“What does a 63-year-old retired factory worker find to occupy his time? If that retiree’s name happens to be Dan Waline, the answer is “bowl, bowl, bowl” (and then some).
Waline, in the current season, is regularly bowling in six leagues each week.
“I was in seven leagues for a while,” the soft-spoken Waline said. “Now I am in the Monday Senior Travel League, the Jolly Boys and Milan Klassic, both on Wednesday, the Hafners League on Thursday and the Friday Morning Early Birds and the Senior Men’s, also on Friday.”
Three of Waline’s leagues bowl at Highland Park Bowl, one is at Town & Country Bowl and one is at Milan Lanes. The Senior Travel League also is bowling at Milan Lanes, which is one of four centers where that league competes during the season.
Waline is a native of Moline who was employed at the Farmall Works of International Harvester until its closing, more than 20 years ago.
“I had 22 years at Farmall, and when it closed I was transferred to Indianapolis. When I retired from Navistar on Nov. 1, 2007, I had been there for 22 ½ years,” the talented right hander said.
I asked Waline if he had done a lot of bowling while living and working in Indianapolis. His response was somewhat of a surprise.
“The last three or four years I was there, I bowled in just one league. At one time, I did not bowl at all for a few years,” he said. “I was working a lot of overtime hours at the time.”
During his lengthy career on the lanes, Waline has bowled nine perfect games. His most recent 300 came on Oct. 24, 2008, in the Friday Morning Early Birds League. Six weeks earlier, Waline had recorded a 299 in the same league.
“Both the 299 and the 300 were bowled on the same pair of lanes,” Waline recalled.
I suspect that the East Moline resident looks forward to bowling on that pair each time the schedule says it’s time to be back there again.
Dan Waline has been an excellent bowler for many years. He carried averages as high as 215 in the Tri-City Classic League with his top figure occurring in the 1980-81 season. Currently, he has averages between 200 and 217 in his six leagues.”
-Cal Whitmore
The Rock Island Argus
January 9, 2009
Greater Rock Island County USBC 