PBA Expands League Lineup in 2020 with Milwaukee and Las Vegas Teams

PBA Hall of Famers Marshall Holman and Amleto Monacelli to manage expansion teams

CHICAGO (Jan. 29, 2020) – The Professional Bowlers Association announced today a major expansion of its PBA League, increasing the number of teams from eight to 10 in 2020 by adding teams that will represent the cities of Milwaukee and Las Vegas when the league’s Elias Cup competition returns to Bayside Bowl in Portland, Maine, in July.

As part of the expansion, the PBA has named Hall of Fame Bowlers Marshall Holman and Amleto Monacelli as managers for the Milwaukee and Las Vegas teams, respectively. The “High Rollers” is the league’s newest team name, representing the Las Vegas franchise. The Milwaukee team has yet to be officially named, but this month the PBA will give its fans the chance to be a part of PBA history and help select a name for the team by participating in a social media contest starting Monday, Feb. 3.

Fans are invited to submit their original franchise names for Milwaukee between 10 a.m. EST on February 3 and 10 a.m. EST on February 5 via the PBA’s dedicated Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts. The top three names will be released on PBA’s social pages by 1 p.m. EST on February 5, and fans will be invited to vote for their favorite. The winning team name will be chosen by the PBA and publicly announced at the PBA League draft. The person who submits the winning name will receive a customized bowling ball and pin autographed by the Milwaukee team after the draft.

The PBA League, which introduced a unique team competition to the PBA in 2013, will return in 2020 with its eight original teams and managers: the 2019 Elias Cup Champion Portland Lumberjacks (manager Tim Mack); Silver Lake Atom Splitters (Mark Baker); L.A. X (Andrew Cain); Motown Muscle (Del Ballard); Brooklyn StYles (Johnny Petraglia); Dallas Strikers (Norm Duke); Philadelphia Hitmen (Jason Couch) and NYC Kingpins (Carolyn Dorin-Ballard).

With the addition of Milwaukee and Las Vegas, the League will be divided into two five-team divisions: the Carter Division (Dallas, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Silver Lake and Las Vegas) and the Anthony Division (New York City, Motown, Portland, L.A. and Milwaukee).

A player draft will be held during the PBA World Series of Bowling XI in Las Vegas on March 15. The eight existing teams can protect up to three players from their 2019 rosters and will draft in the reverse order of how they finished in 2019. Any remaining player not protected will go into the draft pool.

All 10 teams will round out their five-player rosters with players whose draft eligibility may be earned up until this year’s WSOB. Player eligibility for the draft will be based on the top 75 players in combined competition points earned during the 2019 and 2020 seasons through WSOB XI.

The eighth annual PBA League Elias Cup competition will be conducted over three consecutive nights of live television coverage on FS1.

2020 PBA LEAGUE BASICS

2020 PBA League Elias Cup Competition

Bayside Bowl, Portland, Maine, July 20-23

2019 PBA League Final Standings (with team rosters):

1, Portland Lumberjacks (Ryan Ciminelli, Wes Malott, Kyle Troup, Kris Prather, Mitch Hupé).

2, L.A. X (Jason Belmonte, Stuart Williams, Jakob Butturff, Dick Allen, Anthony Lavery-Spahr). 

3, Dallas Strikers (Norm Duke, Tommy Jones, Bill O’Neill, Andrew Anderson, Brad Miller).

4, NYC KingPins (Pete Weber, Marshall Kent, BJ Moore, Kyle Sherman, Darren Tang).

5, Silver Lake Atom Splitters (Chris Barnes, Jesper Svensson, Tom Daugherty, DJ Archer, AJ Johnson).

6, Motown Muscle (EJ Tackett, Anthony Simonsen, Josh Blanchard, AJ Chapman, Mykel Holliman).

7, Brooklyn Styles (Walter Ray Williams Jr., Sean Rash, Rhino Page, Andres Gomez, Brad Angelo). 

8, Philadelphia Hitmen (Dom Barrett, Tom Smallwood, Matt Sanders, Patrick Girard, x-Shawn Maldonado, x-Jake Peters (Peters replaced Maldonado due to injury). 

2020 PBA League Draft

Where: PBA World Series of Bowling XI, South Point Bowling Plaza, Las Vegas

When: Sunday, March 15, 5 p.m. EST (2 p.m. PST; following the live Go Bowling PBA Cheetah Championship telecast on FS1, live at 1:30 p.m. EST/10:30 a.m. PST). 

