Only six weeks remain in the Fall 2011 season and three teams have broken away from the rest of the league on a course towards the Finals. Week #10 is now history and with it came very little movement in the standings. Big performances from several rollers aided their teams in adding more notches in their win column, including a near perfect game by one and another bowler achieving his very first 600+ series. Ready to hear how your favorite team did Tuesday night? Keep on reading, then.At the end of Week #4, the members of No Pinheads took over the top spot on the league standings...and haven't let go yet. With anchor Aubrey Moren hoisting his first 600+ series (a 628) – and earning #1 Power Ranked bowler honors in the process – against opponents Skirtz & Jerkz, the Pinheads remain a full 8 games ahead of everyone else. The Skirtz' Jennifer Seefeldt put up the highest series on their side of the equation, ending the evening with a 370 series but earning no wins in the process. Skirtz & Jerkz fall one spot into 7th place.Ups and downs is the best way to summarize the battle that pitted the Gutterballs against the Mysterious Platypus Appendages on the lanes Tuesday night. With anchor Jason Carpio's team-leading 564 series, the Gutterballs struck first to take Game #1. The Platypi, led this week by Teresa Deterding's 435 series, fought back in a big way to take Game #2. Game #3 was settled in the 10th frame in favor of the Gutterballs but they were unable to overcome the total pins deficit, which was owned by the Platypi. The teams split the series and remain in their respective spots in the league standings – Gutterballs in 5th, Mysterious Platypus Appendages in 6th.After having shown up on Tuesday ready to roll, the members of Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse found out that their competition we be post-bowling later in the week. This didn't stop this week's Most Valuable Bowler Bill Krejci from putting on a clinic. Ending his night with a 605 series, Krejci led his team to a clean sweep over opponents Das Sauer Popes and keeps his team in 3rd place. The Popes received the most firepower from anchor Mike Berlin, who shot a 414 series. Das Sauer Popes remains in 8th place.The last time they faced one another, the Kitten Mittons crushed STFU Donny. Such was not the case this time around. Led by Ken M. Wilson's 631 series – and a new season best individual game from Carl Goetz (a 269, started with 8 strikes in a row) – Donny added another four wins to their record and have extended their win streak to 11 games. Alison Radke led the Mittons with a 386 series. Neither team moved in the league standings: STFU Donny remains in 2nd while the Mittons stay in 4th place.Bowlers lamenting the demise of Octoberfest for the year this week in The 200 Club include: Aubrey Moren (210, 234), Bill Krejci (204, 209), Carl Goetz (269), Ian Goetz (231, 206), Jason Carpio (203), Ken M. Wilson (213, 217, 201), and Seth Gunderson (227).To those of you that have already cast your vote on this season's Hall of Fame ballot, we thank you. For those of you that have not, come on...it'll take you less time than it took to read this write-up.See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Bill Krejci Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Aubrey Moren Runner Up: Bill Krejci	#1 H2H BOWLER Bill Krejci Runner Up: Aubrey Moren
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "I'll be the fluffer!" Alison Radke, chiming in after Carl and Ken announced they were heading down to hump Scoot following both throwing three strikes in a row.

Week 9 of sixteen is now in the history books and with it, only three teams swapped places in the standings...in the top half. While there was no change in the #1 spot, 2nd through 4th place shuffled spots with the lead over the league being cut by one game. While there is still plenty of time to catch the current league leaders, they have only suffered one matchup loss all season long. If any team is going to catch them, it'll at least be two weeks out.Before we get down into the recap from this week's matchups, GutterAlley is proud to announce the six nominees for this season's Hall of Fame vote. Congratulations to Bob Brunker, Carl Goetz, Dennis "Pops" Laube, Janelle "Nellie" (Laube) Lamar, Jason Carpio, and Pat Searcy! Please take a moment of time to vote for your favorite(s). All six are deserving for induction into the Hall but now it's entirely in your hands as to who makes it in. The winner will be announced at the end of this season.In the first matchup of the evening, Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse looked to get back on track against the surging Kitten Mittons. After dropping Game #1, newly married Ryan Doll decided to exchange vows with victories and led his team to a 3-1 matchup win with his 589 series. Game #2 was settled by a mere five pins. The Mitton's Kelly Sands put up a 419 series but it simply wasn't enough to turn the tide. While the Mittons slip down two spots into 4th, their win record is tied with the Reiters at 20-16. Due to total pins, Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse now sits in 3rd place.Despite a broken pair of glasses, the rollers of STFU Donny rose to the occasion in their second matchup against Das Sauer Popes this season to earn the lone sweep of the evening. Led by this week's Most Valuable Bowler Ken M. Wilson – who put up a 669 series – and gaining extra firepower from this week's #1 Power Ranked bowler Ian Goetz, Donny refused to be quiet as they moved up into 2nd place. Mike Berlin led the Popes with a 412 series but it couldn't derail the reigning champions as they continue their quest to claw their way back to the top of the league standings. Das Sauer Popes remains in 8th place.The predictions had called upon the Mysterious Platypus Appendages to fall three games to one against opponents Skirtz & Jerkz. Such was not the case Tuesday night. With Teresa Deterding's 445 series leading the way, the Platypi put a 3-1 hurting on their opponents as they came away with the wins necessary to tie the win record of Skirtz & Jerkz. Lead off roller Neil Rieger's 526 series set the pace for the Jerkz but his teammates simply didn't follow. Although neither team changed positions in the standings, the Skirts 6th place spot over the Platypi's 7th place is only separated by total pins.The last time the Gutterballs met No Pinheads, they became the only team this season to come away with a matchup victory against the current league leaders. History did not repeat itself. Despite a 10th frame mishap in Game #1, the Pinheads' anchor Aubrey Moren struck back to reverse the night's fortunes en route to a 3-1 win compliments of his 581 series. The Gutterballs' Scott Murdock hoisted the highest numbers of the night for his team – a 468 – but it couldn't make a dent after their lone win in the initial battle. Neither team moved at all in the standings with the Pinheads holding onto 1st and the Gutterballs remaining in 5th place.Roller's enjoying a week of being treated rather than tricked in The 200 Club this week include: Aubrey Moren (236), Carl Goetz (229), Dennis Laube (207), Ian Goetz (219, 233), Ken M. Wilson (238, 205, 226), and Ryan Doll (248).Okay, okay, so you've read this far down. Now go and place your vote(s) for the Hall of Fame nominees, pleeeeeeeeeeease. It'll only take under a minute.See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Ken Wilson Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ian Goetz Runner Up: Ken Wilson	#1 H2H BOWLER Ken M. Wilson Runner Up: Ian Goetz
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "I pulled a Ken." Sarah Sauer, after rolling the ball into the gutter and watching it hop out en route to missing the spare...just like Ken had done earlier.

