onefrombills
10-07-2008, 07:15 PM
Baker wins fourth consecutive POY honor, Webb is ROY, Baldwin receives sportsmanship award
SEATTLE (October 7, 2008) — The PBA announced today that Tom Baker won 2008 PBA Senior Player of the Year honors, Wayne Webb was named PBA Senior Rookie of the Year and Fred Baldwin was awarded the first Dick Weber Sportsmanship Award. The awards for the 2008 PBA Senior Tour season were voted on by PBA membership and national media.
Baker, of King, N.C., won PBA Senior Player of the Year honors for a record fourth consecutive season. Although he did not win a tournament in 2008, he led the point standings with 137,165 and appeared in the championship round in three events. He also was among Tour money leaders and tied Kenny Parks with nine Match play appearances in nine events.
The only PBA Senior Tour player who is exempt on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, Baker has had the most dominating four-year run in PBA Senior Tour history. He was named both the PBA Senior Player and Rookie of the Year in 2005, becoming the first bowler ever to win both in the same season. In 2006, Baker tied a record with four titles – which came in just nine events – and won both Majors. In 2007, he won three titles, including his second consecutive USBC Senior Masters. In his four seasons on the Senior Tour, he has eight career titles.
Baker’s march to a fourth Player of the Year award wasn’t easy as a strong rookie class joined the Tour, including PBA Hall of Famers Webb and Mark Williams, as well as top bowlers Kenny Parks and Brian Brazeau.
“Probably the past few years, it had been kind of a runaway, but this year there were a number of guys who were in the running,” Baker said. “I could have won the Masters and the U.S. Open and I was pretty close, but overall I was pretty consistent. To win it at all is great, but to win it four times is unbelievable.”
Webb, of Sacramento, Calif., was named PBA Senior Rookie of the Year after capturing one title, the 2008 PBA Senior U.S. Open, which came in his second career PBA Senior Tour event. He led the Tour in earnings ($30,575) and average (224.08) and finished fourth on Tour in points. He also had six match-play appearances, which ranked tied for fourth on Tour. The 20-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titlist also finished second in the Player of the Year voting behind Baker.
“Obviously it’s a great honor,” Webb said. “Being on the Tour for 30 years, then quitting for three years, and then coming back on the Senior Tour this year and doing as well as I did ….I kind of re-sparked my life with bowling again.”
Baldwin, of Sturgis, Mich., was awarded the first PBA Senior Dick Weber Sportsmanship Award which is given to the senior who demonstrates the highest level of sportsmanship during the season. To be eligible, bowlers must have competed in at least 50 percent of the 2008 PBA Senior Tour events.
The award is named in honor of the late PBA Hall of Famer Dick Weber, who was not only one of the greatest bowlers in history, but was also the sport’s top ambassador and by all accounts displayed the ultimate sportsmanship. In addition to his 30 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titles, Weber won six PBA Senior Tour titles and three PBA Senior Regional titles, one of which in 2002 made him the only bowler in PBA history to win a title in six different decades.
“I was surprised … there were five other guys nominated, who had all won championships,” Baldwin said. “I’m just an old guy out there having the time of his life. It’s the best honor I’ve ever had in my life.”
SEATTLE (October 7, 2008) — The PBA announced today that Tom Baker won 2008 PBA Senior Player of the Year honors, Wayne Webb was named PBA Senior Rookie of the Year and Fred Baldwin was awarded the first Dick Weber Sportsmanship Award. The awards for the 2008 PBA Senior Tour season were voted on by PBA membership and national media.
Baker, of King, N.C., won PBA Senior Player of the Year honors for a record fourth consecutive season. Although he did not win a tournament in 2008, he led the point standings with 137,165 and appeared in the championship round in three events. He also was among Tour money leaders and tied Kenny Parks with nine Match play appearances in nine events.
The only PBA Senior Tour player who is exempt on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, Baker has had the most dominating four-year run in PBA Senior Tour history. He was named both the PBA Senior Player and Rookie of the Year in 2005, becoming the first bowler ever to win both in the same season. In 2006, Baker tied a record with four titles – which came in just nine events – and won both Majors. In 2007, he won three titles, including his second consecutive USBC Senior Masters. In his four seasons on the Senior Tour, he has eight career titles.
Baker’s march to a fourth Player of the Year award wasn’t easy as a strong rookie class joined the Tour, including PBA Hall of Famers Webb and Mark Williams, as well as top bowlers Kenny Parks and Brian Brazeau.
“Probably the past few years, it had been kind of a runaway, but this year there were a number of guys who were in the running,” Baker said. “I could have won the Masters and the U.S. Open and I was pretty close, but overall I was pretty consistent. To win it at all is great, but to win it four times is unbelievable.”
Webb, of Sacramento, Calif., was named PBA Senior Rookie of the Year after capturing one title, the 2008 PBA Senior U.S. Open, which came in his second career PBA Senior Tour event. He led the Tour in earnings ($30,575) and average (224.08) and finished fourth on Tour in points. He also had six match-play appearances, which ranked tied for fourth on Tour. The 20-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titlist also finished second in the Player of the Year voting behind Baker.
“Obviously it’s a great honor,” Webb said. “Being on the Tour for 30 years, then quitting for three years, and then coming back on the Senior Tour this year and doing as well as I did ….I kind of re-sparked my life with bowling again.”
Baldwin, of Sturgis, Mich., was awarded the first PBA Senior Dick Weber Sportsmanship Award which is given to the senior who demonstrates the highest level of sportsmanship during the season. To be eligible, bowlers must have competed in at least 50 percent of the 2008 PBA Senior Tour events.
The award is named in honor of the late PBA Hall of Famer Dick Weber, who was not only one of the greatest bowlers in history, but was also the sport’s top ambassador and by all accounts displayed the ultimate sportsmanship. In addition to his 30 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titles, Weber won six PBA Senior Tour titles and three PBA Senior Regional titles, one of which in 2002 made him the only bowler in PBA history to win a title in six different decades.
“I was surprised … there were five other guys nominated, who had all won championships,” Baldwin said. “I’m just an old guy out there having the time of his life. It’s the best honor I’ve ever had in my life.”