𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗔𝗧 𝗔 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗡'𝗦 𝗕𝗢𝗪𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

 by Rene Torres

Bowling started as religious ceremony in the third or fourth century. First it was done in the cloisters of cathedrals as parishioners were asked to place a Kel (German word meaning pin) at the end of cloister. A hit indicated the thrower was living a clean life, a miss meant more faithful attendance would help his aim. Because the game was enjoyed outdoors, where the ground was uneven, it was permitted to throw the ball at the pins.

OUTDOOR BOWLING

Fort Brown was a paradise when it came to sports and bowling was no less popular than any core sport. But, speaking about outdoor bowling…Although indoor bowling in Brownville was here by the 1920s, the outdoor kind was established in May of 1930. 

Old Ripley’s Bowling Alley was located outdoors located on Elizabeth and 14 th Street… close to the main entrance of Fort Brown. According to a report by the daily Brownsville Herald, ladies were welcomed as well, especially on “Ladies Night.” The illumination made for a splendid evening— striking romances in every lane. The sport was advertised by local doctors as an activity that would improve your health.

Moving forward, the sport continued its popularity throughout the war years and beyond. Evidence of that was shown when the formation of the Brownsville Men’s Bowling Association struck a chord with bowlers from Brownsville, Matamoros, Port Isabel and Los Fresnos. Tournaments were competitive and created a lot of enthusiasm that led to excellent results. 

The association conducted their second city wide tournament in 1970-71.

CITY WIDE RESULTS

The team winners were in the hands of the following members: Emilio Moreno, Benny Mendez, Jorge Hinojosa, Pat Biedinger and Jerry Zuchora. The high game Hdep was Ray Ramirez 255-High series Hdep John Petraca 669.

OTHER WINNERS IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES

Other winners in different categories: In the Masters Classic League Champs was the team of Hernandez Car Sales; Johnny Barrientes, Ernie Hernandez, Pino Campos, Jimmy Gutierrez and Meme Lopez. 

Within the National Classic League, the team of Morton’s Foods led their league with the following members: John Petraca, Javier Tabarez, Luis Deluna, Raymond Cortez, Raynaldo Gonzalez and Ray Ganim.

The Texas League champs, Valley Frozen Foods, included Royal Ketchum, Tony Voltaggio, Pete Petraca, John Petraca, Oscar Moreno and Felix Buentello.

Throughout the various local leagues there were many outstanding bowlers, men and women and many worth mentioning, like Jorge Hinojosa, who in the 16th annual tourney was singles champ with a 678 average. Another standout performer, that took the stage in 1970-71 as the high average bowler, was Jerry Zuchora with an average of 193 (based on 3/4 of league games). Rusty Johnson was another notable that could strike you out.

The list of excellent bowlers continued with Pino Campus, Ray Ganim, Jerre Slaughter, Benny Mendez, Ray Milum, Johnny Mendez, Kermit Lindemann, Ernesto Cantu, Bill Weber, Lawrence Spencer Art Wayling and I’m sure many more that I have left out.