THE RAMS

By Mark Halpern

   The Cowboys, from kickoff to the end of the game, gave their fans something to cheer about. Sunday at AT&T stadium.

    The Cowboys had a challenging task ahead of them, and that was how to contain Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Well, I said the big key was going to be Daron Bland vs Nacua, and he shut him down and also picked off Matt Stafford and took it for yet another pick-six for him this season. For once, the Cowboys have a problem that will make this secondary even better next year when Treyvon Diggs returns and that has three elite cornerbacks. The Defense was outstanding, and the Micah Parsons effect was felt all over the field, either shutting down routes or, as always, sacking the Quarterback. The Defense managed to stop Kupp and Nacua as they combined for seven catches and 64 yards. The Cowboys’ defense shut down the run game as well by holding them to 92 yards and owned this offense from the first offensive possession.

    I made a statement in my preview article, and it was “THROW THe DAMN BALL,” and that they did. The plan from the start was to show that this offense has fire, and Dak was the real deal. Dak didn’t have a great day. He had an impeccable day, going 25/31, 304 yards, and four touchdowns, along with one interception (on a dumb play, in my opinion). Dak hit three different receivers for touchdowns in Lamb (2), Cooks 1 and Ferguson 1. This was the first game where Cooks and Lamb scored a touchdown, and I said this game needed to take away the Ram’s dominance, which is stopping the run, and reverted to the pass, which worked. The offensive line was missing Tyron Smith again to injury, resulting in the Rams getting three sacks on Dak ( two by Aaron Donald); however, they weren’t coverage sacks. Otherwise, the line helped make this offense put up the most points this season. Cee Dee Lamb had his best day of the season by grabbing 12 receptions for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Brandin Cooks had three receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. This offense might have just figured it all out.

     This week, the Cowboys silenced the “NAYSAYERS” and showed they are not just a one-sided team, but they are a real threat in the NFC. Next week, expect to have more penalties than any game this year when the 5-2 Cowboys go and face the 6-1 Philadelphia Eagles. 

A Week Recap In League

By Lawrence Lang

What’s up, folks? Lawrence “Patch-Man” Here, bringing you a brand new blog series on the SIN website and something that I’m very passionate about, and that’s bowling. For some of you, if you don’t know, I have been bowling for 26 years ( 29 years old at the time of the article being written). In the 26 years, I have had 13 300 games and 10 800 series, the High being an 817 series. Also, at the National level at the USBC Open Championships, a 190 average, and if you are a bowler and bow nationals, a 190 average is impressive. The purpose of this blog series is to take you through my league knights and tournaments. I will see my games and the breakdown of them when I make adjustments, whether it is moving on the approach or making a ball change. You will get to see what a bowler does in the game. So, with that all said, let’s get into a week’s bowling recap. I Bowl four nights a week so strap in for this one after this you will get a league night recap from me along with a three positive game three bad game blog at the end of the week from my week in bowling. 

Monday Night League.

First game 228 

Now, my usual starting spot for when I start bowling is three boards left of the center dot on the approach, and when getting to the line, hit the second arrow on the left side of the lane since I’m a lefty. Now, the 3rd frame was on me with the ten-pin; I got a little fast with my feet, and the ball lost energy when it got in the pocket. The 7th frame is where it starts to get fun. A pocket 7-pin made me think it was either time to move back a little on the approach or make a two-board adjustment to the right and a one-board adjustment on the lane. In bowling, we call that a two-and-one adjustment. I adjusted to move back. It worked for a frame when back on the other lane, left a 5-pin. In the tenth frame, the plan was to make a ball change in the 12 frames cause I knew after the 5-pin, it was time, but a 7-pin again prevented that.

First game ball of choice Pin Up DV8 Damn Good Verge Pearl. 

Game 207: A Mental Game. 

Now, this was an exciting game for a few reasons. Once I made a ball change to a pin-down DV8 Damn Good Verge Pearl, and to me, it was the right move just had to make the proper adjustments on one lane. As you can see, the 2nd frame and 4th frame were pocket 8-pins, so that’s a sign to move right on the approach and not the lane that was the plan, and silly me, I forgot to do that, and that’s when the 4-6 happened in the 6th frame. So I regrouped for it on the 8th and packed ten for the strike. The 10th frame 7-pin was the sign to move on the lane a board and, as you can tell, strike to end the game.

2nd game ball of choice pin down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl.

Game 3 279 

Well, when it comes to a game like this, there are no notes because you are almost at perfection. If anything, the 7-pin left in the 4th frame was a great shot; it just didn’t have any carry. It’s your judgment to stay where you are, make a move, or make a ball change. I decided to stay with what I was rolling, which paid off. 

