PRO BOWLING: Scranton native Joe Hutchinson to be inducted into Pa. USBC Hall of Fame

Jun. 10—Joe Hutchinson once used his lunch money in his youth to pay for bowling games at Green Ridge Lanes.

He loved the game from the first time he rolled a ball down the oiled lane and knocked down pins in the early 1960s. He spent hours honing his skill and his talent did the rest.

The Scranton native and Old Forge resident perfected his craft so much that for years he was on the Professional Bowlers Association tour, won championships at the national and regional level and made it a habit of

rolling 300 games.

He forged his legacy during bowling's heyday, when the PBA events were the highest-rated sports shows on television. He played with tenacity, a bit of an edge and a bravado second to none. Finally, this summer, Hutchinson, 73, will take his place among the greatest of all time in the state when he is inducted into the Pennsylvania State USBC Hall of Fame at a ceremony scheduled July 8 at the Red Lion Hotel in Harrisburg.

"I am one of those guys who lived his dream playing the game he loved," Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson remembers that when he was 12 years old, a scheduled trip to the movies with a friend got derailed by a canceled showtime. He took the 35 cents his mother, Jennie, gave him for the afternoon, and the two friends went to the lanes. In his first game, Hutchinson humbly scored less than 100 bowling on Lane 6.

But those first frames hooked him.

A Scranton Central graduate, Hutchinson became a recognized talent in the late 1970s and into the mid-1980s before injuries to his stressed right shoulder and elbow started to take their toll.

Nicknamed "Hutch," he built an impressive professional career. According to his Hall of Fame biography, Hutchinson had approximately 25 certified 300 games and 10 certified 800 series. His highest league average is 241, and he had a high series of 836.

Among his titles, Hutchinson won four PBA events. His first came over Joe Berardi in 1977 in the Northern Ohio Open. He defeated Bill Coleman at the AMF Magicscore Open in 1980 and also won a title at the Showboat PBA Doubles Classic with his partner Tom Baker when they defeated Earl Anthony and Nelson Burton Jr.

In addition, Hutchinson had 12 finishes in the top 5.

"Early on in my career, I had a hard time getting anyone to sponsor me," Hutchinson said. "Playing on the show and getting on television were big for professionals. That's how you got recognized and known. I couldn't wait to bowl on the tour. I looked forward to the test.

"I won four titles, but my attitude was there was always room for one more."

Hutchinson, who revels in the chance to talk about bowling and his experiences, also won six regional championships on the tour.

His accomplishments also include bowling in several PA State USBC Open and PA State USBC Senior Championships. He earned the Pennsylvania State USBC Scratch Singles championship in 1980. He was also a member of the 2018 PA State USBC Open Scratch and Handicap Team champions and has multiple PA State USBC Senior Tournament titles.

"I was ranked in the top 10 for about 2 1/2 years, and I can remember meeting a gentleman from Chicago who said congratulations to me, and I just remember downplaying it," Hutchinson said. "He said to me, "You don't understand; you were ninth in the world. Bowling is popular around the world. I didn't realize it, I guess. Years later, I would go to Las Vegas and hold instructional camps, and me and a couple of old pros were talking one time, and I thought of all the guys we saw who never made a final or made a show. There were thousands, and I got to the top of the mountain four times.

"I look back now, and I guess I was pretty good."

Established in 1974, the Women's Bowling Association selected the first inductee, Ruth Atkins, and the Bowling Association followed with Frank Clause, Edward Jefferson, Joe Ostrowski, Frank Pollack, Frank "Butch" Snyder, and C. Franklin Thompson as its first inductees in 1976, according to the bowlpa.com website.

To be eligible for nomination, bowlers must be at least 45 years old; must have participated in Pennsylvania State Tournaments for a minimum of 10 years or been a member of a local bowling association for a minimum of ten years; must have established a reputation as a bowler through bowling achievement and promoting good sportsmanship throughout the game; and must have exhibited distinguished service in the promotion of the game of bowling for the Pennsylvania State USBC.

Heidi Beaver of Mifflinburg, Artie Fink Jr. of Altoona, and Elaine Robinson of Whitehall, who will be honored for meritorious service, are also members of the Class of 2023.

Contact the writer: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125; @sportsTT on Twitter