Meeting Rookie Todd Book & Bowling With The Pros

Every now and then we meet one of those real nice guys on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour and last weekend proved to be the case when we met and became mutual friends with Todd Book of Cantonment, Fla.
Todd joined the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) in April of 2006 and is a newcomer (rookie) enjoying his first season on the PBA tour.
This past week at AMF Thruway Lanes in Cheektowaga (near Buffalo) rookie Book (who was crossing (bowling with) PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber) knew he had to show up during Thursday's Round of 64 in the 2007 Etonic Championship.
Book did more than that....he blew away the field in the second seven-game block, earning the top seed for match play, finishing ahead of the pack with 3,425 (14-game pinfall.)
The 36-year-old earned his fist career exemption by leading this past summer's Denny's PBA Tour Trials. He struggled somewhat in his first two weeks as an exempt bowler, finishing 132nd in the United State Bowling Congress (USBC) Masters and 52nd in last week's Motor City Classic.
On Thursday of last week Book shot nearly 200 pins better in his second seven-game block than his first. He was 21st after the first block but averaged 257.86 over the final seven games to take the lead. His 1,805 second-block pinfall was 48 pins shy of the seven-game record.
"When you bowl with Pete Weber you have to show up," Book said. "We were moving together all day and watching each other a little bit. The lanes played the same at night as in the morning, but I made a couple ball changes and made a surface change and that opened the lanes wide open."
Book had a high game of 255 in his first block, then had just two games under 255 in the second block. He had a high of 279 in game eight and finished with a 268.
"It was just one of those times when it really came together," Book said. "I got in a rhythm and I turn the switch on. It's one of those zones we all talk about. When you get in it you just try to stay in it.
Book faced No 32 Eugene McCune in Friday's single elimination Round of 32 where he was eliminated with scores of 191, 157, 224, 232, 231 to McCune's 258, 256, 235, 225, 244.
Book, from the Pensacola area in the Florida Panhandle, is no stranger to success despite his rookie status. He won the SuperHoinke in Cincinnati in 2005 and last May set a USBC men's record for highest six-game series when he bowled a 1,680 in Pensacola.
Todd is single and lists himself as his toughest opponent.....and its noted in the official 2007-08 Media Guide he "never throws a shot when there are splits to the left and right of him."
Our meeting with Todd took place Friday afternoon while we were watching the Round 8 women's finals between Shannon Pluhowsky and Cheektowaga's own Liz Johnson.
My wife Shirley was standing in back of me with Bob Cady of Livingston Manor and I heard my wife talking with Todd as he was describing his rookie tour with the PBA and several personal events that had taken place in his life. I joined into the conversation and we were the joined by Bob's fiance Barbara Kortright (who had been watching another match several lanes to our right.)
At the conclusion of the Pluhowsky-Johnson match (Pluhowsky won) and the round of 8 women matches Bob, Barbara, Shirley and I left the bowling center for dinner and returned for the men's round of 7 and women's round of 4 matches starting at 7 p.m.
We shared some time with Todd this evening (but, I usually walk from lane to lane and watch all the matches instead of just sitting in one location where you are limited in seeing what's going on throughout this final round to determine who will make it to the Sunday TV round. which includes the four men finalist and the two top women.
After the final rounds of 8 and 4 we visited with Frank Cornicelli, an 85-year-old gentleman I met two years ago at Cheektowaga and we also visited with him at the U.S. Open in North Brunswick, NJ in March of this year. Frank, from Schenectady, is a friend of many of the Professional bowlers, still bowls in two leagues a week and could very well be the oldest USBC lane inspector in the country. I introduced him to Bob and Barbara and Bob, being originally from Schenectady, soon found out that Frank knows some of Bob's family.....so as the saying goes it's a small world but bowling brings a lot of friendships together and really is an extension of the term....family.
Saturday was our opportunity to show off our bowling talents (none of which I have been blessed with) as myself, Shirley and Bob bowled in the 3:30 shift of the Etonia Championship Pro-Am Tournament. where the pros bowl five frame with each group and then move on to the next set of lanes.
The professionals that graced our two lanes included the present PBA Senior Tour champion Tom Baker, our new friend Todd Book, Mike Edwards, Jack Jurek, Mike Machuga and Senior tour bowler Roger Kossert. Bob Cady bowled with several of these same bowlers.
The fun part of bowling in the Pro-Am came when we were bowling with Todd and both Shirley and I had difficult splits and Todd lined up with us on the approach and he shot at one part of the split while we shot at the other half of the split......our bowling ball did not collide on the lane but his faster ball speed got to the pins before ours and the gate came down before Shirley and my ball got there.
High no-tap honors on the two lanes we were bowling on which included 7 men (not including the pro) and Shirley went to Shirley with games of 234, 221, 203, 658.
If you love the game of bowling attending a professional PBA Tour Tournament should certainly become a part of your bowling lifestyle.
Tournaments within driving distance from this area would include the Lumber Liquidators Championship Dec. 5-9 at Baltimore, MD, the Go RVing Classic March 5-9 at Norwich, CT, the GEICO Classic March 19-23 at West Babylon, ( Long Island) NY and the 65th Denny's U.S. Open March 23-30 at North Brunswick, NJ