Classic Finale Brings Back Memories of 1970
Marty Deh Prevails
In Strike-Fest Finale
Many people still vividly recall a legendary 1970 television match featuring two Hall of Fame bowlers: Dick Ritger and Don Johnson.
I was in the late John Watland's Palo Alto pro shop that autumn afternoon. There were five or six people there. As John worked, we all watched the PBA Tournament of Champions.
The title match reached a level of tension seldom seen in sports, offering a rare combination of nail-biting suspense and fever-pitch excitement. We know there's no defense in bowling; there is nothing you can do to stop your opponent. High score wins. The end.
And so it was that day, 39 years ago. As each bowler rolled strike after strike, vying for the $25,000 top prize ($25,000!!!), the air was thick with tension and electric with excitement. The match went on forever, but, all would agree, ended far too soon.
Even though he was sitting on a fat 268 game, Ritger could only watch as Johnson stepped to the approach in the 10th frame, perched atop a nine-bagger. The math was simple: an open frame for Johnson and Ritger wins. A strike for Johnson and history beckons - a 300, perhaps?
What happened that day in 1970? Simply put: one of the greatest clutch performances in the history of sports. First, Johnson nailed a perfect pocket strike on his first ball in the 10th frame to ice the win; another 10-in-the-pit boomer on his 11th shot brought the crowd - at the bowling center, at home, and at Watland's Pro Shop - to its feet. And the final shot? The history-making shot? Well, I’ll let you see for yourself at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETZOazHvdZg.
And so it was on Sunday, September 20, 2009. This match wasn't watched by millions of people - it was more like 30 or 40 people, some of whom happened to wander by and wondered what the excitement was all about. And the contestants certainly weren't battling for thousands of dollars - it was more like hundreds. But the tension and the electricity in the air were no less palpable than they were 39 years ago.
But first - the backstory.
The turnout for the tournament was a bit disappointing, possibly because of the nice weather, possibly because both the Raiders and the 49ers were on TV that day. Of the 37 people who had reserved spots, just 26 made the trip to Albany Bowl. Instead of the usual 10 or so walk-ins, just two bowlers made the last-minute decision to jump in. But even with the reduced field, competition was fierce. At the end of the qualifying round, five bowlers advanced to the semi-finals, a one-game shootout that gave these players one last chance to advance their positions - or lose ground. As that game ended, the stage was set for the stepladder finals.
The first stepladder match saw former Junior Team USA member Brittany Tierney battling young Austin Kircher. The two had each averaged 230+ in qualifying, and Kircher up the pace, rolling a solid 234 to Tierney's 195.
Next up, Kircher had to face yet another lefty, tough Mike Richards, who had averaged 238 in qualifying. The day ended early for Kircher when the pins stopped falling: it was Richards, 228-173.
The third match featured Richards against righthander Marty Deh. This time it was Richards' turn to take a seat: his 207 didn't stand up against Deh's 259.
Then came the finale.
I met Kevin Harlin, a righthander, about 10 years ago, when he was a struggling youngster taking his lumps in weekend tournaments around the San Jose area. I don't know what he was averaging at the time, but I remember that I almost always outscored him; that hasn't happened in a long time. The young man has developed into a Bowler with a capital "B." A PBA member, Kevin is a guy who just keeps coming at you until he runs out of frames.
I also met Marty Deh around 1999. He and I were part of the contingent of "regulars" who spent most Saturday nights making the rounds of the tournaments that rotated between four South Bay bowling centers. A former touring pro, Marty is another guy who has no idea what the word "quit" means. He just keeps pounding away until the game is over and someone - usually him - wins.
Harlin had qualified in third place, but rolled a 269 in his shootout game to jump into the lead and a guaranteed spot in the championship match. Deh had tied for high qualifier (with Mike Richards), but his 237 shootout score wasn’t good enough to hold his place; instead, he fell to second place. But Deh, being Deh, walked over Richards, his first stepladder opponent, shooting 257 and earning a spot in the championship game against Harlin.
And so it was on Sunday, September 20, 2009. An ordinary September day - just like that day 39 years ago when Ritger and Johnson squared off.
Maybe I'm making too much of the Deh - Harlin match. It was just a couple of guys bowling in a local tournament, with not a lot of money at stake - the purse in that final match was $1,300, with $800 going to the winner. Still...
Deh started the match on Lane 1 in his usual fashion, with a no-doubt, solid, 1-3 pocket strike. Harlin responded somewhat uncharacteristically, coming in a bit light and leaving a 2-pin. He spared, then buried the next one for a strike.
