Pair of local bowlers notch perfect games

ALBANY — Millions of people flock to bowling alleys for family fun and the sheer enjoyment of the challenge of knocking down as many pins as possible to get the highest possible score.

Many of these people bowl in leagues that compete at every bowling alley in the country. There are several bowlers who bowl professionally and are shown on television.

For a pair of Albany bowlers — Mike Lee and Brandon Beale — they recently accomplished a feat that many pros haven’t done — bowl a perfect game.

The 43 year-old Lee, who is a contractor for Sun Trust Bank, bowled his perfect 300 game back on Feb. 9 at The All-American Fun Park.

“I try not to think about anything but just making a good shot,” Lee said. “I don’t want to stand there and think about it.”

Lee, who bowls in leagues on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, started league bowling when he was eight years old. His current yearbook average — the highest average for the league for one year — is 207.

As he was closing in on 300, Lee said he just wanted to focus on making a good shot.

“I was in the 10th frame for the last three strikes,” Lee said. “I did my best to clear my head and focus on making a good shot. There isn’t a break in between turns in the 10th frame, so I had to throw all three strikes back to back. I didn’t stop to think. I just threw the ball.”

After so many near misses, it finally happened for Lee.

“When I saw that last strike, I felt relieved that I finally got a perfect game after so many close calls in the past,” Lee said.

Twenty year-old Brandon Beale, believed to be the youngest bowler in the city of bowl a perfect game, accomplished his feat on Feb. 19. Beale says his style of bowling may be unorthodox.

“They call me the Arm,” Beale said. “They call me the Arm because I have the weirdest hook in the whole alley. I’m the weirdest bowler you’ll ever meet. I walk up to the line using baby steps and just muscle the ball down the lane, using only my arms.”

As he was closing in on 300, Beale said he could feel the pressure knowing that he was about to accomplish what so few have ever done.

“When I bowled my 10th strike in the 10th frame, I was actually nervous, but when I bowled my 11th strike in the 11th frame, I was actually relieved a little bit, but the pressure was really on me then,” Beale said. “Just before I bowled my 12th strike, the lane broke down and I had to wait three minutes. Once the lane was ready, I was relieved because then I could breathe.”

With a yearbook average of 211, Beale started league bowling when he was a teenager.

“I started bowling in leagues when I was 13 or 14 years old,” Beale said. “I was bowling four years running, but then I stopped and started back up this past summer.”

Beale said he has always wanted to bowl on television and would like to try out for the pro circuit.

“I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I would like to bowl as a pro … I would like to,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to bowl on television. I know I have the talent and everybody says that I do, but for some reason, I’m always busy. That’s probably one of the reasons I haven’t pursued it.”

Beale, like Lee, is busy bowling in multiple leagues. He bowls Tuesday nights at Bowl-A-Rama Lanes and Thursday nights at All-American Fun Park.

Both Lee and Beale will tell you that constant practice is crucial to becoming a great bowler. According to Lee, it’s also important to get the right kind of instruction.

“There’s no substitute for practice,” Lee said. “I’d encourage people to get in a league and have fun. The main thing is to have fun. Get with some people who have skill so they can teach you, and keep at it.”

Beale is part of a league that meets on Tuesday nights at Bowl-A-Rama Lanes called Tuesday Night High Liners.

“It’s the best learning league that I know of because there are so many bowlers with different bowling styles,” Beale said. “They’d be happy to teach you. I know I would.”