RailRiders unveil 2020 bobbleheads with a legendary feel

Hall of Famers and fan favs dot upcoming commemorative lineup

MOOSIC, PA (January 28, 2020) – The Captain. The Commerce Comet. The Yankee Clipper. It’s easy to say a few Hall of Fame legends highlight the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 2020 bobblehead lineup. The RailRiders have announced a five-game Bobblehead Series mini-plan, loaded down with value that is in mid-season form, and that special mini-plan is on sale now.

The 2020 Bobblehead Series mini-plan is $80 for a field reserved seat and $75 for a bleacher seat. Each can’t-miss package includes five game tickets - one for each of the four bobblehead giveaway dates and a bonus ticket for June 12 - as well as a limited edition bobblehead that will only be available with the purchase of this package. This mini-plan also includes your seat to the biggest show this summer- the 2020 Triple-A All-Star Game on July 15 presented by the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau.

Click here to purchase the 2020 Bobblehead Series mini-plan.

On June 27, our beloved Legends Racers will be honored in the first of a two-part giveaway. The first 2,500 fans through the gates at PNC Field will receive a Mickey Mantle and Thurman Munson dual bobblehead. This duo of revered racers will help your bobblehead collection make great strides.

On July 25, the RailRiders will honor 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Derek Jeter with a bobblehead prior to his enshrinement at Cooperstown. Jeter was a five-time World Series champion, a 14-time All-Star, a five-time Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award winner, just to name a few Hall-worthy credentials. He is also the first player to wear a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre jersey of any kind over the last three decades to reach baseball’s loftiest distinction.

Gleyber Torres gets special treatment on August 8 with his very own emoji bobblehead. The first 2,500 fans receive this unique item and the ability to download a Gleyber emoji for their iPhone or Android.

Joe DiMaggio and Billy Martin cross the finish line on August 22. Do your personal best to reach the gates in time to cap off your Legends Racers collection.

Former RailRiders outfielder/ first baseman Nick Swisher will be celebrated as our limited edition collectable for the first 500 fans who purchase the 2020 Bobblehead Series mini-plan. You will receive a ticket to the June 12 game against the Syracuse Mets AND the special edition bobble of this energetic former RailRider.

All Bobblehead Series mini-plans purchased include a bleacher ticket to the 2020 Triple-A All-Star Game on July 15 presented by the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau. Ticket bundles for the Keystone Mid Summer Classic, presented by Norwegian Cruise Line, are available now and get fans access to both days of this unbelievable mid-season baseball bash.

Each of the four regular season giveaway dates is on a Saturday with a 6:35 PM first pitch. The June 12 game begins at 7:05 PM and will be followed by a post game fireworks extravaganza. The collectable Nick Swisher bobblehead will be available starting July 6 at the University of Scranton Guest Services window at PNC Field and a voucher will be provided with your ticket purchase for this special run collectible.

Additional giveaways and theme nights will be announced over the coming weeks. All promotions, giveaway and game times remain subject to change.

To purchase your 2020 Bobblehead Series mini-plan, season ticket memberships, other partial plans or ticket bundles for the Keystone Mid Summer Classic, call the RailRiders front office at (570) 969-BALL or visit swbrailriders.com.

Jason Belmonte’s Bid for 12th Major, Fourth TOC Title Among

PBA Tournament of Champions Storylines

PBA’s signature tournament will be the first of three consecutive

majors on the 2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour

FAIRLAWN, Ohio (Jan. 28, 2020) – AMF Riviera Lanes was the site of another milestone in Professional Bowlers Association history in 2019 when Australian Jason Belmonte took another step to becoming the all-time PBA majors title leader. By winning a record-tying third PBA Tournament of Champions title, the win gave him his 10th career major title and a share of the all-time major titles lead.

Belmonte defeated EJ Tackett, 225-196, in the title match to tie PBA Hall of Famers Earl Anthony and Pete Weber for the lead on the all-time majors list.

The two-hander, who now owns 22 career PBA Tour titles, took sole possession of the career major titles lead when he won the PBA World Championship six weeks later. His two major titles provided the impetus for his fifth Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year honor.

