St. Patrick's Day Perfection

Dan Bailey is First to do the Impossible - The Perfect 900 Series

The first perfect game: impressive. The second: extraordinary. The third? Well… the third was thought to be unattainable.

When Dan Bailey of Cedar Rapids, Iowa walked into the Double Inn on St. Patrick’s Day back in February he wasn't looking to accomplish the impossible. Per his usual tradition, Dan settled up to the Silver Strike Bowler's Club machine and started hammering away - this time he was gunning for top scores in the Club Lucky national tournament that was about to wrap up.

And maybe he was there to take in the holiday atmosphere a little bit, too…

Though the energy of St. Patrick's Day was alive, his night began as expected. A few games, a few beers and a few laughs with his pals. But by night's end he was a legend; at least in the world of video bowling.

Dan had been playing for a few hours with his buddy, Mike Cornwell Jr. Both talented SSB veterans, the duo had been on an unheard of streak, amassing the top 50 scores of the day with nothing below 270 in addition to their eight - count 'em, EIGHT - combined perfect games! Simply incredible! Of course this kind of thing is nothing knew to the Double Inn - it's home to the first ever perfect game!

With their green beers in hand and there astonishing results scrolling across the idle machine, Dan and Mike agreed that the Club Lucky Tournament was in the bag.

But being the loyal, dedicated and passionate fan that he is, Dan threw in a few more dollars for one last series.

Bar Game 1 started with yet another perfect game - a blasé accomplishment for Dan that is considered the crown jewel for millions of Silver Strike Bowlers.

Game 2 was off to another perfect start. Dan was rolling frame-after-frame of perfection. Having never rolled back-to-back 300's, Dan realized this was his big shot at a double perfecto. He focused in and finished his second game of the series perfectly. 20 frames: 24 strikes.

“I’d never bowled two in a row so I thought that was awesome,” Dan commented after.

But now Dan was in uncharted territory.

He had a chance at the impossible: a 900. In the 3-plus years since Silver Strike Bowling first came out, no one had ever bowled a 900. Astonishingly enough, there are only 27 official members in the SSB 300 Club! And compared to real life, there have only been 11 recorded 900’s ever in the over 100-year history of bowling!

And there was Dan, standing in a bar in the heartland of America with his chance to make history.

If that pressure wasn't enough, by this time most of the holiday bar crowd was watching the overhead monitors that were connected to the game, waiting to catch a glimpse of the moment.

Mike Cornwell was convinced that history would be made. “Midway through the second game, I started thinking he could do it. He just couldn’t miss.”

Dan squared up to the machine and started the third round with nothing other than a perfect strike. A cheer roared from the crowd as the first X filled the scorecard.

As the frames progressed, so did the X's. Each one cranking the crowd's volume dial up little by little.

“Everyone was cheering and clapping,” the owner of the Double Inn, Mike Cornwell Sr. said. “It was one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my bar.”

Dan entered the tenth frame with his big chance intact, just three strikes away from history.

Strike!

And come the last throw, just like the previous 35, Dan rolled his ball and the pins obeyed. History had been made at the Double Inn!

Bailey

“It was awesome,” Dan said of his 900. “Just incredible. I never thought it was even possible to do something like that.”

And up until the road painter from Cedar Rapids accomplished it, it was impossible.

"That was nothing short of amazing," Mike said of his friend's accomplishment. "I don't think anyone will ever do that again. I mean he was a bowling god that night."

God or not, Dan may have used up all his St. Patrick's Day luck after that amazing series.

His attempt for four straight…

“I don’t think I broke 150,” Dan scoffed.

Well… nobody's perfect!

St. Patrick's Day Perfection

Dan Bailey is First to do the Impossible - The Perfect 900 Series

Congratulations Dan Bailey on Becoming the First Ever to Bowl a SSBC 900!

Silver Strike 2007 Bowler's Club

Strike It Rich!