Last season, our bowling community collectively cast its votes for the inaugural class of enshrinees to the GutterAlley Hall of Fame. These four bowlers were tasked with carrying on the Hall's enshrinement duties, promising that one new bowler would make his or her way to join them at the end of every season going forward. We are happy to say that the tradition is about to continue. Read the rest of this entry »

The second best week of the season is always the position round. With the chance to watch the standings swing wildly in any direction, the matchup victories set the stage for a potentially crazy second half. Can the current league leaders hold onto first place? History has proven otherwise, watching them fold like a paper napkin season after season in the second half. Perhaps this is their time...perhaps not. The stage has been set for the second half. Let's go.Regardless of the outcome of the matchup, No Pinheads was going to remain in first place. After taking Game #1 and stealing Game #2, thanks to a below-average performance by anchor Aubrey Moren and his 497 series, Kitten Mittons won a battle of attrition to take Game #3 ending the night with a 3-1 matchup victory in favor of No Pinheads. Nick Allegri led the Kittens with a 421 series. The Pinheads maintain their 9 game lead over the rest of the league while the Kittens remain in 2nd place. After a two pin loss in Game #1, reigning champions STFU Donny decided that enough was enough. With anchor Ken M. Wilson putting up a 633 series, Seth Gunderson contributing this week's Most Valuable Bowler performance, and Ian Goetz earning #1 Power Ranked bowler honors, STFU turned the night around and defeated the members of Gutterballs 3-1. Despite the Gutterballs' Jason Carpio rolling a 596 series, nothing could stop the revitalized Donny. STFU moves up a spot into 3rd while the Gutterballs drop two spots into 5th place.Also making a move was Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse. With Bill Krejci leading the way with his 540 series, the Reiters handed out the first of Tuesday night's two sweep to opponents Skirtz & Jerkz. Even with lead off roller Neil Rieger's 556 series, nothing could put a dent into the Reiter's quest to move up in the standings. The four wins help propel the Apokalypse up two spots into 4th while the Skirtz jerk down one spot into 6th place.The final matchup of the evening saw no change in the league standings, however it did bode well for Mysterious Platypus Appendages. With AJ Hofmann's 465 series leading the way, the Appendages increased their win record by 50%, adding four more victories to improve to 12-20 on the season. Eric Summers put up the best numbers for the Das Sauer Popes – a 353 – but it could never even bring a single game into range for them. The Platypi remain in 7th while the Popes stick to 8th place.Rollers enjoying full pitchers of Octoberfest (finally!!!) this week include The 200 Club: Ian Goetz (218, 212), Jake Parrott (210), Jason Carpio (202), Ken M. Wilson (223, 223), Neil Rieger (209), and Ryan Doll (221).See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Seth Gunderson Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ian Goetz Runner Up: Jason Carpio	#1 H2H BOWLER Jason Carpio Runner Up: Ian Goetz
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "I told you that we should have hugged Pops more." Alison Radke's sweater puppies, conversing after losing close contests to No Pinheads.

With the position round a mere week away, a sense of urgency swept across the league with teams needing to win big Tuesday night during Week #7 in order to face the opponent they most desired. In the end, four teams came out with three wins while the rest of the league took their lumps and walked away with only a single win. While only the bottom half of the league standings shifted around, two teams in the top half managed to extend their lead away from the rest. For those of you not familiar with the position round, next week's matchups will be determined by your placement in the standings. The team in first will face the team in second place, third will face off against fourth, etc. Next week officially marks the midway point of our league. Got it? Okay, let's go.In the first matchup of the night, the rollers on Das Sauer Popes came away with a solid victory in Game #1 compliments of anchor Mike Berlin and his team leading 451 series. After that, however, the night belonged entirely to Skirtz & Jerkz' very own Jennifer Seefeldt. Rolling a 516 series – which included her very first 200+ game, a 203 – Jenn reversed her teams fortunes to come away with a 3-1 victory. The wins allow the Skirtz to leapfrog up one spot into fifth while opponents Das Sauer Popes slip one spot into 8th place. Make no mistake, the Kitten Mittons are on the prowl...and their latest victims were the members of Gutterballs. After having let Game #1 get away from them, mainly due to the Balls' lead off roller Jonathan Vigliaturo's 461 series, the Mittons' Nick Allegri brought his highest output of the season thus far to take complete command of their matchup. Ending the night with a 516 series – and earning the #1 Power Ranked bowler nod in the process – Allegri made the difference for the Kittens who remain in 2nd and will take on the current league leaders next week. The Gutterballs, despite dropping three games, remain in 3rd place.In what should have been a great night for STFU Donny to shorten the lead that first place team No Pinheads has over the league turned into a rout in reverse. With the Pinheads' Dennis "Pops" Laube throwing his highest series this season – and coming away with Most Valuable Bowler honors as well – the 540 series missed a clean sweep of STFU Donny by a mere three pins in Game #3. Donny's underperforming anchor Ken M. Wilson led his team with a 548 series but amazingly remained in 4th place despite the big losses. The Pinheads now hold a five game lead over the rest of the league and will face Kitten Mittons in the position round. STFU Donny will battle the 3rd place Gutterballs. This season hasn't been too kind to the Mysterious Platypus Appendages...but the bowlers of Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse certainly were down on Lanes 25 & 26. With the Appendages' Teresa Deterding putting up a 406 series, the team bounced back after being out-bowled by the Reiters in Game #1. The high output from Deterding proved to be the winning factor in their equation allowing the team to move out of 8th for the first time in quite a while, landing in 7th place. Bill Krejci led the bowlers on Vier Reiter with a 475 series but it simply wasn't enough to stop the Platypi. Krejci and crew drop one spot in the league standings to find themselves in 6th place.Bowlers wondering what the position round will bring next week while hanging out in The 200 Club include: Dennis Laube (202), Jenn Seefeldt (203), and Ken M. Wilson (202).See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Dennis Laube Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Nick Allegri Runner Up: Kelly Sands	#1 H2H BOWLER Nick Allegri Runner Up: Kelly Sands
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "A 147 and a 149?!? Wow, son. Seth and I take one night off and you and Ken roll like No Pinheads did all last season." Carl Goetz, vowing to put the team on his shoulders and carry them to victory.