As host of the PBA Tournament of Champions from 1966 to 1994, and continuing with its return in 2018, AMF Riviera Lanes has been the scene of some of the most memorable moments in PBA history. That tradition will no doubt continue when AMF Riviera Lanes hosts the first major of the 2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour season Feb. 3-9. PBA’s signature tournament will culminate with the live stepladder finals on FOX at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 9.

All preliminary rounds will be streamed live via the PBA’s online bowling channel FloBowling, and international subscribers will be able to watch the live FOX telecast of all PBA Tour finals as they air on FOX Sports’ channels. For FloBowling subscription and schedule information visit www.flobowling.com.

Here’s a look at some of the storylines for the 2020 PBA Tournament of Champions:

TOC stepladder finals will be televised live on FOX: The first major championship of the 2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour season will culminate with a live FOX stepladder finals telecast on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. ET.

Winner will earn $100,000: The Tournament of Champions is one of three events this season that will offer the winner a $100,000 first prize. The others offering a $100,000 first prize this season are the PBA World Championship and PBA Playoffs. 

$1 million 300 game bonus: While Tommy Jones received a $10,000 bonus for his historic 300 game in the championship match of the season-opening PBA Hall of Fame Classic, the bonus increases to $1 million, courtesy of FOX, if a player can accomplish the same feat in the championship match of the PBA Tournament of Champions, PBA Players Championship, Go Bowling Indianapolis Open or PBA World Championship.

“Go Bowling Free America” promotion: The “Go Bowling Free America” promotion once again rewards PBA fans, league and casual bowlers across America who pre-register on GoBowling.com with a free game offer if any player bowls a perfect game during any FOX or FS1 nationally-televised PBA Tour finals during the 2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour season.

TOC is a tournament for champions only: The 2020 Tournament of Champions will include an exclusive field of PBA champions. In order to be eligible, a player must be a PBA member who has won a PBA Tour, PBA Regional, PBA50 Tour, PBA50 Regional, or PBA Women’s Series title.

Five-time PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte will try again for additional milestones: Jason Belmonte, the Australian two-hander and defending TOC champion, will set his sights on a record fourth TOC title in 2020. He is currently tied with three-time TOC winners Mike Durbin and Jason Couch, both PBA Hall of Famers. With another TOC title, the 36-year-old Belmonte also would improve upon his current record total of 11 major titles.

Other two-handers in the field: While Jason Belmonte brought the two-handed delivery to prominence in his rookie season in 2009, among the other players using the two-handed technique in the field will be: 2016 TOC champion Jesper Svensson of Sweden; five-time tour winner Osku Palermaa of Finland; seven-time tour champion Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas; three-time tour winner Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, North Carolina, and one-time PBA Tour winner Matt Ogle of Louisville, Kentucky.

PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber tries for 11th major: While Jason Belmonte has garnered most of the attention regarding PBA major milestones in recent seasons,  PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber will also have an opportunity to win his 11th career major to regain a tie with Belmonte for the all-time majors record. Weber won his 10^th major in the 2013 TOC to tie Earl Anthony for most PBA major titles at that time. In doing so, Weber became the only player to win PBA’s Triple Crown (Tournament of Champions, U.S. Open and World Championship) twice and, at age 50, he became the oldest player to win a PBA major. Now 56, Weber, a 37-time tour winner, would also join Belmonte, Mike Durbin and Jason Couch as three-time TOC titlists with a win.

TOC past winners entered: Past TOC champions entered include EJ Tackett (2017), Jesper Svensson (2016), Jason Belmonte (2014, 2015, 2019), Matt O’Grady (2018), Sean Rash (2012), and PBA Hall of Famers Pete Weber (1987, 2013), Norm Duke (1994), Chris Barnes (2006) and Tommy Jones (2007).

Walter Ray Williams Jr. still trying for a TOC title: Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. has accomplished nearly everything there is to accomplish in PBA competition except winning the Tournament of Champions. A TOC title would make the all-time titles leader (47) the seventh player to complete the PBA Triple Crown (titles in the U.S. Open, PBA World Championship and TOC), and the third player in history to complete the PBA “Grand Slam” (titles in the U.S. Open, PBA World Championship, TOC and USBC Masters). Mike Aulby and Norm Duke are the only players who have completed the Grand Slam.

Bowling legend Carmen Salvino to compete: The ageless bowling legend Carmen Salvino will compete in his 30th Tournament of Champions at age 86. The 17-time PBA Tour winner, who is the oldest to compete in a PBA Tour event, has a best finish of third which he accomplished in the very first TOC in 1962. 

