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Author Topic: Could John Burkett Have Been The Best Bowler Ever?  (Read 5119 times)

Bowlaholic

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Could John Burkett Have Been The Best Bowler Ever?
« on: July 21, 2015, 10:49:38 AM »
The majority of the current PBA50 tour winners are gentlemen like(Weber, Williams, Jr., Bohn III, Baker, Scroggins, just to name a few) who have spent 30+ years honing their skills on tour.
John Burkett spent his career honing his skills as a baseball pitcher. He retires from baseball and pursues his prior hobby of bowling and almost immediately he is able to compete with the best PBA50 bowlers in world.
John is a great athlete without question, but how in just two years years on the PBA50 tour can he acquire the experience to be able to compete at the top without the 30+ years of experience the other top contenders/winners have?
Is being a great athlete combined with a tour rep. like Ballard or Callahan all it requires to almost immediately compete at the top?  I admire and applaud John, but I have to state I am just amazed that he is able to compete (last tournament 4th, currently 5th in qualifying in Welch, MN) with all the complexities in bowling against the best veterans on the PBA50 tour.  Your thoughts please?
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milorafferty

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Re: Could John Burkett Have Been The Best Bowler Ever?
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2015, 11:00:48 AM »
Burkett has been bowling for over 30 years. I don't know where you got the two years stuff.

I bowl in something called Match Club which is kind of a traveling league. John Burkett bowled with one of the Northern California Match Clubs when he pitched for the Giants in the early 90's.
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itsallaboutme

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Re: Could John Burkett Have Been The Best Bowler Ever?
« Reply #2 on: July 21, 2015, 11:28:37 AM »
When you have John Burkett's career earnings your swing tends to be a little more relaxed than most.

The guy used to spend the winters in Phoenix.  He averaged 220+ over 20 years ago.
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Bowlaholic

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Re: Could John Burkett Have Been The Best Bowler Ever?
« Reply #3 on: July 21, 2015, 12:13:01 PM »
Two years is the time he has been on the PBA50 tour.  I haven't read anywhere about his bowling accomplishments over the last 20 to 30 years in leagues, local tournaments, traveling match play, etc. My point was he made his career as an all-star pitcher, not a bowler like the top PBA50 pros and yet he is competing with the best of them.
If he is that good bowling while not making it his career, its just possible had he chose bowling over baseball as a career he might have been one of the greatest over the last 30 years.
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Steven

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Re: Could John Burkett Have Been The Best Bowler Ever?
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2015, 12:20:00 PM »
There is no question that Burkett has game. I spent some time watching him at the Senior US Open In Las Vegas this year, and he's the real deal.
 
I have no doubt he could have been an accomplished PBA player. But given MLB money, he made the right initial career choice.  :)
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Bowlaholic

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Re: Could John Burkett Have Been The Best Bowler Ever?
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2015, 12:37:50 PM »
Amen!
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xrayjay

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Re: Could John Burkett Have Been The Best Bowler Ever?
« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2015, 12:45:37 PM »
I don't think he's bowling for the price money...lol
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spencerwatts

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Re: Could John Burkett Have Been The Best Bowler Ever?
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2015, 11:15:14 AM »
I'm kind of chiming in repeating the same stuff. John Burkett did bowl in a couple of the old PTQ's early in his baseball career while in San Francisco. He was a 200+ average bowler back in the soft plastic/urethane/wood lane days. And as he's even said, it's not like he'd stopped bowling all of these years. The difference is his level of commitment to bowling. This is what he does now. He's in it for a banner and hardware -- and perhaps a little more.
« Last Edit: July 23, 2015, 11:16:55 AM by spencerwatts »
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jbungard

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Re: Could John Burkett Have Been The Best Bowler Ever?
« Reply #8 on: July 23, 2015, 10:58:34 PM »
John Burkett earned $38M during his baseball career. That gives him a lot of freedom to do what he wants, when he wants. He's also been an excellent bowler and supporter of bowling for many years. He clearly had his priorities straight when choosing his profession.
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