We're now six weeks into the season and one team has resoundingly pulled out ahead of the rest of the pack. While half the league jump all over the place in the standings, the other half remained steadfastly in their current positions. The position round is just around the corner so wins this week and next week are truly important leading into the mid-point of the Fall 2011 season. Ready to see how everyone did? Let's go.After a bad opening week of the season, the members of No Pinheads began a run that has resulted in them sitting in first place a full five games ahead of the rest of the league. Their latest victims? Mysterious Platypus Appendages. Led by Aubrey Moren's 564 series – and accompanied by this week's Most Valuable Bowler Freda Schroeder – the Pinheads added yet another four wins to their record to improve to 20-4, the best record in the league. The Platypi, led this week by AJ Hofmann's 416 series, continue to look for answers as they remain firmly rooted in 8th place. After being blanked last season in all three of their matchups by the eventual champions, Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse decided to exact their revenge Tuesday night...and did so emphatically. Led by Bill Krejci and his 581 series, the Reiters handed out a 3-1 smack down to STFU Donny. Despite Donny's Ian Goetz throwing the highest series of the night – a 626 – STFU was simply unable to stop the rolling Reiters. The wins push Der Apokalypse up a spot into 5th while the reigning champions drop two spots into 4th place.Third place seems to suit the bowlers of Gutterballs as the their 3-1 win over opponents Skirtz & Jerkz kept them firmly rooted in the same spot as last week. With former anchor Jason Carpio leading the charge with his 556 series, the Gutterballs seemed poised to come away with a clean sweep until the Jerkz' Neil Rieger showed up with his 584 series – earning him the #1 Power Ranked bowler nod this week – to come away with a four pin victory in Game #3 and staving off being swept two weeks in a row. Despite their bad luck here lately, the Skirtz fall only one spot into 6th place.Down on Lanes 25 & 26, Kitten Mittons is quickly causing a revolution. Adding four more wins to their record – and leaping more spots in the standings than any other team this week – the Mittons punished opponents Das Sauer Popes as they moved up to 2nd place. With anchor Nick Allegri leading the way with his 497 series, the Kitten Mittons were able to keep Das Sauer Popes winless Tuesday night. Sarah Sauer provided the most fire-power the Popes, ending the night with a 448 series and remaining in 7th place.Bowlers still accusing one another of hiding the Octoberfest beer kegs at The 200 Club this week include: Aubrey Moren (224), Bill Krejci (219), Carl Goetz (203, 213), Ian Goetz (246), Jason Carpio (204), Ken M. Wilson (239, 206), Neil Rieger (203, 213), Orion Kinkaid (201), and Ryan Doll (226).See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Freda Schroeder Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Neil Rieger Runner Up: Ian Goetz	#1 H2H BOWLER Ian Goetz Runner Up: Neil Rieger
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Their old hearts can't take the excitement of being in first place for this long. You're killing them!!!" Ken, explaining to Ian and Seth how their team's continued losses are helping to keep No Pinheads in first place.

As the league puts Week #5 to rest, five teams shuffled spots in the league standings with three moving up and two dropping down. While the team at the top of the heap holds onto their spot for a second straight week, the teams in second through sixth place played musical chairs with a mere three games separating them all from one another. The big surprise on the lanes came from the team that moved up two spots behind an outstanding performance from a man earning his first MVB and #1 Power Ranking nod on the same night. Read on to get the full story...In the first matchup of the night, the Gutterballs looked to get back to their winning ways even though schedules didn't allow the team to bowl together. With two bowlers taking care of their games over lunch – including a team-leading 434 series from Jonathan Vigliaturo – the Gutterballs managed to secure a 3-1 matchup victory over opponents Das Sauer Popes. The Popes' Mike Berlin put up a 408 series to lead his teammates, putting up his best score of the night during Game #2, to earn them their lone win of the night. The Sauer Popes remain in 7th while the Gutterballs' three notches in the W column push them up one spot into 3rd plea.Down a pair on Lanes 21 & 22, Kitten Mittons' very own Ryan Simonet wanted to remind opponents Skirtz & Jerkz what it was like to be swept, and did so emphatically. Earning both his first Most Valuable Bowler award as well as coming in as this week's #1 Power Ranked bowler, Simonet's 460 series – along with anchor Nick Allegri's 462 series – crushed the Skirtz & Jerkz in a clean sweep. Despite a valiant effort from anchor Jennifer Seefeldt, who led the team with a 500 series, the team could simply not stop Simonet and crew. Adding their four games into their record, Kitten Mittons jumps two spots up into 4th while the Skirtz jerk down three spots into 5th place. After falling victim to last week's MVB and #1 Power Ranked bowler and feeling the sting that the Skirtz & Jerkz felt this week, STFU Donny got back into the swing of things to stay in the hunt for another title. Led by anchor Ken M. Wilson's 648 series, STFU Donny earned a 3-1 matchup victory over the Mysterious Platypus Appendages. Game #3 belong entirely to the Appendages as Teresa Deterding led the team with her 468 series to earn the team their lone win. Donny inched up one spot into 2nd while the Platypi remain in 8th place.The final battle of the night pitted league leaders No Pinheads against Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse. With newly promoted anchor Aubrey Moren settling into his new role, the Pinheads earned a big 3-1 win served up by Moren's 561 series. The wins keep the Pinheads in first place by a margin of four games. The Apokalypse, who featured sub Greg Middleton coming back into the league for the first time since the Spring 2010 season, was led by Rob Kaszuba and his 504 series. The wins went back and forth between the teams until the Pinheads break the see-saw and took total pins. Vier Reiter's slip one spot in the standings and find themselves in 6th place.Bowlers lamenting the lack of Octoberfest at the bar in the The 200 Club this week include: Aubrey Moren (219, 202), Carl Goetz (213), Ian Goetz (210) and Ken M. Wilson (255, 202).With the nomination process ending in the next few weeks, please take a moment to check out the eligible bowlers and nominate as many as you'd like as the next enshrinee into the GutterAlley Hall of Fame. Thank you!See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Ryan Simonet Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ryan Simonet Runner Up: Jennifer Seefeldt	#1 H2H BOWLER Teresa Deterding Runner Up: Ian Goetz
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "I like hugging Allison. She's real nice and firm!" Name withheld – although you know who you are – after giving a congratulatory hug to Radke upon a good frame.