International field: Eight countries are represented in the TOC field – Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, England, Finland, Sweden and the U.S.

TOC first of three consecutive majors:  The Tournament of Champions will be the first of three consecutive PBA Tour majors. Following the TOC will be the PBA Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl (Feb. 9-15) and the U.S. Open in Lincoln, Nebraska (Feb. 16-23).

TOC began in Indianapolis in 1962: Joe Joseph won the inaugural TOC at Play Bowl in Indianapolis with a two-game 480 pinfall total in 1962. Billy Golembiewski was second with 416 pins and Hall of Famer Carmen Salvino finished third with 409 in the two-game total pinfall championship round.

TOC admission and pro-am information: Limited tickets for the stepladder finals are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tournament-of-champions-tickets-tickets-67045004413.

Tickets for qualifying and match play rounds will be available at the door. Contact AMF Riviera Lanes at (330) 836-7985 for additional information.

55th PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SCHEDULE

AMF Riviera Lanes, Fairlawn, Ohio (all times Eastern)

Monday, Feb. 3

2 p.m. – PTQ Round 1 (5 games)

6:30 p.m. – PTQ Round 2 (5 games)

Tuesday, Feb. 4

2-4 p.m. - Practice session

6-8 p.m. – Youth clinic

Wednesday, Feb. 5

11 a.m. - Qualifying Round 1 (6 games)

6 p.m. - Qualifying Round 2 (6 games)

Thursday, Feb. 6

11 a.m. - Qualifying Round 3 (6 games)

Top 24 players advance to Round Robin Match Play

6 p.m. - Match Play Round 1 (8 games)

Friday, Feb. 7

11 a.m. - Match Play Round 2 (8 games)

6 p.m. - Match Play Round 3 (8 games)

Top 5 players advance to stepladder finals

Saturday, Feb. 8

Pro-ams - 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 9

5 p.m. ET - Live stepladder finals on FOX

FIVE CANDIDATES SLATED FOR USBC BOARD ELECTION; 14 LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO BE DECIDED

ARLINGTON, Texas – The United States Bowling Congress Nominating Committee has slated five candidates for the USBC Board of Directors election, and delegates also will vote on 14 legislative proposals at the 2020 USBC Convention and Annual Meeting.

The 2020 USBC Convention will take place April 27-30 at The Orleans in Las Vegas, with the Annual Meeting legislative sessions to take place on the final day.

Delegates will vote to fill three open positions on the USBC Board of Directors. The USBC Nominating Committee, which may slate up to two candidates for each opening, set a slate of five candidates:

• Glenda Beckett, Palmetto Bay, Florida
• Bruce Hall, Westborough, Massachusetts
• Chrissy Lee, Tampa, Florida
• Adam Mitchell, Centreville, Virginia
• Tina Williams, Pflugerville, Texas

Beckett has been the Greater Miami USBC Association Manager since 2012 and became a director on the Florida State USBC board in 2018, where she currently serves as chair of the Legal and Legislative Committee and is a member of the Charity Committee.

Hall, who was a senior director at Dell Technologies before retiring in 2018, has more than 40 years as an executive in the IT, consumer, and industrial design and manufacturing. He owns two PBA Regional titles and won a PBA50 Regional title in 2019.

Lee, who recently relocated from New Jersey to Florida, has taught pre-school for more than 25 years. She served on state and local boards for more than 20 years, including five years as the Monmouth County (N.J.) USBC president.

Mitchell, the only incumbent of the slated candidates, is completing his first term on the USBC national board. He chairs the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and also serves on the Legal, Legislative, and Strategic Planning committees. He is Chief Executive Officer of Global Solutions Inc., a company he started in 2013.

Williams has worked in finance and operations for Make-A-Wish for more than 10 years, performing all accounting and payroll functions. She was a Team USA member in 2007 and 2008, and a three-time All-American at West Texas A&M.

In addition to Mitchell’s expiring term, two board members are completing their final terms, having reached the term limit. Both USBC President Karl Kielich and director Jo Dimond began their service on the board during the 2011-2012 season and will complete their final terms in July.

Additional candidates for the USBC Board may run from the floor, provided they give notice of their candidacy to the committee by March 30, 2020. Go to BOWL.com/Convention for the Nomination from the Floor information.

