They came to bowl : how Milwaukee became America's tenpin capital

Bowling! From the thrill of the perfect strike to the agony of a ball gone astray, this popular sport is known throughout the nation. In this authoritative and lively book, Doug Schmidt traces bowling’s roots from a German religious rite centuries ago to the sport that made Milwaukee famous. From the taverns and saloons that housed recreational games to the sell-out crowds and million-dollar beer sponsorships of televised tournaments, this well-illustrated book covers both sport and city. Schmidt employs wide-ranging research and interviews with popular players to chart the changing face of bowling over the century. Packed with memorable showdowns and improbable heroes, They Came to Bowl will take you back to the changing lanes of bowling in Milwaukee—and the sport as a whole. Biography Doug Schmidt is generally regarded as Wisconsin’s pre-eminent bowling historian. The editor and publisher of the state’s Ten Pin Journal since 1992, Schmidt has been a contributor to United Press International, the Associated Bowlers Journal International Magazine, Bowling Magazine, Bowling Digest and American Bowler . A graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Schmidt was inducted into the Greater Milwaukee Bowling Hall of Fame in 2004. A frozen rope. A urethane split on the drives. Chicken tracks on the telescore.* Do you know your bowling lingo? You will along with much more when you read They Came to How Milwaukee Became America's Tenpin Capital . From the thrill of the perfect strike to the agony of a ball gone astray, anyone who has rolled a ball down the lanes will find themselves or someone they know in the people, places and stories covered in this book. In this authoritative and lively book, Doug Schmidt traces bowling's roots from a German religious rite centuries ago to the sport that made Milwaukee famous. From the taverns and saloons that housed recreational games to the sell-out crowds and million-dollar beer sponsorships of televised tournaments, this well-illustrated book covers both sport and city, charting the changing face of bowling over the century. Packed with memorable showdowns and improbable heroes, They Came to Bowl will take you back to the changing lanes of bowling in Milwaukee and the sport as a whole. * frozen rope=a ball rolled with excessive speed almost straight to the pocket; urethane split=2-8-10 or 3-7-9 split caused by sharp breaking point of reactive resin balls; drives=alleys; chicken tracks=string of strikes "Covering both sport and city, this book looks at bowling from the taverns and saloons that housed recreational games to the sell-out crowds and million-dollar beer sponsorships of televised tournaments. Doug Schmidt's wide-ranging research and interviews with popular players chart the changing face of bowling over the century. Packed with memorable showdowns and improbable heroes, this authoritative text will take you to the lively lanes of Milwaukee - and illuminate the sport as a whole."--Jacket Taverns and tenpins The legacy of Abe Langtry The ABCs of bowling Marino and Day : a winning ticket Modern-day kingpins Jeannette Knepprath : from pastry to president Ladies of the lanes Breaking down barriers The Sampson factor Two, five, eight, nine thousand thank you, Hank! Sunday brunch with the champs The Miller Open : crash of the Medford Meteor Reversal of fortune Epilogue Milwaukee bowling alleys Bowling lingo.