When word circulated about Greentown right-hander Dan Simmons’ milestone, most of the reactions were similar.
It just can’t be his first.
Simmons, a 64-year-old Rentwear retiree, has 16 career 300 games to his credit, the most recent coming in January. But although he has a number of series in the 780s and 790s, one milestone has eluded him.
“I know I’ve been close,” Simmons said of hitting 800. “Time was not on my side obviously. But my wife (Pamela) was always confident I could do it through all the ups and downs in my game.”
Her confidence was rewarded recently during the Hannum Electric league at Park Centre as Simmons put together games of 279, 279 and 269 for 827.
“Everyone was kind of hoping for a 279 triplicate, but it didn’t happen,’ said Simmons, who bowls in two leagues, including the Ellsworth Auto Body-Budweiser Senior Traveling league, but subs in a couple of others.
“I was just locked in. I might have had one shot that I leaked a little outside that carried. But everything else was right where I wanted it. Everything was just there. The ball was working and the carry was there.”
Simmons had the first four strikes to begin Game 1 before leaving — of all things — a 5-pin. He then went off the sheet for his first 279.
“I got it inside a board or so and it didn’t quite finish,” Simmons said, reluctant to admit what he had left. “It mixed it, but didn’t carry.”
In Game 2, Simmons ran the first nine strikes before leaving a 10-pin in the 10th frame to end his run toward another 300.
Game 3 was more of the same, with Simmons running the first eight strikes before leaving a 10-pin in the ninth frame to end the run. And then, after a strike on his first ball in the 10th with a shot at a third 279, he left another 5-pin.
“I moved right a couple of boards because the carry down was just incredible,” Simmons said. “The nerves were just fine. I had the 800 locked up in the eighth and I knew that. I had done the math. I just didn’t want to choke it out with a split or something.”
Although Simmons had just purchased a Columbia Eruption Pearl, it was a Columbia Command Pearl that he purchased in November that was the ball of choice that night.
“I have to thank Bill Reese for that ball,” said Simmons, who uses Columbia 300 equipment. “I told him in November that I needed something, that what I had wasn’t working. He told me the Command was the only thing out there, so I had him get me one.”
Why the Command that night? “The new ball isn’t as forgiving as the Command is at Park Centre,” Simmons added.
Simmons admitted he had some area to work with during the night.
“There was a little area between the first and second arrow where the ball wouldn’t finish, and I hit that with the 5-pins,” Simmons said. “I really don’t know what was different that night.
“I made some burgers and had a beer at home before, and another one before we started and a few during the night. But the adrenaline was just flowing all night. I just seemed to have the right energy going.”
Simmons, who has been a Park Centre junior coach for more than 30 seasons, also had given a couple of his old bowling balls to an eighth-grade junior bowler the previous Saturday. The bowler then used one ball, which matched his span, and shot 220 with it his first game.
“Kind of made me feel good,” Simmons added, saying the ball was a Columbia Big Shot. “These kids are our future.”
And Pamela was there to see it, as she has been for much of his bowling career.
“I think it started to sink in before I bowled the 10th frame of that last game,” Simmons said. “I just got real close to Pam and said, ‘I finally did it.’ ”