Mark Roth

Mark Roth (born April 10, 1951) is an American retired professional bowler. He won 34 PBA Tour titles in his career (sixth most all-time), captured four PBA Player of the Year awards, and is a member of the PBA and USBC Halls of Fame.[1] He is also known for being the first professional bowler to convert a 7-10 split on national television.[2]

For the biochemist and cell biologist, see Mark Roth (scientist).
Mark Roth
Born (1951-04-10) April 10, 1951
Brooklyn, New York City
NationalityAmerican
Years active1970–2009
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Bowling Information
AffiliationPBA
Rookie year1970
Dominant handRight
Wins34 PBA Tour (2 majors)
2 PBA50 Tour
SponsorsBrunswick

Bowling career

Roth made a splash on the PBA Tour with a cranking, hard-throwing style that spawned a generation of imitators for years to come.[3] Often referred to as "The Original Cranker," he won 34 PBA titles, including two major championships, which both came in 1984 (The U.S. Open and the Touring Players Championship). His first title came in 1975, when he won the PBA King Louie Open in Overland Park, Kansas, and did so with a 299 game against Steve Jones. He also holds, to this day, the PBA record for most season wins, with eight titles earned in 1978.[1] He won the PBA Player of the Year award in three consecutive seasons (1977 through 1979), and won the honor again in 1984.[3] He is notable for being the first bowler to pick up the 7-10 split on television on January 5, 1980 at the ARC Alameda Open at Mel's Southshore Bowl in Alameda, California.[4]

Roth captured his 33rd PBA Tour title in 1987, then went through the longest title drought in his career before winning his 34th and final title at the IOF Foresters Open in 1995.[5] Roth made his last TV appearance at the 1998 PBA Peoria Open, finishing in fifth place with a 190 losing to Tom Baker, who scored 265. After reaching age 50, Roth captured two titles on the PBA Senior Tour (now the PBA50 Tour).[6]

Awards and recognition
  • Inducted into PBA Hall of Fame, 1987.[3]
  • Inducted into USBC Hall of Fame, 2009.[1]
  • Inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, 2014.[7][8]
  • Four-time winner of the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award.
  • Holds the PBA record with eight titles in a single season (1978).
  • Ranked #5 on the PBA's 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years".[9]

Post-career

Around 2002 Mark ran a bowling center in Ellwood City, PA called 'Mark Roth's Hall of Fame Lanes'. This lasted about 6 months and the partnership dissolved. [10]

On June 4, 2009, Roth suffered a stroke which has left him partially paralyzed on his left side.[11]

His rehabilitation is ongoing, but Roth was seen in late March 2010 on his feet and moving around at the Geico Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship, a PBA Tournament named in his honor.[12]

He spent a week in intensive care after a heart attack in April 2019.[13]

Personal life

Roth and his wife Denise[14] reside in Fulton, New York.[11] He is Jewish.[7][8]

Notes
  1. "Roth, Petraglia, Macpherson elected to USBC Hall of Fame". bowlingdigital.com. January 8, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  2. PBABowling, PBA 60th Anniversary Most Memorable Moments #8 - Mark Roth Converts 7-10 Split, retrieved January 12, 2019
  3. "Mark Roth (PBA Hall of Fame bio)". pba.com. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  4. Mark Roth's 1980 televised 7-10 Split spare on YouTube
  5. "Mark Roth (titles list)". mcubed.net. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  6. "All-Time PBA50/Senior Tour Titlists". pba.com. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  7. Schwartz, Peter (September 12, 2014). "National Jewish Sports Hall Of Fame Welcomes Its 2014 Class". CBS News. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  8. National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame induction, newsday.com; accessed June 4, 2017.
  9. "50 Greatest Players in PBA History". pba.com. January 25, 2009. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  10. https://archive.triblive.com/news/hall-of-famer-mark-roth-relocates-to-area/
  11. Waggoner, Jim (June 5, 2009). "Bowling hall-of-famer Mark Roth recovering from recent stroke". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  12. Schneider, Jerry. "Roth-Petraglia Reunion at PBA Geico Mark Roth Championship Brings Back Tour Memories", pba.com, March 25, 2010.
  13. D'Amodio, Joe (May 2, 2019). "Bowling great Mark Roth suffers heart attack". Staten Island Advance. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  14. Official website for Mark Roth
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