With the Fall 2011 season a quarter of the way complete, things are shaping up to make this season interesting. After four weeks, three different teams have sat atop the league standings. One bowler put on the performance of the season thus far, securing both of the top weekly honors while obliterating the reigning champs. Did we mention that this season was going to be interesting? Read on...Please, if you could spare a minute or two, click over and nominate someone for the GutterAlley Hall of Fame. Only one bowler will make it in this season and we will be closing the nominations the week of the position round. In the first matchup of the evening, the Mysterious Platypus Appendages looked to reverse their season's negative fortunes and seemed poised to do so after taking Game #1 from opponents Kitten Mittons. The Mittons' Nick Allegri, however, quickly put that to an end with a 412 series and led his team to a 3-1 matchup victory over the Platypi. AJ Hofmann led the Mysterious Appendages with his 411 series but it was only good enough to earn one win, leaving them in 8th place. Kitten Mittons claw their way up into 6th place with the addition of their three wins.Look out, league! There's a new sheriff in town and they go by the name they've had since the end of the Jurassic period – No Pinheads. Facing opponents Das Sauer Popes, the Pinheads survived a close Game #1 before coasting to a clean sweep compliments of Dennis "Pops" Laube's team-leading 476 series. The Popes, who were led this week by Sarah Sauer and her 394 series, slide back down to 7th place. With their four wins, the Pinheads ascend to the top spot in the league standings with their impressive 13-3 record.Down a pair on Lanes 24 & 24, three of the Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse helped their competition continue their downward slide in the standings. With Bill Krejci leading the way for the riders with his 502 series, the team nearly pulled off a sweep but fell 17 pins shy of doing so in Game #3 and came away with a 3-1 matchup victory. Despite the wins, they remain in 5th place due to a total pins tiebreaker. Opponents Gutterballs find themselves dropping down another notch into 4th place. The Balls were led this week by Jason Carpio and his 499 series.Having planned on bringing his A game when he faced the league's reigning champs, Neil Rieger of Skirtz & Jerkz found defeating the competition to be pretty easy...'specially when your lone teammate for the evening is Orion Kinkaid. While Rieger did lead the team with a 553 series, Tuesday night belonged entirely to Kinkaid who came away with Most Valuable Bowler and #1 Power Ranked bowler honors with his 541 series. Former first place holders STFU Donny were completely silenced as the Jerkz swept them off the lanes. The wins propel Skirtz & Jerkz up into 2nd while Donny drops to 3rd place. Carl Goetz led the hapless Donny, ending his night with a 571 series.Bowlers who discussed who they were going to nominate for the GutterAlley Hall of Fame this season while hanging out in The 200 Club this week include: Carl Goetz (224), Orion Kinkaid (214) and Seth Gunderson (221).See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Orion Kinkaid Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Orion Kinkaid Runner Up: Neil Rieger	#1 H2H BOWLER Orion Kinkaid Runner Up: Neil Rieger
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "God, Kenny...I knew I should have aborted you when I had the chance. Your team would agree with me." Pat Wilson, upon hearing that son Ken was this week's LEAST Valuable Bowler.

With averages leveling out after three weeks of bowling, things typically begin to settle down and we start to see which teams are hell bent on proving that they are in it to win it. Tuesday night's performances, however, contained a mishmash of scores – some way up, some way down – that once again shifted around the league standings...including an interesting tie at the top of the heap. If you haven't taken a moment to nominate someone for the Hall of Fame, please consider doing so. It'll only take you a couple of minutes and would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!One of the most anticipated matchups of the evening proved to be a clash of the titans with last season's 2nd best team Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse taking on newcomers Skirtz & Jerkz. While the Reiters charged head first into battle and took Game #1 behind anchor Ryan Doll's 509 series, it was the output of the Jerkz' Neil Reiger that reversed his team's fortunes to secure a 3-1 victory for the night. Reiger led his team with a 541 series and propelled his team two spots up into 4th while the Apokalypse slipped one spot directly behind their opponents into 5th place.In the battle for first place, the Gutterballs looked to extend their time at the top of the league standings by beating down reigning champs STFU Donny. Things did not work out for them at all. With Donny's anchor Ken M. WIlson rolling a 672 and narrowly missing being added to the newly released Top 25 Series of All Time with his series, the team reclaimed their #1 spot by a total pins tiebreaker. Wilson was also this week's #1 Power Ranked bowler. Despite the Gutterballs' Jason Carpio throwing a 527 – and moving up to 2nd place on the Top 25 Most Improved Bowlers of All Time – the team simply could not buy a win and tumbled two spots down into 3rd place. Seth Gunderson wants to personally and proudly tell John Vigliaturo to STFU, Johnny, for all the trash-talk throughout the day.Down on Lanes 23 and 24, the Das Sauer Popes and Mysterious Platypus Appendages teeter-tottered back and forth with their wins and ended the night with a 2-2 split. The Platypi struck first, taking Game #1 by a mere nine pins behind anchor Jake Parrott's 455 series. Game #2 was owned by the Popes, who were led by anchor Mike Berlin and his 490 series. Game #3 went to the Platypi but ended up losing total pins to the Popes by a spread of four pins. Talk about close! With two wins apiece, Das Sauer Popes moves one spot in the standings up into 6th while the Mysterious Platypus Appendages remain in 8th place.The final matchup of the evening proved that you don't have to be present to be the week's Most Valuable Bowler. Having pre-bowled earlier, No Pinheads' very own Freda Schroeder provided the necessary MVB oomph – along with Aubrey Moren's team-leading 597 series – to land her team a clean sweep of opponents Kitten Mittons. The Mittons, led by anchor Nick Allegri and his 445 series, tried their best but fell short each game and find themselves dropping two spots into 7th place. No Pinheads, on the other hand, leap up into 2nd place with a 9-3 series and only trail the top spot by total pins. Bowlers enjoying their last days of summer in The 200 Club this week include: Aubrey Moren (202, 216), Ian Goetz (204, 207), Jason Carpio (216), Ken M. Wilson (232, 231, 209) and Seth Gunderson (205).See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Freda Schroeder Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ken Wilson Runner Up: Seth Gunderson	#1 H2H BOWLER Ken M. Wilson Runner Up: Seth Gunderson
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Any time you guys want to team hump me, go right ahead." Scott Murdock, striking immediately after receiving a "group mount" from STFU Donny.

