Throughout the history of our league there have been a handful of people who have served as the bedrock, the foundation, the very pillars that support our league. These are the individuals who have strengthened GutterAlley season after season in ways that extend far beyond the records, victories, and championships. They are the familiar faces that have shepherded the league over the years, kept it going, brought in new faces, and made it better for each and every one of us. The collective story of the league could never be told without their inclusion.
To honor these stand outs, we have created this new award to recognize the best our league has to offer in this realm throughout our 17+ year history. We have chosen to name this award in honors of its first two recipients, Phil and Pops.
Inductees:
2017, Dennis "Pops" Laube: As of this writing, Dennis Laube, affectionately known as "Pops", has rolled in every season except for the very first one. Only four other active bowlers joined sooner, but none of those can boast as many seasons. He was won 7 championships, more than all but four other bowlers, and no one is in a position to pass him on that within the next few years. He has been Most Valuable Bowler 19 times and counting, second only to Phil, and with 3 wins has won the Tournament of Champions more than anyone else. He has also been a part of more team wins than any other bowler by a pretty hefty margin. He has knocked down more pins than anybody, closing in on a quarter million, and from 2003-2007 held what is currently the league's second-longest attendance street with 441 consecutive games. Outside of bowling, Pops is a huge collector of rock-and-roll records and memorabilia. Rockin' Pops Laube is always happy to share his love of this genre of music and has sometimes been known to bring special items from his collection to the bowling alley. No one has his heart more in our bowling league than Dennis does, which is exactly why he didn't let cardiac bypass surgery cause him to miss a single game! He may be on a team many of us like to try to beat, but our league would not be the same without him! |
2017, Phil Schroeder:
As of this writing, Phil Schroeder has also rolled in every season except for the very first one. Only four other active bowlers joined sooner, but none of those can boast as many seasons. He has won 5 championships. He has been Most Valuable Bowler 23 times and counting, more than anyone else, as well as has been runner-up a staggering 27 times. With 2 wins he is in a very small club of those who have won the Tournament of Champions more than once. Phil has been singhehandedly responsible for 64 team wins over his career, more than anybody else. He is one of only three bowlers who have rolled at least 90% of the total number of games our league has rolled. Like movies? Talk to Phil. He enjoys the latest releases and well as interesting older finds, and loves talking about them with his fellow bowlers. He also loves the Royals, and the games he attends on the occasional Tuesday are the primary reason Pops has remained ahead of him on some of our stats! But these other loves aside doesn't change his enjoyment of the game of hurling balls at pins. So when his wife injured her should and had to miss the Fall 2009 season, did he do the right thing? You bet he did! He said, "See ya, hon", replaced her with Pat Searcy, and went on to roll a 2nd-place finish! |
2018, Demond Robinson
Even though he has not been seen in our league since the Fall 2005 session, Demond "Big D" Robinson dominated many of our Top 25 lists all the way up through 2014. While his legacy has begun fading in recent years, as of this writing he still holds onto 2nd place among best second-half win records, 8th place among bowlers to reach 100 wins in the fewest number of games, 14th among best bowlers by win percentage, and 21st for holding the weekly high game scratch. As both a teammate and a competitor, Robinson was second to none when it came to encouraging those around him. His inviting personality in-between rolls was always a welcome distraction despite the intensity going on during close matchups. Focus, however, was the name of the game when it came time for him to step up on the lanes. In the Fall 2004 season, the league voted him as the Carl Goetz Defensive Bowler of the Season and and People's Choice for Most Valuable Bowler. They were right, as the math proved he was the Actual Most Valuable Bowler that same season. Demond’s dedication reached its peak on the final day of his career with our league: December 20, 2005. It was championship week, and while his team (Same Belt, New Notch) was in the lead, it did not have the trophy locked up. Despite recovering from surgery, Demond rolled a 206 in his final game in our league to help secure the title and make himself, Seth, and Scoot the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th bowlers to win three consecutive titles. |
2019, Rob Kaszuba
For more than a decade now, the members of the league could always count on a few things every Tuesday night: the consumption of beer, outbursts of emotion (both good and bad), and a smile from the league's gentle giant, Rob Kaszuba. Both his teammates and opponents alike can attest to his eternally easy-going and supportive nature during even the most heated battles on the lanes. It was because of this that the Bob Brunker Good Sportsmanship Award was renamed to include Rob's name in it as well. For eight consecutive seasons (Fall 2011 - Spring 2015), Rob was chosen by his peers as demonstrating the best sportsmanship in the league. No one else in the history of GutterAlley has even come close to being chosen as a season favorite in the same category that many times in a row. Off the lanes, he's coaxed a number of new faces into the league to roll both with and against him. On the lanes, Rob has quietly made his mark in several solid Top 25s. As of this writing he's 13th on both the Most MVBs and Most MVB Runner-Ups, 12th for Most Career Wins, and even 12th on the Top 25 list of Most Games Won Single-Handedly (ahead of several Hall of Famers). He's also one of the league's most prolific bowlers, having rolled in 17 seasons. He's been a league champion twice, having won it all in the Fall '13 and Spring '15 seasons. Rob's a rare example of someone that no matter the outcome of a matchup, he's the first guy up to you to tell you "good game" and why he's the standard by which we'll always measure good sportsmanship for years to come. |
2020, TBD |
This award shall be given at the conclusion of Spring seasons. There are no formal requirements, except that a current member of the Hall of Fame shall not be eligible – however, receipt of the P&P Pillar Award does not preclude one from later Hall of Fame induction. Nominations can be made in person to the league officers at any time during the two-season year.