Great "Count" John Gengler

[daryld]

This is a story I came Across of a by gone era!!! It was about Count Gengler as there is far and few. He could have been the best to ever throw a ball and we must remember that this was a time when scoring was low and a the toughest bowlers in an area average in the 190's and over 200 was outstanding, NO WALL SHOTS!!!! This happened in Kokomo IND. when bowling was just getting organized and is titled " Hunger for Competition". Compiled by reseach done by Jon Kelley. I will quote his work:
" In January, 1920, Kokomo held its first bowling exhibition when Count John Genglercame to town. Gengler was one of the leading bowlers of the world. He had six 300 games and at one time had thrown 34 strikes in a row. In a 60 game match, bowled in Buffalo and Chicago, he averaged 224.
Gengler packed Menig Alleys to capacity. He bowled against four of Kokomo's best bowlers, defeating them all. Harry O. Davis, KBA president, held a sizable lead against Gengler but eventually lost 608 to 605. Gengler's other victims were Leroy Kulow II, Carl Maudlin and Claude Jones. Gengleraveraged 213 for the 12 games. Even more amazing was that the "Count" only used a one-step delivery. One of his trick shots was throwing a palm ball without putting his thumb or fingers in the ball.
Anyone want to try that!!!

[seniorcitizen]

I heard that he was a class act and bowled in a suit. He never competed in any tournaments but feared nobody and bowled anybody in their own house. For the first half of the last century, he was voted in the top 10 of all time.

[daryld]

Hello SeniorCitizen,
He was a professed action bowler and hustler. Being that he did not always want to be that wel known. Later he became famous but for some reason he felt that his strong point was in head to head matches where he was able to psychologically overcome his opponents. He beat Blouin and his dad in thier house they owned. Considering that Blouin threw the strongest ball in the country and later ended Smith's reign as the top bowler in the country. Back to the Count, he was unable to get the matches in his prime that Smith got and he was angry to the end because of that. When Smith gave him his chance both were over the hill and no fame was a stake. Smith had the match setup his way and the count felt he got the bad end. There was alot of similarity between the count and Rev's matches. Other players bowled in a suit. John Koster of New York was another bowler who threw a palm ball and rack up some hefty scores including the ABC's and had a very interesting career in the New York area.
Mort "Moose" Lindsey out of New Haven Ct. was a fireball bowler who average an unbelieveable 220 in Connecticut and bowled alot in New York, was ABC hall of famer, and feared by many. There was pictures hanging in the Bowlmor of him at one time.