Ahh, the uncertainty of Week #2. If there was ever a week tailor made to wreak havoc on everything from averages to the league standings, it's the second week of any season. Week #2 of the Fall 2011 was no exception with every single team changing places in the standings, averages swinging wildly and Scoot's team ascending into the top spot. In other words, hell has frozen over.In the first matchup of the night, the reigning champs STFU Donny had planned to extend their win streak after a perfect start Week #1 but ran head first into the men of Kitten Mittons. With Kelly Sands' mantra "make your own luck" leading the charge, anchor Nick Allegri shot a team high 443 to rally for a 3-1 matchup victory after dropping Game #1 by a mere six pins. Ian Goetz shot a 542 series for STFU Donny but it simply wasn't enough to secure anything more than their lone initial victory. With the wins, the Mittons claw their way up to 5th while STFU Donny has their rug stolen and fall to 2nd place. Vowing to not end up in last place, Das Sauer Popes made true on their promise and hand delivered a 3-1 beat down of powerhouse team Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse. With this week's Most Valuable Bowler performance coming from the Popes' Mike Berlin and his 521 series, Das tamed the Apokalypse in Games #1 and #2 before succumbing in Game #3 to Ryan Doll and his 580 series. Das Sauer Popes skips up into 7th while the Reiters ride down into 4th place.After a rocky start in Week #1, the members of No Pinheads found themselves in the bottom half of the league standings. That's when Aubrey Moren and this week's #1 Power Ranked bowler Phil Schroeder stepped up and both shot a 529 series apiece to get back into the groove of things. Coming away with a clean sweep of opponents Skirtz & Jerkz, the Pinheads jumped two spots up into 3rd place due to a total pins tiebreaker. Neil Reiger led the Jerkz with a 483 series but it simply wasn't enough to earn a win. Skirtz & Jerkz drop two spots into 6th place.In the last matchup of the night down on Lanes 25-26, the Gutterballs added another four ticks in their win column to improve to the best record in the league. With Jason Carpio leading the way with a 501 series, the team didn't let up at all en route to their first sweep of the season. The Mysterious Platypus Appendages, falling two spots, find themselves in 8th place despite the team-leading 393 from anchor Jake Parrot. Bowlers chilling out in the cool Fall air this week at The 200 Club include: Aubrey Moren (214), Dennis "Pops" Laube (215) and Ryan Doll (211, 211).See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Mike Berlin Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Phil Schroeder Runner Up: Kelly Sands	#1 H2H BOWLER Mike Berlin Runner Up: Phil Schroeder
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "They are only just NOW starting their third game?!? These people are slower than that Corky kid." Janitor Joe Dirt, thinking everyone in the league was finishing up for the night until he saw No Pinheads was still rolling.

Had anyone asked league founder – and Hall of Famer – Angela Bradford in our inaugural season how long she thought the VML Bowling League would last, I doubt she would have been anywhere close to right. And here we are, twelve years later, currently bowling in our 24th session. Next season will be the 25th in our collective history and we here at GutterAlley thought it would be fun to look back upon the best, the worst and the oddest records that we could dig up since we began the task of keeping scores in the Spring of 2002.Each week, leading up to the kickoff of our 25th season, we'll put up at least one new Top 25 list for everyone to enjoy. For those of you that have been in the league for a while, these lists may conjure up names and teams that you haven't thought about in ages. The lists aim to both honor and entertain. Sure, we'll kick out Top 25 lists that will not be too much of a surprise (all-time top games, top win records, etc.) but there will be plenty of rankings that will hopefully bring either a smile to your face or a look of absolute puzzlement.That second expression is exactly what we encountered when we decided to dig up the information on our very first list...in which we will actually list the top 50 largest individual swings in-between games. We went with a top 50 as what better way to kick this campaign off than with a list twice the size of all the rest (well, that, and there are a lot of ties in the first 25)?!?So, without further adieu, check out our first list of many coming your way...Top 25 (Okay, 50) Largest Swings In-Between GamesIf you have any ideas for other lists you'd like to see, please let us know.Enjoy!

Hey, gang! Please don't forget that there will be no bowling this week due to a private party at the NKC Pro Bowl. We'll pick right up where we left off next Tuesday – September 6th – for our official Week #2.See you next Tuesday!

