WHEAT RIDGE — With major-league baseball spring training underway, Jeff Carter agreed that his quarterfinal bowling match against Robert Smith could be looked at as a pitchers’ duel Friday at the Geico Plastic Ball Championships at Brunswick Zone.
Smith would be the power pitcher, but Carter would be the cagey veteran who threw the offspeed pitches and won.
Carter took the seventh and final game to advance to today’s semifinals with Pete Weber, Michael Fagan and Chris Barnes.
“We all know each other out here,” said Carter, who is on an injury exemption this season after having wrist surgery. “It’s bowler against bowler. I just try to bowl my game. He has much higher ballspeed than I do. I’m a little above average on ballspeed on the tour, but facing a power pitcher is a good way to look at it.”
With everyone using the same plastic ball in this tournament, Carter thinks the challenge today will be on shotmaking.
“I can’t even describe how much of a challenge and how different this tournament is from our regular schedule,” Carter said. “The adjustments we normally do and changes we make in our mind are totally thrown out this week. Normally we make larger changes. This week was minor changes. This ball doesn’t hook as much. It puts a premium on shot-making.”
Fagan, who lost to Norm Duke in the finals of the Dick Weber Open on Feb. 8, said his approach with the plastic ball has been slowing down.
“It doesn’t grip the lanes a quarter as hard as the bowling balls of today,” Fagan said. “You have to adjust your speed and create that good angle into the pocket. It’s harder to do. This ball moves very little. If you can make the right adjustments, it works. I think it comes into my game a little more. I like to throw the ball slow and I can play my ‘A’ game.”
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
PBA Plastic Ball Championship
Where: Brunswick Zone in Wheat Ridge, 9751 W. 49th Ave., 303-425-1601
TV: 11 a.m., ESPN
Purse: $180,000; winner’s check: $25,000
Tickets: Sold out
A look at the four bowlers who will go for today’s championship. The semifinals are Chris Barnes vs. Pete Weber and Jeff Carter vs. Michael Fagan:
CHRIS BARNES
Age: 38
Home: Double Oak, Texas
2008-09 earnings: $65,490 (ninth overall)
Career earnings: $1,482,769 (11 seasons)
Career PBA 300 games: 37
Tour wins: 10, including two majors
PETE WEBER
Age: 46
Home: Saint Ann, Mo.
2008-09 earnings: $45,700 (18th)
Career earnings: $3,233,294 (30 seasons)
Career PBA 300 games: 54
Tour wins: 34, including eight majors
JEFF CARTER
Age: 39
Home: Springfield, Ill.
2008-09 earnings: $25,655 (42nd)
Career earnings: $208,222 (eight seasons)
Career PBA 300 games: 17
Tour wins: None
MICHAEL FAGAN
Age: 28
Home: Patchogue, N.Y.
2008-09 earnings: $53,030 (16th)
Career earnings: $344,104 (seven seasons)
Career PBA 300 games: 12
Tour wins: One
