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  • Writer's pictureMAREJ

Matthew Hurley of Hurley Auctions to handle auction of the 27,000 s/f commercial building


CHAMBERSBURG, PA — The bowling alley that baseball great Nellie Fox built in 1956 is going to auction. Born in the town of St. Thomas, PA, Jacob Nelson "Nellie" Fox built the bowling alley while he was an All-Star second baseman for the Chicago White Sox. He was one of the best second basemen, and the third most difficult hitter to strike out in Major League history. Fox went on to become the American League’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1959, an AL Gold Glove winner for three seasons, and led the AL in singles for seven consecutive seasons and in fielding for six. He died in 1975 of cancer and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. Fox lived in the Chambersburg area during and after his baseball career. “I know when people come in from Chicago they want a picture of the sign and his picture…I guess younger kids don’t know. The older folks say how much fun he was and how they joked around with him,” said Rudy Goetz, current owner who purchased the bowling alley from Fox’s partner, Joseph Wertime. “In the wintertime he bowled all the time.” After 31 years though, Goetz is retiring. “I put in too many hours.” said Goetz who started in the bowling business by pushing a broom at the age of 13 at Buchanan Lanes in Mercersburg. “I started off as a janitor and after a couple of months ended up as a mechanic,” Goetz said. The passing of his wife and co-manager, Deborah, earlier this year has sped up his retirement. He taught several people years ago how to bowl and their game improved to be even better than his but he has since given up bowling. Matthew Hurley of Hurley Auctions was asked to handle this auction of the 27,000 s/f commercial building on 3.4+-acres located at 3587 Molly Pitcher Hwy, Chambersburg. The 20 ten-pin bowling lanes at Nellie Fox are no longer wood, but AMFHPL synthetic with AMF AccuScore scoring systems to automatically keep score for bowlers. Included with the sale are a Pro-shop with all remaining inventory & equipment, a fully equipped commercial kitchen, snack bar, furniture, fixtures, lockers, 13 security cameras in and out as well as an established arcade. Sealed bids for this auction will be accepted through October 18, 2017. Showing of the property can be scheduled by calling Hurley Auctions.

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