Ian Goetz was the twelfth bowler inducted into the GutterAlley Hall of Fame, voted in during the Spring 2019 season.

Back when he was only 14 years-old, a snot-nosed kid was invited to bowl as a sub in a blind spot on his father's team just for fun. Although the scores were not allowed to count due to him being deemed too young to bowl in the league at the time, he got his first taste of GutterAlley competition and apparently liked it. Today, that kid -- Ian Goetz -- is the newest inductee into the GutterAlley Hall of Fame.

Making his debut in the Spring 2010 season - and subsequently winning Rookie of the Season as well as his first of now six championship titles - Goetz has accomplished quite a bit in his eleven seasons as part of the league. He's currently ranked as the 7th best bowler in our league's history, ahead of all but two of the other 11 members of the Hall of Fame. When his finger hasn't been ripped to shreds by his ball, he's managed to land spots in the top ten of some of the toughest Top 25 lists including Highest Lifetime Averages, Most 200+ Games, Most 600+ Series, Total Pins in a Single Season, Most #1 Head-to-Head Performances, Most #1 Power Rankings, and Win Percentage. He's also selected by his peers as the People's Choice MVB and notched a Tournament of Champions victory. Simply put, Ian's had quite an impressive run over the years culminating in the Fall of 2014 in which he finally ended a season with an average higher than his Hall of Fame father -- a feat he's since repeated twice more, his championship season in the Fall of 2015 and again this season, proving once and for all that he can stand on his own and not just ride the coattails of certain teammates.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the term underdog as "a predicted loser in a struggle or contest". Coming into the league as the lone member of the third generation in The Freda Dynasty -- which has given us the #1 and #2 female bowlers as well as the #4 male bowler of all time in our league’s history, not to mention that these three are all Hall of Fame members already -- Ian debuted beneath an enormous shadow; a verifiable underdog. And yet, he managed to prove that he can rise to the occasion and compete at the same level and even top it. It is due to this tenacity that the league will be renaming the "Underdog of the Season” award in his honor...a Season Favorite award Ian could never win outright because his average prevented him from being in contention with the exception of the lone season he bowled entirely with his opposite hand...and won it.

Here are a few comments about Ian from others in the league:

When you look at the win history and composition of the teams Ian has been on in his career it’s easy to feel intimidated by him, even in spite of the fact that he only just recently finished puberty. Not only does he come from a long lineage of good bowling genetics, he also consistently surround himself with teammates who dabble in the dark arts to the extent that every team he has been on has finished within the top 3. It’s easy to forget that Ian was originally brought in as a mid-range bowler, considering he has since grown to now be the best bowler in his family dynasty by a strong margin. But despite these overwhelming statistics, Ian is also one of the nicest members of the league and a very good sport whether he’s kicking your ass or experiencing a rare ass kicking from you. He even gives out some of the most polite turkey humps I’ve experienced, giving Aaron Barber a run for his money in that regard.

I've rolled both with and against Ian over the years but, admittedly, always underestimated him. Without fail, I'd expect the top performances of the night to come from someone else on his team. Time and time again, I was proven wrong -- he either saved our team when the game was on the line or provided the most firepower against mine to seal their victory. Several seasons back, one of his teammates mentioned this and I began to pore over his stats. My eyes popped when I saw just how many of the heavy-hitting Top 25 lists he was on ahead of so many other Hall of Fame inductees and former nominees...and he had been right under my nose doing this season after season the whole time. The kid may quietly bowl his heart out each week but his power on the lanes is undeniably loud and thunderous.

Ian is one of my favorites to bowl with. Ever. Hands down. Even though he's not as cool as his father. It's also a touch annoying when he does that ring double-tap on the ball exchange when he gets a strike. And one time, he nearly outran Vigliaturo and I on a Tough Mudder -- and Ian never trained. Which is lame. I think I did more push-ups than him, once. The more I think about Ian, the more upset I get. Please take back everything I said positive about him.

Ian is an excellent bowler who has helped several different teams win the championship. Of course, it helps that he has been bowling since he was tall enough for his dad, Carl, also a Hall of Fame bowler, to take him and show him the lanes. And Carl learned the same way from his dad at about the same age.

No one is happier about Ian being inducted into the Hall than me. Ian is the Hall's first millenial (sorry, JV!), first third-generation member, and first member of my family to outshoot me over a season. Thankfully, Ian's been able to combine my teachings with his mother's demeanor to be someone people enjoy bowling both with and against.

And from the inductee himself...

1. What is your personal favorite memory from all your years in the league?

I can't narrow it down to just one so I'll go with my top three: (1) getting to bowl with my Dad all of these years, (2) fighting to come back and win the Bourbon Bowl with Ken and lastly, (3) getting to make all the babies and try to keep them alive with Seth and JV.

2. What is it about this league that continued to bring you back season after season?

Mostly the friendships I've made with my fellow teammates but also the competition and chasing down that 1st place spot at the end of the season.

3. What does it mean for you to be inducted into the Hall of Fame?

It really means a lot to me to be inducted. I never thought I actually would be so I told myself I didn't care if I did or not...but still secretly trying to figure out what I needed to do to get there.

It is with great pleasure that the GutterAlley Hall of Fame opens its doors to Bourbon Bowl winner, Ian Goetz.