Of the 14 proposed amendments to be voted on by delegates at the USBC Annual Meeting, eight relate to bylaws, five are for tournament rules and one proposed amendment is for a league rule. Bylaws proposals require a two-thirds majority vote for adoption while league and tournament rules require a majority vote to pass.

Visit BOWL.com/Convention for more information about the 2020 USBC Convention and Annual Meeting, including the proposed legislation.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women's Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.

Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 1,638 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.

Former Syracuse SkyChiefs/Chiefs Outfielder Chad Mottola to be inducted into International League Hall of Fame as part of 2020 Class

SYRACUSE, NY – Former Syracuse SkyChiefs/Chiefs outfielder and International League MVP Chad Mottola will be a member of the International Hall of Fame Class of 2020 the league office announced on Tuesday. Mottola is one of three people being inducted into the 2020 class along with Chipper Jones and Johnny Neun. The three men were elected by a vote of living Hall of Famers, longtime executives, broadcasters, and members of the media.

Mottola spent five years of his 16-year professional playing career in Syracuse. He ranks second in Syracuse history in home runs (100) and doubles (138). Mottola also ranks in the top ten in Syracuse history in hits (624), runs batted in (359), runs scored (348), and total bases (1,086).

In 2000, Mottola put together one of the best single seasons in Syracuse history. During that season, which was his first with Syracuse, Mottola had a .309 batting average with a league-leading 33 home runs and with 102 RBIs. The 33 homers are the third-most hit in a single season in Syracuse history, while the 102 RBIs rank eighth. Mottola’s performance during the 2000 season earned him International League Most Valuable Player honors.

Mottola is also a member of the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame where he was inducted as part of the Class of 2016.

The members of the International League Hall of Fame Class of 2020 have been added to the I.L. Hall of Fame plaque display. The new inductees or family members will be presented with “The Curtain Call” statue during individual enshrinement ceremonies that will be scheduled at a later date.

Please see the full release below (and attached) from the International League office:

- International League Announces 2020 Hall of Fame Class - 

The International League announced today that 1993 IL Rookie of the Year and National Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, 2000 IL Most Valuable Player Chad Mottola, and former IL All-Star first baseman and two-time Governors’ Cup winning manager Johnny Neun will be inducted into the League’s Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2020. The three men were elected to the IL Hall by a vote of living Hall of Famers, longtime executives, broadcasters, and members of the media.

The members of the Class of 2020 have been added to the International League Hall of Fame plaque display. The new inductees or family members will be presented with “The Curtain Call” statue during individual enshrinement ceremonies yet to be scheduled. The IL Hall of Fame plaque display serves as a traveling testament to the storied legacy of the International League.

Before embarking on his legendary career with the Atlanta Braves, Chipper Jones turned in an All-Star season for the Richmond Braves in 1993 at the age of 21. Missing only one game all season for the playoff-bound R-Braves, Jones hit .325 with thirteen home runs, 89 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. He led the International League with 174 hits, twelve triples, and 97 runs scored and was elected as the IL Rookie of the Year. With Atlanta, Jones went on to be an eight-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger winner, and the 1999 National League MVP. In 2018, Jones was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Chad Mottola spent nine seasons in the International League playing for six different franchises, finishing with just shy of 1,000 hits and 570 RBI. His career total of 152 home runs places him among the top fifteen sluggers in League history. Mottola led Charlotte to the 1999 Govenors’ Cup, hitting .321 with 20 homers and 94 RBI. The next year was his first of five seasons playings for Syracuse, which saw him named IL MVP after hitting .309 with a League-best 33 home runs. Mottola’s MLB career included brief stints with the Reds, Blue Jays, Marlins, and Orioles. He is presently the hitting coach for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Johnny Neun hit .320 in four seasons as a first baseman in the IL, beginning with his hometown Baltimore Orioles in 1929. Neun helped lead the Newark Bears to three consecutive pennants from 1932-34. He led the circuit in hits and stolen bases in 1932 and was elected an All-Star in 1933. He returned to Newark as manager in 1938, where over a four-year span the Bears won at a .614 clip (381-240) and reached at least the Governors’ Cup finals each season. Neun departed with two pennants and two Governors’ Cup titles, as well as the 1940 Junior World Series championship and later went on to manage the Yankees and Reds. Neun passed away in 1990 at the age of 89.