The Fall 2011 season – the 24th in league history – is officially underway now that the eight teams have rolled their first series of games. Scattered amongst the numerous returning veterans were three brand new bowlers along with two substitutes. GutterAlley officially welcomes Kim Wallace, Jonathan Vigliaturo and Gary Schroer into the league and to subs-turned-full-timers Mike Berlin and Neil Rieger as well. One of these five will come away with Rookie of the Season honors at the end of the season. REMINDER: We will not be bowling next week due to NKC Pro-Bowl being rented out for a private party. Our league will reconvene on Tuesday, September 6th to pick up where we left off.The first matchup of the evening featured long-time leaguers (and apparently permanently named) No Pinheads versus the half-new/half-old Gutterballs. The Pinheads, led by lead off bowler Aubrey Moren and his 482 series, took Game #1 before the Gutterballs' very own Jason Carpio woke up and went into overdrive. Stealing Game #2 by a single pin, the Gutterballs needed every bit of Carpio's 601 series – as well as this week's Most Valuable Bowler performance by newcomer Jonathan Vigliaturo – in order to turn the tides and come away with a 3-1 matchup victory over No Pinheads. The wins starts the Gutterballs' season off right, pushing them into 2nd while No Pinheads begin their title hunt in 5th place. Down a pair on Lanes 19 & 20, the most oddly named team this season – Mysterious Platypus Appendages – took on the co-ed team Skirtz & Jerkz. With Orion Kinkaid leading the way with his out of the game 483 series, the Jerkz looked to be well on their way to a sweep until they were derailed by a mere six pins. All three bowlers present for MPA tonight threw games well above their averages to secure the come-from-behind victory. Teresa Deterding led the MPAs with her 410 series. Skirtz and Jerkz find themselves after the first week in 4th with a record of 3-1 while the MPAs start the season in 6th with the reverse record.After a stellar run last season, the returning members of the renamed Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse wasted no time at all in re-establishing themselves as a team with which to be reckoned. Led by Bill Krejci and his 526 series, the three horsemen and one horselady ended their inaugural night with a 3-1 matchup win over the returning Kitten Mittons, last seen in the Fall of 2010. Ryan Simonet led all bowlers on the Mittons with his 373 series and secured their lone win of the evening. Der Apokalypse gallop up into 3rd while the Mittons quietly cover their paws in 7th place.Having wrapped up the title last season, reigning champions STFU Donny has given noticed that they intend to keep their crown at the end of this season as well. Beginning their season with the lone sweep of the evening over opponents Das Sauer Popes, STFU quickly takes over the first place spot. Anchor Ken M. Wilson's 608 series led the team as well as earned him #1 Power Ranked bowler honors, proving that STFU Donny is not out of their element. The Popes' MIke Berlin smoked up the lanes with his 420 series to lead his team in the losing effort. The Popes begin their season in 8th place.Bowlers having a drink on the house this week at The 200 Club include: Carl Goetz (234), Jason Carpio (225, 211) and Ken M. Wilson (210, 250).Gazing into the crystal ball of the league's very own fortune teller, Murdock the Kinda Good at Times foresees three sweeps next week and one 3-1 outcome across the league. The sweeps, he claims, will belong to STFU over Kitten Mittons, Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse over Das Sauer Popes and No Pinheads over Skirtz and Jerkz. He calls for a single pin victory by the Mysterious Platypus Appendages before Gutterballs reverses their own fortune and takes the matchup 3-1. Will these predictions come true? Who the hell knows. See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Jonathan Vigliaturo Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ken Wilson Runner Up: Jason Carpio	#1 H2H BOWLER Jason Carpio Runner Up: Ken M. Wilson
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "I went down all the way and came up with nothing." Jennifer Seefeldt, after missing a single-pin spare at the last second.

Well, gang, we are exactly one week away from kicking off the Fall 2011 session of the VML Bowling League, aka GutterAlley! We hope that everyone enjoyed their summer break. During the off-season, good old North Kansas City Pro-Bowl purchased a brand new $47,000 oil machine for the lanes. Upon arrival to roll some practice games during the break after the new machine had been put to use, two employees warned us that we "wouldn't like it." So to anyone that throws a fingertip ball, beware – the shot is radically different than it was last season and it may take you a bit to adjust to the new patterns. Consider yourself warned, hookers!For those of you that are new to the league – including those few that have subbed in the past and have decided to join us full time this season – welcome! New recruits this go around include Gary Schroer, Jonathan Vigliaturo, Kim Wallace, Mike Berlin and Neil Rieger.START DATE: Tuesday, August 23rd at 6:20PM (league bowling starts at 6:30 after ten minutes of practice)LOCATION: NKC Pro Bowl, 505 East 18th Avenue, North Kansas City, MO 64116. Anyone that has been in the league pretty much knows everything else that's about to be told but, just in case you are bored and/or need a refresher, here's the GutterAlley 101 so that you know what to expect in our league: Read the rest of this entry »

And that does it! With the roster completely full, it's time to pick teams. To speed the process up, we here at GutterAlley are going to take a stab at what we think are going to be the teams this season based upon emails received during the recruitment process.Team 1Logjammin' -- Jonathan Vigliaturo, Gary Schroer, Scott Murdock, Jason Carpio*Team 2No Pinheads -- Aubrey Moren, Phil Schroeder, Dennis "Pops" Laube, Freda Schroeder*Team 3Mysterious Platypus Appendages -- Aaron Chandler, Teresa Deterding, AJ Hofmann, Jake Parrott*Team 4Skirtz & Jerkz -- Neil Rieger*, Kim Wallace, Orion Kinkaid, Jennifer Seefeldt Team 5Vier Reiter Der Apokalypse -- Kelly Anderson, Rob Kaszuba, Bill Krejci, Ryan Doll*Team 6Kitten Mittons -- Alison Radke*, Kelly Sands, Ryan Simonet, Nick Allegri Team 7Das Sauer Popes -- Emily Podhajsky*, Eric Summers, Sarah Sauer, Mike Berlin Team 8STFU Donny -- Seth Gunderson, Ian Goetz, Carl Goetz, Ken M. Wilson*If this is not the case, please let me know as soon as possible.Once a team is officially set, we will bold it. In order to make a team "official," we need to know three pieces of information:1. The order in which you want to bowl...2. Your team's name...3. The team captain.That's it!