No surprise: Deh threw two more strikes, each a solid pocket smash. Harlin, perhaps forgetting his 2-pin on his previous shot on the right lane, came back with another light hit. This one looked serious: the 2-4-5-8 bucket, a tough spare under any circumstances. But it turned out not to be a spare: in what seemed like slow-motion, the 4-pin teetered, hesitated a split-second, then fell like a drunken frat boy, knocking down the 2-pin in the process. In the meantime, the 8-pin wobbled, leaned, groaned and sputtered, then fell with a "plop" into the 5-pin, which did a little shaky-dance before slowly hitting the deck. A strike! That was the last ball either bowler would roll that was not a perfect 1-3 pocket hit. Harlin moved to the left lane, tossed a solid strike, then sat back. But not for long.
Deh: strike, strike.
Harlin: strike, strike.
Deh: strike, followed by a head-down, thoughtful shuffle to the next lane. On the approach, ready to move...and the quiet was suddenly broken as someone, probably unaware of the drama unfolding on lanes 1 and 2, yelled – really yelled. Deh paused and stepped back from the approach. A deep breath, a step, a pushway...more steps...a slide, a release...and the reward: a stone, solid, ringing 10-pin. You could see Deh's shoulders slump. Not only had his string of strikes been broken, but the momentum of the match had just shifted: Deh converted the spare, but now Harlin was the guy with the string of strikes.
Then it was Harlin - together, centered, smooth: strike, strike. Now he was working on a 290, with two frames to go. To repeat an earlier observation: there is no defense in our sport, no interceptions or leaping center field catches. Deh had no weapons at his disposal except his skill: he needed strikes, followed by more strikes. And he needed Harlin to stop striking.
And so there was Deh, rising to the challenge: strike, strike. And yet, he faced defeat unless Harlin stopped his onslaught of strikes.
Now it was Harlin's turn again. Harlin, The Ice Man, cool and collected, tossed what may have been his best shot of the day, an absolutely beautiful shot, the type of shot celebrated in epic poems. His reward? An absolutely dead flush 10-pin. It was the break Deh needed; it was heartbreak for Harlin.
Harlin converted his spare, but there was no time to fret about corner pins. He still needed strikes. He got them. Boom: strike. A deep breath, then boom: strike. One final walk to the foul line and boom: another solid 10-pin, and a 268.
And now the entire day came to rest on Marty Deh's shoulders. He needed pins.
One strike in the 10th frame would put Deh in the 260's, making a tie game a real possibility. A second strike would mean victory.
Deh’s first response to the pressure: a picture-perfect, 10th frame strike. Now things were getting really interesting. An 8-count on the next shot meant a maximum of 267, and Harlin would take the title. A 9-count/spare would give Deh 268 and a tie with Harlin; the two bowlers would then have to steel themselves for a sudden-death rolloff. And if Deh got that second strike? He’d win another PRO title – his third.
When people say "The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife," they make a good point. A person could almost reach out and touch the tension right then. Everyone, it seemed, was a nervous wreck. Except for Deh.
Deh stepped to the approach, his eyes focusing on the pins. With the precision of a surgeon, Deh deftly threaded the needle - the deep inside line he was playing - and put his second shot so deep in the pocket the pins seemed to evaporate. Nothing remained on the deck but memories of 10 white pins.
Deh hadn’t been handed victory, he’d reached out and taken it. The crowd exploded – the noise of 40 cheering fans sounding at that moment like a thousand. One more shot, for pin count, and again, a perfect pocket strike.
The final tally: Deh - 279 vs. Harlin - 268.
Was it 1970 redux? Maybe not, but it was about as close to it as you're likely to see any time soon. Just like in that famous Ritger - Johnson match, yes, someone won. But no one lost.
Congratulations, Marty Deh, for a great finish. And congratulations, Kevin Harlin, for a great match.
Marty, Kevin and the other Top Five bowlers weren't the only competitors on the day. Five other bowlers made the leaderboard: Vi Hoang finished in 10th place, followed up the steps by Sam Carter, Tom Goodchild, Leonard Lopez, and Frankos.
Other bowlers making trips to the pay window included Jeff Cotton, Russ Greiner, Chris Hillman, Joe Hart, and Eric Topham.
Our sincere thanks go out to John Tierney and his Albany Bowl staff - as professional a group of people as we've ever worked with. We appreciated the opportunity to make a PRO stop at your fine center, and we’re looking forward to a return visit in 2010.
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