The IL Hall of Fame, established in 1947, was dormant from 1964 until the League's 125th Anniversary season in 2008. Following a three-year transition period (2008-10) in which a total of 50 individuals were inducted after having been selected by a committee, the Class of 2020 was the tenth chosen by the current annual election process. Each year the top three vote-getters who also receive a vote on the majority of ballots cast are elected.

Complete statistical data and biographical information on all 129 members of the IL Hall of Fame, along with a copy of the International League Hall of Fame policies, procedures, and guidelines are available at ILBaseball.com.

APPLICATIONS FOR THE DAROLL AND DOLORES FREWING COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP NOW BEING ACCEPTED

ARLINGTON, Texas – The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame (IBMHOF) is accepting applications for the Daroll and Dolores Frewing College Scholarship through March 31.

The $25,000 annual scholarship was created by Daroll Frewing, co-founder and CEO of US Bowling Corporation, and his wife, Dolores, to give back to the center owners with whom they have built relationships with throughout the years. Daroll, who has been involved in the bowling industry for nearly six decades, serves on the Board of Trustees of the IBMHOF.

Applicants must be a son, daughter or grandchild of a Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) center owner and in their senior year of high school. The scholarship will be awarded to an applicant based on academic success and service to the community.

“The Frewings have been tremendous supporters of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame for many years, and we’re thrilled to help with the Daroll and Dolores Frewing College Scholarship,” IBMHOF President and Chairman Mike Aulby said. “We appreciate the continued generosity of the Frewings. This scholarship will greatly benefit members of the BPAA family for many years.”

The Daroll and Dolores Frewing Scholarship will be presented at 2020 International Bowl Expo, which will take place July 2-6 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in the Denver area. Travel and hotel expenses for the award winner and a parent/guardian will be provided by BPAA.

The launch of the annual scholarship, with a $250,000 donation by the Frewings, was announced at last year’s Bowl Expo. The scholarship recipient will be selected by the IBMHOF Board of Directors, along with a member of the Frewing family.

Visit BowlingMuseum.com for more information about the Daroll and Dolores Frewing College Scholarship, including the application. The application and documentation must be submitted no later than March 31, 2020.

About the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame
The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, located at the International Bowling Campus in Arlington, Texas, collects, preserves and exhibits the 5,000-year history of the worldwide sport of bowling, and features rare photos and vintage film clips to tell the stories of bowling’s hall-of-fame members. Visit BowlingMuseum.com to learn more.

Renegades Announce New Field Staff for 2020

Rafael Valenzuela leads a group of fresh faces to the Hudson Valley

WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY – The Hudson Valley Renegades, Short Season Class-A Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and three-time New York-Penn League Champions are excited to announce their new field staff for the 2020 season. 

Rafael Valenzuela enters his 15^thyear of professional baseball. This will be his second as a manager. Valenzuela spent last season managing the GCL Rays. He began his coaching career with the GCL Rays in 2016.  Since then he has spent time in Princeton and Durham within the Rays Minor League system. Valenzuela had a four-year playing career in the Houston Astros organization from (2010—2013). 

R.C. Lichtenstein enters his 21^stseason in professional baseball. Lichtenstein has been a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization since 2005. R.C. has spent the past four seasons as the pitching coach of the Tampa Bay Rays Class-AA affiliate Montgomery Biscuits. This will be Lichtenstein’s first foray in the New York-Penn League. 

Joe Szekely has been a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization since 2004. This will be Szekely’s 31^styear in professional baseball. The former 2^ndround pick out of Texas A&M played 11 years in the minor leagues for five different organizations. Szekely spent the past eleven the past seasons with the Charlotte Stone Crabs in the Florida State League. 

German Melendez will also join the Renegades staff. Melendez also played in the Houston Astros organization. He started his career as a catcher before converting over as a pitcher.  Melendez coached and managed in the Venezuelan Summer League from (2011-2015). Last year he was a member of the Princeton Rays staff. 

Tsutomo Kamiya enters his 3^rdseason as the Renegades Head Athletic Trainer and Dan Rousseau returns for his 5^thseason as the Conditioning Coach.

The Hudson Valley Renegades have won the New York-Penn League Championship in 1999, 2012 and 2017. All home games are played at Dutchess Stadium. Renegades Home Opener is Wednesday June 24^that 6:05 p.m. vs the Vermont Lake Monsters. For more information call 845-838-0094 or visit hvrenegades.com.