With summer winding down it's time to once again turn our attention toward filling up the 32-person roster for the next session of the VML Bowling League. Starts: August 23rd at 6:30pm (practice starting at 6:20)Ends: December 20th (total of 17 weeks, skipping August 30th*)Cost: $14 per week, does include the cost of rental shoes (full-time VMLers will tentatively pay only $8/week)Location: NKC Pro-BowlHere are the brave souls that have signed up so far to battle this season:1. Ken M. Wilson2. Ian Goetz3. Aubrey Moren4. Ryan Doll5. Scott Murdock6. Anna Lahey7. Bill Krejci8. Teresa Deterding9. Seth Gunderson10. Aaron Chandler11. Jake Parrott12. AJ Hofmann13. Phil Schroeder14. Freda Schroeder15. Dennis "Pops" Laube16. Sarah Manning17. Rob Kaszuba18. Jonathan Vigliaturo 19. Gary Schroer20. Kelly Anderson21. Carl Goetz22. Alison Radke23. Ryan Simonet24. Kelly Sands25. Nick Allegri26. Jason Carpio27. Neil Rieger28. Orion Kinkaid29. Jennifer Seefeldt30. Emily Podhajsky31. Mike Berlin32. Sarah Sauer

The Kansas City Corporate Challenge bowling competition took place on Saturday, June 18th. Teams from all across the Greater Kansas City area competed in the annual event with VML digging in to face 'em all in Division E. The competition was strong but bowlers throughout GutterAlley's history showed up and came away with medals.The women's team was comprised of GutterAlley's own Sabrina Gray and Sarah Sauer along with VMLers Shelly Ledbetter and Kim Wallace. Ledbetter led the team with her 401 series. In a field of 16 teams, the women finished in 9th place.The men's team – who had never won a medal in the company's history – came away with the bronze medal behind a stellar performance by Brian Eye. Eye, finishing 10th overall in the individual competition for men (this includes both the men's field as well as the men in the co-ed competition), led the team with a 628 series. League bowler Orion Kinkaid and substitute Mike Berlin rolled alongside Eye and VMLer Jeff Berney to cap off the historic run.Year after year, the co-ed team has chased the gold medal and walked away with more silver and bronze medals than they care to remember. The 2011 competition served up yet another incredible – albeit BARELY dashed – run as four title winners (including two Hall of Famers) missed going home with the gold by a mere 13 pins. Comprised of Jennifer Seefeldt, Angela Bradford, Bill Krejci and Ken M. Wilson, the team narrowly missed that ever-elusive gold. Seefeldt earned a second medal as she rolled the second highest series overall for women in the entire division, ending her day with a 466 series. Individual finishes:Women's: Jennifer Seefeldt - 466 (155 average)Angela Bradford - 420 (140 average) Shelly Ledbetter - 401 (133 average)Sarah Sauer - 359 (119 average)Sabrina Gray - 349 (116 average)Kim Lawless - 248 (82 average)Men's:Brian Eye - 628 (209 average)Ken M. Wilson - 589 (196 average)Bill Krejci - 541 (180 average)Orion Kinkaid - 490 (163 average)Mike Berlin - 437 (145 average)Jeff Berney - 398 (132 average)Congratulations to everyone!

The Spring 2011 session of the VML Bowling League officially came to a close Tuesday with league president Ken M. Wilson and secretary/treasurer Scott "Scooter J" Murdock presiding over the semi-annual Fun Night. The league crowned title winners Seth Gunderson, Ian Goetz, Carl Goetz and Wilson for their first place finish. Prize money was handed out to all the other teams based upon their win records.1. S*I*C*K (48-16)2. Dolls and Balls (37.5-26.5)3. Istanbowl Turkey (36-28)4. No Pinheads (35.5-28.5)5. SucmaBOWLS (29-35)6. Tonganoxie Doglift (28-36)7. Eat Split and DI (26-38)8. Touch My Vlad (16-48)Those bowlers earning extra money in their envelopes for having rolled the best individual achievements this season included:Angela Bradford - Women’s High Series Scratch (547)Kelly Anderson - Women’s High Game Scratch (180)Teresa Deterding - Women’s High Series Handicap (612)Sabrina Gray - Women’s High Game Handicap (218)Carl Goetz - Men’s High Series Scratch (683)Ian Goetz - Men’s High Game Scratch (254)Ken M. Wilson - Men’s High Series Handicap (705)Bill Riley - Men’s High Game Handicap (281)The winners of the season favorites were also announced. Taking the individual honors in the various categories this year were:Rookie of the Season - Kelly Anderson (Russell Madsen, runner-up)Captain of the Season - Ryan Doll (Ken M. Wilson, runner-up)Defensive Bowler of the Season - Carl Goetz (Ryan Doll, runner-up)Underdog of the Season - Kelly Anderson (Sabrina Gray, runner-up)Bob Brunker Good Sportsmanship Award - Emily Podhajsky (Jake Parrott, runner-up)People's Choice: Most Valuable Bowler - Carl Goetz (Ken M. Wilson, runner-up)The bowlers that were their team's Most Valuable Bowler were also mentioned:Team 1: Carl Goetz / Ken M. Wilson = S*I*C*KTeam 2: Chris Able = Touch My VladTeam 3: Aubrey Moren = No PinheadsTeam 4: Kelly Anderson / Rob Kaszuba / Bill Krejci / Ryan Doll = Dolls and BallsTeam 5: Scott Murdock = Istanbowl TurkeyTeam 6: Russell Madsen = Tonganoxie DogliftTeam 7: AJ Hofmann / Jake Parrott = Eat Split and DITeam 8: Orion Kinkaid = SucmaBOWLSCarl Goetz and Ken M. Wilson tied as the overall Most Valuable Bowlers for the season according to the infamous ScooterMath™-driven "George Bailey Report" with the entire team of Dolls and Balls (Anderson, Kaszuba, Krejci and Doll) along with Chris Able as the runner-ups.The evening concluded with the first ever inductions into the newly formed GutterAlley Hall of Fame. The inaugural class consisted of long-time veterans Angela Bradford, Scott "Scooter J" Murdock, Freda Schroeder and Ken M. Wilson.Each was presented a bowling pin painted in their likeness as their official trophy welcoming them into the Hall of Fame. We'd like to send a gigantic thank you to Ken's wife Melissa Wilson for hand-painting each of the four bowling pins.Pictured from left to right: Ken M. Wilson, Freda Schroeder, Angela Bradford and Scott Murdock.On behalf of the league, we wish that everyone has a great summer break and hope to see you all back in the fall.Enjoy!

