By BILL SNIER
NORTH CANTON — Mark Lamp had 18 career 300 games to go along with eight 800 series with a high of 815 going into November.
But not one of those milestone totals could ever eclipse the most recent honor score for the 56-year-old Plain Township right-hander.
Just 15 days after suffering a CBE stroke episode while at work at Kempthorn Motors, Lamp — in only his second night back on the lanes after a four-day hospital stay and wearing a heart monitor — rolled a 300 game during the Foxfire Lounge Mixed Classic league at Park Centre Lanes.
“My wife (Karla Lamp) was almost in tears. She just said to me, ‘You still have it,’ ” Lamp said. “I couldn’t believe it … no one could believe it. I just stood there on the deck in disbelief. I was almost in tears myself.”
The road to that amazing night is a message for all who sense something just doesn’t seem right with their health.
“I was at work on Thursday (Oct. 17) when the symptoms came on. I was real dizzy in my eyes and I couldn’t remember anyone’s name or what day it was,” said Lamp, who has no previous history of heart problems, but is a Type 2 diabetic. “I called Karla and told her something wasn’t right.”
They later went to the hospital, but there was a two-hour wait in the emergency room. Lamp felt like he was improving, so they decided to return home.
“But I still knew something was wrong, because I couldn’t remember dates, days or names,” said Lamp.
So the Lamps returned to the hospital. This time, he was admitted and had a four-day stay.
“They told me I had a stroke episode that had interrupted blood flow to the brain,” Lamp said.
He was put on heart medication, told to wear a heart monitor and still must undergo another heart scope.
“They did a bubble test on me and said everything looked good so far … that the plaque had broken up,” Lamp said. “I’ve lost some weight, been watching what I’ve been eating and drinking. Karla has taken very good care of me and is watching every move I make.”
BACK ON THE LANES
As for bowling, his doctor told Lamp that he could return “in moderation.”
“He told me not to overdue it … not to stress out or get myself worked up,” said Lamp, who is bowling in three leagues this season, including two at Park Centre and one at Eastbury Bowling Center.
His first return to the lanes came at Eastbury on Oct. 28, four days after leaving the hospital.
“I probably shouldn’t have bowled,” Lamp said. “I think I shot 580 or 590, but I really didn’t throw the ball badly.”
He did not bowl Tuesday in his regular Hannon Electric league at Park Centre — “The doctor said back-to-back wasn’t a good idea at this point,” he added — but decided to give it another try Friday in the mixed league, where he also serves as league president.
He tried out the feel of a few different balls at home before going out that night.
“I had lost some weight, so my hand did shrink a little bit,” Lamp said of his decision to take his Roto Grip No Rules Pearl that night. “It seemed to fit me the best of my three balls, so I decided to take it along.”
Lamp alternated between balls in practice before deciding to throw the No Rules Pearl in Game 1.
“It was the ball that felt most comfortable in my hand … and it had a ball reaction that I could work with,” Lamp said.
ON WAY TO 300
It didn’t start well in Game 1, as Lamp left splits on three of his first four shots en route to a 190.
“I was just frustrated with myself. I just told myself, ‘Mark, you know the game,’ ” Lamp said. “I just didn’t have the speed or rotation so I made a move left to get a little deeper with the ball to see what would happen.”
Things changed with 257 in Game 2.
“I started striking and started feeling pretty good,” Lamp said.
But he still made another move a board left in Game 3 to overcome his limitations.
“I bumped another board and told myself just trust and stroke the ball,” he added. “Just stay slow with your feet.
When he got to the 10th frame after the first nine strikes, Lamp was in familiar territory.
But he wasn’t.
“This was an entirely different situation with all I had been through,” Lamp said. “I just took some deep breaths and just told myself whatever the outcome, I would be happy. Just take it one shot at a time.
“The 11th ball is always the toughest one for me (when going for 300). My first ball was a little wide, but came back and struck. The 11th ball was pretty much there. I just took a deep breath before that 12th one.”
Lamp feels fortunate that there was no physical damage from the stroke.
“I’ve had nothing wrong physically … I have all movement in my extremities,” said Lamp, who finished with a 747 series. “I still struggle with current things, like dates, but my memory is great. But if you ask me what year or date it is, I have to stop and think. The doctor feels it will come back, but after two years, if it doesn’t return, it probably won’t.”
But this will be an enduring memory and a lesson to all about paying attention to your health.
“No one would believe this,” said Lamp, who is averaging 225 and 222 in his two Park Centre leagues. “I told Karla, ‘Oh well, there probably won’t be any more award scores.’
“I would probably just be happy to bowl. And, lo and behold, it happened. I just don’t believe it all.”