New York Yankees unveil 2020 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre field staff

Doug Davis tabbed to lead RailRiders to a sixth straight playoff berth

MOOSIC, PA (January 27, 2020) – The New York Yankees have announced that Doug Davis will manage the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in 2020. Davis is a native of Bloomsburg and has served the RailRiders in a variety of roles over the last three years. He will be joined by pitching coach Tommy Phelps and hitting coach Phil Plantier, both of whom are returning to the RailRiders dugout. Aaron Bossi and Raul Dominguez will join the staff as the team’s new defensive coaches. Athletic trainer Darren London and strength and conditioning coach Brad Hyde will also return to the RailRiders for the upcoming season.

Davis, 57, graduated from Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg in 1982 and played collegiately at NC State University. He was a ninth round pick by the California Angels in the 1984 First-Year Player Draft and played professionally for 12 years, appearing in 797 games.

Davis made his Major League debut in 1988 for the Angels and finished his playing career in 1995. He moved into the coaching ranks the following season and won a New York-Penn League title with Pittsfield in 1997. In 1998, he led Columbia to the South Atlantic League crown. Davis was a bench coach on Jack McKeon’s Florida Marlins staff in 2003, helping lead that club to a World Series win over the Yankees. The Toronto Blue Jays tabbed Davis to lead the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2006 and then elevated him to lead the Syracuse Chiefs in 2007 and 2008.

Over eight seasons as a manager, Davis has skippered 999 games with a .516 winning percentage (515-484). In addition to his time as a manager or coach, he has also held the positions of Minor League Field Coordinator for the Montreal Expos, the Marlins and the Toronto Blue Jays.

2020 marks Phelps fifth straight season as the RailRiders pitching coach. He was originally selected in the eighth round of the 1992 First-Year Player Draft out of T.R. Robinson High School in Tampa and made his Major League debut for the Florida Marlins in 2003.  This will be his 12th season as a Minor League pitching coach for the Yankees, having spent time with Trenton (2009-2014) and Tampa (2015) before joining Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Like Phelps, Plantier returns to Moosic in the same role he served each of the last two years. The former Major League outfielder was initially drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1987 and made his big league debut in 1990 at age 21.  Plantier played portions of eight seasons in the Majors, spending time with the Red Sox, Padres, Astros, A’s and Cardinals.  Since retiring, he has spent time as both a manager, hitting coach and hitting coordinator in the Seattle Mariners farm system and managed Lake Elsinore in 2011.  From 2012 through 2014, Plantier was the hitting coach for the San Diego Padres.  

Bossi was signed out of Marshall University in 2016 as a non-drafted free agent and he appeared in 22 games for the GCL Yankees that summer. In 2017, he began a career off the field as a rehab assistant in the Yankees system, working in Florida with the GCL team and the instructional league. In 2019, Bossi worked as Minor League coach for the organization.

Dominguez was with the Trenton Thunder for the last two seasons and enters his 14th season within the organization. He initially signed with the Yankees as a non-drafted Minor League free agent in 2001 and played four seasons before moving to the player development side. Dominguez spent eight years managing teams in the Gulf Coast and Dominican Summer Leagues.

London returns for his 28th straight season as the athletic trainer of the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate. He was the International League’s Trainer of the Year in both 2006 and 2012.

Hyde returns for his fifth season as the RailRiders strength and conditioning coach and sixth year in the organization overall.  He graduated from Arkansas State in 2009 with a B.S. in exercise science and has also worked within the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants systems.

In addition to London and Hyde, Mike Macciocco returns as the clubhouse manager. Paul Henshaw joins the staff as the Video Manager and Shea Wingate is the team’s new Advance Scouting Analyst.

Please direct all interview requests to Adam Marco, the Director of Communications for the RailRiders.  He can be reached at 570-558-4637 or via email at amarco@swbrailriders.com.  The 2020 season begins on April 9 at PNC Field against the Buffalo Bisons.  

PBA Announces FloBowling Summer Tour, USBC Cup Schedule

Seven tournament series to include incentive bonuses, berths in 2020 PBA China Tiger Cup

ARLINGTON, Texas (Jan. 24, 2020) – The Professional Bowlers Association today announced a seven-tournament PBA FloBowling Summer Tour tournament series that will include USBC Cup bonus incentives and berths to participate in the 2020 PBA China Tiger Cup.