The Spring 2011 season has officially come to a close with the results of the Finals now in. Three of the four members from last year's championship team repeated as the first place finishers – congratulations to Seth Gunderson, Ian Goetz, Carl Goetz and Hall of Famer Ken M. Wilson. In the end, three teams swapped places in the league standings as four sweeps were handed out tonight in the matchups. Ready for the final rundown? Let's hit it...The last time that S*I*C*K met up with opponents Dolls and Balls, they crushed 'em. Earlier in the season when they first met up, the team's namesake had to roll with his opposite hand to avoid forfeiting. Nonetheless, they were crushed. So, here in the Finals, were they able to exact their revenge? Not a chance, thanks to S*I*C*K's lead off bowler Seth Gunderson. Saving his best series of the season for last, Gunderson's led the entire league as the champs once again blanked 2nd place Dolls and Balls 4-0. The Balls' Bill Krejci led his team with a 530 series but it simply wasn't enough to derail Seth and crew. Gunderson's performance, which earned him the #1 Power Ranked bowler nod, cemented his team's 48-16 record – the 3rd highest in league history. Dolls and Balls finished with a record of 37.5-26.5.Having nothing to lose and nothing to gain, No Pinheads entered the Finals knowing that no matter what happened they would end up in 4th place. Despite this knowledge, they didn't let it stop them from absolutely routing opponents Istanbowl Turkey. With only two bowlers – and Dennis "Pops" Laube leading the charge with his 538 series – the Pinheads destroyed the Turkeys in a 4-0 matchup showdown. Hall of Famer Angela Bradford put up the highest numbers for the Turkeys, ending her season with a 509 series. While the outcome didn't change either team's respective spot in the standings, the Pinheads managed to come within half a game of the Turkeys but remain in 4th place nonetheless with their 35.5-28.5 record. Istanbowl Turkey survives in 3rd place with a record of 36-28.Two weeks ago, SucmaBOWLS' member Dave Winger celebrated his very first Most Valuable Bowler win. So what did Winger do in the Finals? He earned it again. With teammate Orion Kinkaid's 455 series leading the way, Winger added three above-average games to improve their win record by four to 29-35 to end their season jumping up one spot into 5th place. Opponents Eat Split and DI continued their descent with another four losses, led this week by AJ Hofmann's 341 series, and wind up falling two spots into 7th place with a record of 26-38.The final matchup of the evening pitted Tonganoxie Doglift against Touch My Vlad. True to form, Tonganoxie came out firing and never let up. With rookie sensation Russell Madsen leading his team with a 452 series, the Doglifts wrapped up their season by adding four more notches to their win column and sneaking up into 6th place. Touch, led by Jeremy Stockbridge's 387 series, ended their season in 8th place with a record of 16-48.Only four people spent their night after the Finals hanging out in The 200 Club: Carl Goetz (206), Dennis "Pops" Laube (201), Ken M. Wilson (214) and Seth Gunderson (207, 220).With the conclusion of the season, voting for the Season Favorites is now officially open. Take a couple of minutes to make your end of the season selections.Results from the Season Favorites balloting will be announced next week at the awards ceremony where we'll also hand out the prize money for team wins, the league's Most Valuable Bowler and for the following individual awards:Women's High Series Scratch - Angela Bradford (547)Men's High Series Scratch - Carl Goetz (683)Women's High Game Scratch - Kelly Anderson (180)^*Men's High Game Scratch - Ian Goetz (254)Women's High Series Handicap - Teresa Deterding (612)Men's High Series Handicap - Ken M. Wilson (705)Women's High Game Handicap - Sabrina Gray (218)Men's High Game Handicap - Bill Riley (281)Thanks again to everyone for making this yet another successful season of the VML Bowling League. We hope to see you when the league starts back up in late August.See you next Tuesday!^*The earlier announcement of Freda Schroeder for "Women's High Game Scratch" was in error. Sadly, Rule 3B requires that a bowler actually bowl for 11 weeks of the season to receive Individual Awards. Freda's shoulder injury prevented her from bowling after the 8th week.

THIS WEEK'S MVB Dave Winger Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Seth Gunderson Runner Up: Dennis Laube	#1 H2H BOWLER Seth Gunderson Runner Up: Jeremy Stockbridge
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "I have graduated from using kid balls!" Emily Podhajsky, proudly announcing that she has started bowling with a heavier bowling ball.

With almost 100 votes cast from bowlers representing the entire history of the league, the inaugural class of GutterAlley's Hall of Fame has been selected. Congratulations to Angela Bradford, Scott "Scooter J" Murdock, Freda Schroeder and Ken M. Wilson.The four will be officially inducted into the Hall during this season's award ceremony on May 24th. Angela BradfordAB made her debut in the very first season, actually creating the league and acting as its first president. Throughout her time in the league she has amassed three first place championships, numerous season favorite awards and currently holds the top spot of every single individual achievement for female bowlers – something no other bowler has been able to do in league history.Scott "Scooter J" MurdockMurdock joined the league in the Fall 2001 season and, while not making much noise on the lanes individually, has proven himself invaluable as the league's #1 behind-the-scenes man. Doing all of the programming behind GutterAlley.com since its creation in 2003 as well as being the league's secretary/treasurer season after season, his tireless efforts have earned him a well-deserved HoF nod.Freda SchroederFreda, like her daughter Angela, was part of the very first season in the league's history. During her numerous seasons, Freda has rolled scores that have placed her in the top five of all the individual achievements for female bowlers as well as earned two league championship titles. Freda's early work as the league's first statistician laid the groundwork for what would later become the league's web site.Ken M. WilsonWilson, too, made his debut in the league's very first season. With 11 first place finishes and the league's highest individual game to date under his belt, Ken's bowling career speaks for itself. Serving as the league's president throughout the majority of its history, Wilson has devoted countless hours in keeping the league going season after season. Please join us in both congratulating and thanking these four individuals who, without them, the league would not be what it is today.