3rd game ball of choice is DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl.

Series 714 Entering average 216.93 New average 220.44 (+3.44)

Tuesday Night League 

Game one 225 was a great start and a bummer at the end. 

 Here is an excellent example of how one frame can ruin a great game. Now, the seven-pin and ten-pins in the 4th and 6th frames were good shots. Sometimes, you don’t get the carry-all shot till the tenth frame, wherein the pocket and with the possibility of starting 259 games, one is a great start to the night, but well, that didn’t happen. A pocket 6-8 split ruined that, and yes, I said pocket. Sometimes, that happens when you hit the pocket spits, and in this case, it’s probably the most left split I leave in bowling. But as I’ve learned over the years, you shake it off and move on to the next game. 

Game one ball of choice pin down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl.

Game 2 253, a bounce back with two mistakes 

 Now, here is where two mistakes cost possible perfection. The fourth and fifth frames were all on me. A 2-4 leave happened when I got too fast with my feet, and I tried to make myself do the work instead of the ball doing the work. The fifth frame is where I got fast again with my feet and opened my shoulder, and the ball had no chance of coming back for a 1,3,5,7 leave. For the rest of the game, after a deep breath, relax to forget the two previous frames back seven to end the game. 

Game two 253 balls of choice pin down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl

Game three 217 in the middle finish.

Now, here is where a bowler’s mind begins to overthink sometimes. Now, for one, I did make a ball change in the 5th frame. I decided to do both moves and make a ball change, and I paid for it. The ball change was needed after the seven-pin and ten-pin left in the first and third games, but a move wasn’t needed, and the 3,6,9 leave was deserved for me overthinking and talking about a different ball game and series, but that’s bowling. Sometimes, you overthink the little things, and it costs you.    

Game three balls of choice pin down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl frame one threw 3rd famous finish with pin-up DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pearl

Series 694 Entering Average 228.85 New Average 228.12 (-.53)

Wednesday Night League.

Game One 230 One Mistake Cost a Big Game.

Well, a 4,6,7,8,10 split and frustration cost me a big game. The shot wasn’t a bad one, but it made me adjust right away. The ball dove right through the headpin, and disaster struck. Instead of going for three like you should when you leave a split like that, out of frustration, I tried to make it, and I paid for it. I still made the adjustment after the frame, and the rest is history. The seven-pin in the 11th frame was in the pocket, but it was a flare seven, so the ball had no energy once it got there, so it was time to make a ball change. 

Game one Ball of choice Pin Up DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear

Game two 249 Adjustment is Key.  

Now, the ball change was an excellent move for me. A pocket eight pin to start made me know I had to move right two boards pocket seven pins, the fourth had to move back a little to get lined right back up, and the six pins in the sixth frame were on me for getting fast with my feet. It was a solid change that paid off for an incredible 249 games.

Game 2 Ball of Choice Pin Down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear

Game Three 258 Minor Moves Help Again 

Here again, minor moves pay off for a great game and series. A pocket eight-pin after the front five hurt a little because it was a great shot, but then again, it was a sign to move, and this time, off of the eight-pin, I moved back to draw more energy from the ball. With that, sometimes too much energy is wrong. A pocket ten pin in the eight frame makes you laugh because of how good of a shot it was, but you make your spare and move on. Other than that, there are no actual notes from this game; it was a great, solid night. 

Game 3 Ball of Choice Pin Down DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear

Series 737 Entering Average 218.45 New Average 220.33 (+1.88)

Friday Night League 

Game One 229: A Great Start 

Now, this was a great start to Friday night league. The seven pins in the first, third, and fifth frames came with adjustments after each one left a one-board adjustment right in the first and third frames, then moved back in the fifth frame. The seven-pin in the nine-frame came with a ball change to end on a high note. If anything, a ball change should have happened sooner in the third frame because of it not finishing on the one lane, but sometimes you don’t think to make it earlier, and that cost you extra pins, but no harm, no foul in this game, and it was a solid 229 clean game.

Game One Ball of Choice pin down  DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear first frame – the ninth frame, then pins up  DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear.

Game two 197 The Grind It Out Game. 

Well, it took 11 games into the week to finally have a grind-it-out game. After starting the first three frames with strikes, we were on pace for a big game. Well, that was not the case; back-to-back seven pins and a ten-pin after that called for a ball change. Then the ball changed into the wrong move because I was not letting the ball do the work as I was trying to make it do the work, and when you do that, it costs you, and a split in the ninth frame ended the chances of saving a poor middle part of the game and ending on a high note. The final ball change of the night came in fill ball fame in the tenth frame to try and find something for game three.

