By BILL SNIER
NORTH CANTON — Bowling in the Honeymoon Grille league Monday nights at Park Centre Lanes is a family affair for the Martinezes at Park Centre Lanes.
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t some competition between the generations.
“Thomas beat me in average this year. So, at the beginning of the season, he said to me, ‘Hey Pops, we’re going to move you to leadoff this year.’ We all agreed to it,” 60-year-old North Canton right-hander Craig Martinez said of his son, Thomas’, moving him from anchor to No. 1.
“But I’m doing better now. I don’t have all that pressure I guess.”
Craig Martinez, who bowls on the same team with his 84-year-old father, Nat, his sons, Thomas and Nicholas and his son-in-law Chad Fleming, recently had games of 258, 256 and 300 for an 814 series, his 12th career 800 to go along with 13 career 300 games.
Martinez, a Timken Co. retiree, also had his wife of 40 years, Anita, also there to witness this milestone. His father was there even though he still is recovering from a medical procedure and was unable to bowl.
“Having my family there was the most important thing,” Craig Martinez said. “My wife was there last year when I had 300 on Lanes 13-14 and she was there this time when I had the 800 on the same pair.”
Martinez has gone through rotator cuff surgery (2006), which ended his Class A baseball career, two knee replacements (2019, 2021) and a torn bicep muscle (2023) to return to the lanes.
“I’m feeling good now. As I’ve gotten older, my rev rate isn’t what it used to be,” said Martinez, who used a Storm Absolute Power during his milestone, making just a one-board move all night while playing straight up around boards seven and eight. “But my ball speed is still up there. I’m happy with the way I’m throwing it right now.”
Craig and Nat Martinez are in both the Greater Stark County Baseball and Greater Canton Bowling Association halls of fame. He calls his father “my mentor.”
“Since I quit coaching in 2019, my attitude has changed a little bit,” said the former GlenOak High School bowling coach. “I’m not helping everyone else other than myself maybe.
“There is always an option of returning. What I do miss is teaching the game to the younger generation. Even now, if I see guys that struggle, I try to help them out. I just try to be cordial about it.”
In Game 1, Martinez had the first four strikes before leaving a 10-pin to end his streak. He continued to run strikes to the ninth before a 7-pin. His one bad pitch came in Game 2, when he left a 1-2-4 spare, which he covered. He did not have an open frame all night.
“I had hung up a little in the thumb on the previous shot, so I kind of went up there with a more relaxed grip,” said Martinez, smiling. “It was so relaxed that it fell off of my hand. I was lucky it didn’t go in the gutter, but it came back that far.”
All 12 shots the final game were buried for the finishing 300.
Martinez bowls in just two leagues, including the Ellsworth Auto Body Senior Traveling league, where he is averaging 211.
As for the battle with Thomas in the average race this season …
“I think I’ve got him by about 15 pins right now,” said Craig, who is around the 238 mark on Mondays. “I’ve been throwing it well. The only question is carry right now.”
But that night, with the family looking on, carry was not an issue.