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Earl Anthony

Early Life



Earl Anthony grew up in Tacoma, Washington and entered the U.S. Air Force just before he was due to graduate from high school. His first sport was baseball, and he was a good enough pitcher to be offered a $35,000 signing bonus by the Baltimore Orioles. The deal fell through, however, on the very next day at an Orioles training camp when Anthony tore the rotator cuff muscle in his throwing arm. His baseball career was over and it was a year before he could raise his arm above his shoulder. The injury apparently did not affect his bowling prospects. "I'm not sure bowling and pitching have a lot in common. It's two different deliveries," Anthony told the Toronto Star's Jim Proudfoot. "But you're talking hand-and-eye co-ordination and making a ball do certain precise things. Those are similarities."



Returning to Tacoma, a 21-year-old Anthony took a job as a forklift driver for a grocery store chain. Encouraged by co-workers, he joined the company bowling team. Ironically, although Anthony had, as a boy, worked as a pinsetter at a local bowling alley, he had never bowled. He was very good, however. By the season's end his average was 217, up at the rarefied level of professional bowlers. In 1963 he turned pro. He joined the PBA Tour long enough to bowl in seven events without winning a cent in any of them. For the next seven years he satisfied himself bowling at local tournaments in Tacoma, winning about $8,000 in the process.

Chronology

1938 Born April 27, in Kent Washington
1960 Offered baseball contract by Baltimore Orioles
1962 Bowls for the first time
1963 Bowls seven events on the PBA Tour
1969 Joins PBA Tour for second time
1970 Wins first PBA tournament
1974 Wins PBA Nationals and the Tournament of Champions back-to-back
1975 Becomes first bowler to win $100,000 on the PBA Tour
1976 Passes Dick Weber on all-time tournament victory list
1978 Suffers heart attack
1982 Becomes first bowler to pass $1 million in career winnings
1983 Retires from PBA Tour
1986 Briefly rejoins to PBA Tour
1990 Joins PBA Seniors Tour for one year
1996 Rejoins Seniors Tour for one year
1997 Wins last PBA tournament
2001 Dies in New Berlin, Wisconsin

Additional topics

Famous Sports StarsBowlingEarl Anthony Biography - Early Life, Chronology, Rejoins Pba Tour, Joins Seniors Tour, Awards And Accomplishments, Further Information