Game Two Ball of Choice Pin Up  DV8. Damn, Good Verge Pear frames one- three Pin Up DV8 Medusa frames four – eleven ended with DV8 Brutal Collusion in the 12th frame.

Game Three 217 End On A High Note.

Now, game three was a game where no matter what move you made, it didn’t go my way. A seven-pin and eight-pin back-to-back to start made me adjust to move back, and a pocket eight-pin in the fifth made me move back up. Then, after the move back up, a pocket seven pin made me move two boards right. To end it in the tenth frame, another pocket seven pin does give the cherry on top and a struggle game. The high note out of this game is keeping a positive attitude when leaving single pins on the deck. Also positive out of this night of bowling is making all single pin spares 12/12, and nine of those single pin spares were seven pins, so when it comes to that, that’s ending on a high note and staying positive when carry went away. 

Game three Ball of choice DV8 Brutal Collusion in the 12th frame.

Series 643 Entering Average 229.31 New Average 228.85 (-0.46)

End Of An Era?

By Mike Rifkin

On Monday night, the Texas Rangers defeated the Houston Astros 11-4 in Game seven of the ALCS. The Astros had been the AL Champs the last two seasons and have been in the ALCS every year since 2017. During this span, the Astros have been to four World Series, winning two. The last time we saw such a run of dominance in Baseball was in the 1990s when the Braves and Yankees coasted their way to the playoffs. The Yankees are the last team to repeat as World Series Champions (1998-2000). This Astros run over the last six years has done several things, including cementing the legacies of Dusty Baker and Justin Verlander. It could also be why Jose Altuve gets a plaque in Cooperstown one day. 

On Thursday, Manager Dusty Baker announced his retirement from managing. Baker, who took over after the 2017 sign-stealing scandal was revealed. All Baker did was restore the franchise from the off-field distraction to have them win three consecutive AL West titles and appear in three consecutive World Series. Baker ranks seventh all-time in wins, and the only thing that was missing on his resume was a World Series Championship, which he was able to obtain last season. My guess on who replaces Dusty would be his bench coach, Joe Espada, who has been the Bench coach since 2018. Espada has interviewed for several managerial openings but has yet to get the job. Now, if the Astros are looking for someone with experience, someone like Buck Showalter or Joe Maddon intrigues them. I lean toward Espada and would give him an experienced bench coach. 

2024 is the final year on the contracts of Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman, who are in the top ten in several categories, including WAR, runs scored, Home Runs, Doubles, total bases, and RBIs. Altuve has a regular season MVP, three Batting Titles, a Gold Glove, and a Silver Slugger on his mantle. Both guys have been significant factors in the Astros World Series championships. Altuve, 33, and Bregman, 29, are both represented by Scott Boras, and it will be interesting to see how the Astros handle both as both will also have their 34th and 30th birthdays during the season, which might be a factor in the negotiations. 2024 is also the final year of the contract for Justin Verlander, although there is a vesting option for 2025. The future Hall of Famer is at 257 wins, so depending on how many he gets next season, he’d come back and try for 300, and he could be the last guy to ever achieve that number even at 40 years old, he still was solid for the Astros after being re-acquired from the Mets. 

While those guys deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Astro icons Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Lance Berkman, etc… and will be honored like those guys. There are guys for the future as well. Yordan Alvarez, who signed a six-year 115 million dollar contract ( which right now looks like a robbery for the organization), is a guy who has hit 30-plus homers each of the last three seasons and is just 26 years old. Kyle Tucker, who struggled during the playoffs, is one of the most underrated players in Baseball. He drove over 100 runs for the second consecutive season and the third straight season of at least 90 RBI. He was also one homer away from his third straight 30-home-run season. But unlike Alvarez, Tucker is not signed long term yet and is arbitration eligible through 2025, as is stud pitcher Framber Valdez. The Astros pitching staff could be getting significant boosts next season with the returns of Lance McCullers Jr and Luis Garica, both of whom missed this season with injuries. Now, even if they don’t win spots in the rotation, they could help fill out the bullpen. 

After the trade deadline, MLB Pipeline has the Astros as the worst-ranked farm system in the sport with zero top 100 prospects. So here’s the question for Astros GM Dana Brown? How do I build for the future and keep this team as competitive as possible? Last Winter, they made a big-time move for first baseman Jose Abreu, who struggled most of the year but came alive in September and into the playoffs. So what they do this Winter might be something worth watching.

The Astros should remain competitive because it is in their DNA. But if they decide to head in the other direction based on the age of certain players, this run was very historic, and whether you like them or not, you have to respect them because we have not seen this kind of dominance in a long time, but is it the end of an era in Houston.