Bowling’s Anthony dies at 63

Steve Addy

Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2001 | 12:14 p.m.

For two decades, Earl Anthony competed in PBA tournaments at the Showboat Bowling Center in Las Vegas (now the Castaways). Here are Anthony's best finishes at the Showboat:

VICTORIES (1)

1990 -- PBA Showboat Senior Open

RUNNER-UP (5)

1975 -- PBA Showboat Invitational (won by Carmen Salvino)

1976 -- PBA Showboat Invitational (Wayne Zahn)

1977 -- PBA Showboat Invitational (Mark Roth)

1979 -- PBA National Championship (Mike Aulby)

1981 -- PBA Showboat Invitational (Mark Roth)

Like any Las Vegas tourist, bowling superstar Earl Anthony won a little and lost a little, but lady luck seemed to have the upper hand.

Anthony, who died Tuesday in suburban Milwaukee at age 63, was the winningest bowler of all time, and he competed in Las Vegas events for two decades.

But despite winning 48 PBA tournaments, including a record 41 on the Pro Bowlers Tour, Anthony's only local victory came in the 1990 Showboat Senior Open at Showboat Bowling Center (now the Castaways).

Anthony was once the all-time money leader in the annual PBA Showboat Invitational, but the lean lefty also experienced plenty of frustration in the event. He finished second three straight years (1975-77) and again in 1981.

Anthony also placed second in 1979 when the Showboat hosted the PBA National Championship, as Mike Aulby beat him 245-217 for his first pro victory.

"His record speaks for itself, but Earl just wasn't lucky (in Las Vegas)," said PBA Hall of Famer Mike Durbin, 60, who lives in Boulder City. "He was so good, every player got fired up to play him. You tried harder when you played Earl."

That was truly the case, said longtime PBA star Don Johnson of Las Vegas, who won 26 tournaments from 1964-77. He beat Anthony twice in the finals of the New Orleans Open, 1970 and 1977, the latter for his final tour victory.

"Earl won 41 tournaments and he took second 42 times," said Johnson, 61, a PBA Hall of Famer. "I tell people I got lucky two times. If you got the chance to play Earl in one game (in the finals), you might beat him. But over a whole tournament, he was going to beat your brains out."

Durbin, the winner of 14 PBA events from 1967-85, including three Firestone Tournament of Champions, recalled pinning a 277-165 loss on Anthony to capture the 1981 Miller High Life Open in Milwaukee.

"But he got even with me two years later when he beat me at the PBA National (at Toledo)," Durbin said. "I knew Earl for 30 years. I bowled with him, announced (on TV) with him, golfed with him, and I really admired him. What he accomplished in bowling, there's just no comparision."

Anthony, a six-time PBA Player of the Year and the sport's first $1 million winner, was found dead early Tuesday at a friend's home in New Berlin, Wis. Ed Baur said he found Anthony at the bottom of a flight of stairs in his home.

"He may have had a heart attack and fallen down the stairs," Baur said.

Anthony had a heart attack in 1977, but no apparent recent ailments. An autopsy was set for today.

"This has been a very depressing day," Johnson said. "I'm totally shocked. Earl was the best. We called him The Man. He was The Man."

In the PBA Showboat Invitational, Anthony lost in the finals to Carmen Salvino in 1975, Wayne Zahn in 1976 and Mark Roth in 1977 and 1981.

Anthony rarely competed in Las Vegas in recent years, but was a frequent visitor. In June, he attended Bowl Expo 2001 at the Convention Center.

"We had a good talk," said Frenchy LeTourneau, longtime owner/publisher of Ten Pin Alley, Las Vegas' monthly bowling newspaper. "As a media person, to have a legend and a Hall of Famer call you by your first name and stop and talk was very special.

"Earl was a class person all the way."

Anthony joined the PBA Tour in 1963, but didn't win any money and returned home to Kent, Wash. He tried again in 1970, and it wasn't long before "Square Earl" became one of bowling's top players.

He earned $107,585 in 1975, becoming the first bowler to top $100,000 in a season. He was named Player of the Year from 1974-76 and 1981-83, and led the tour in scoring from 1973-75 and in 1980 and 1983. He retired temporarily in 1984 with records of $1,216,421 in career winnings and 41 victories. In 1988, Anthony joined the PBA Senior Tour and won seven titles and $225,000. He earned $13,000 for winning the Showboat Seniors in 1990.

Sun reporter Ed Koch and the Associated Press contributed to this story.