The summer series, which will be covered exclusively from start to finish by the PBA’s online livestreaming partner, FloBowling, begins June 26-28 in Lubbock, Texas, and concludes Aug. 28-30 in Chesapeake, Virginia. In between the series will visit Lakewood, Colorado; Houston, Texas; Coldwater, Ohio; Middletown, Delaware, and Wilmington, North Carolina, expanding the 2020 Go Bowling PBA Tour from 13 to 20 events.

All seven tournaments will award competition points toward the USBC Cup, sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress, which will award a total of $40,000 in bonus prize money for the top five players based upon how they perform across the tournament series. The top eight players in Summer Tour points also will qualify for the end-of-season PBA China Tiger Cup.

In 2019, Sean Rash of Montgomery, Illinois, took advantage of the summer series by winning the USBC Cup points title and he converted his berth in the PBA China Tiger Cup into another big win.

Six of the seven 2020 events were part of the inaugural FloBowling Summer Tour and USBC Cup program in 2019, when FloBowling introduced multi-lane coverage of all rounds of each tournament, allowing PBA fans to follow their favorite players throughout the competition. The new stop is the Lakewood Open in Colorado.

Last year’s tournament winners included Jakob Butturff, Lubbock; Kyle Sherman (with Amanda Greene), PBA-PWBA Mixed Doubles; Tommy Jones, Clearwater; Ryan Ciminelli, Middletown; BJ Moore, Wilmington; Bill O’Neill, Chesapeake, and Rash as both the USBC Cup and PBA China Tiger Cup champ.

FloBowling is a subscription-based online streaming service operated by Austin, Texas-based FloSports. For subscription information, schedules and the numerous other benefits available as part of a FloBowling subscription, visit flobowling.com.

2020 PBA FLOBOWING SUMMER TOUR

June 26-28 – PBA Lubbock Sports Open, South Plains Lanes, Lubbock, Texas.

July 7-9 – PBA Lakewood Open, Holiday Lanes, Lakewood, Colo.

July 30-Aug. 2 – Storm PBA-PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed Doubles, Copperfield Bowl, Houston, Texas.

Aug. 7-9 – PBA Bowlerstore.com Moxy's Xtra Pair Open, Pla-Mor Lanes, Coldwater, Ohio.

Aug. 14-16 – PBA Mid-County Lanes Open, Mid-County Lanes, Middletown, Del.

Aug. 21-23 – PBA Wilmington Open, Ten Pin Alley Family Fun Center, Wilmington, N.C.

Aug. 28-30 – PBA Chesapeake Open, AMF Western Branch Lanes, Chesapeake, Va.

TBA – PBA China Tiger Cup.

Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio

Boca Rio Golf Club | Boca Raton, Fla. | Jan. 23-26, 2020

In the Winner’s Circle with Madelene Sagstrom

Jan. 26, 2020

Hometown/Resides: Enkoping, Sweden/Orlando, Fla.  

Birthdate: Nov. 13, 1992; currently 27 years, 2 months and 13 days

Qualified for LPGA Tour: Won the Symetra Tour’s 2016 Volvik Race for the Card to earn LPGA Tour Membership for the 2017 season

Turned Professional/Rookie Year: 2016/2017

VICTORIES

With her win, Sagstrom becomes a Rolex First-Time Winner on the LPGA Tour

RACE TO CME GLOBE

With her win, Sagstrom earns 500 points and is projected to be tied for first in the Race to CME Globe with Gaby Lopez

MONEY

With her win, Sagstrom earns $300,000; she has earned $300,000 this season and $1,132,568 for her career

2020 IN A NUTSHELL

The Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio is Sagstrom's first start of the 2020 LPGA Tour season

OF NOTE

• Sagstrom won in her 69th career LPGA Tour start
• Sagstrom is the 12th different player from Sweden to win on the LPGA Tour, and the first since Pernilla Lindberg won the 2018 ANA Inspiration
• With the $300,000 first-place prize Sagstrom crosses the $1 million mark in official career earnings with $1,132,568
• Sagstrom is in her fourth season on the LPGA Tour; prior to this event she had six career top-10 finishes with a career-best runner-up finish at the 2019 Pure Silk Championship
• Member of the 2017 European Solheim Cup Team, posting a 1-2-0 record
• Member of Team Sweden at the 2018 UL International Crown, posting a 1-3-0 record
• Was the 2016 Symetra Tour Player of the Year and Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year with three wins and 12 top-10 finishes
• She is a 2015 graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in psychology