At 13-15, the Angels did better than their coach expected

By Jack Lapos
Of The Morning Call


Bill Moyer Sr., field manager of the Allentown Angels in the Tri- County Baseball League, is looking back at this season with no regrets.

Sure, his team had a final record less than .500 and failed to make the playoffs. Moyer said the Angels still did better than he expected.

"Back at the start of the season I figured we would be lucky to win 10 games," he said the other day in commenting on his first year as Angels' skipper. The Angels' record was 13-15.

"Of course I was disappointed with the way the season closed but I thought our guys gave a very good account of themselves throughout the rest of the schedule."

The 49-year-old Moyer, a Bell Telephone data conditioner, was no newcomer to the coaching ranks. He had managed Old Zionsville two years ago. Old Zionsville is where he lives.

"My club at Old Zionsville in 1983 finished with nearly the same record as the Angels did this summer - Old Zionsville was 13-14 - and it so happened that my Old Zionsville team also just missed getting into the playoffs." So the comparison is a bit ironic.

Moyer said he knew going into this season that the Angels lacked the long- ball hitter and things indeed turned out that way. The Angels hit only two home runs all year and both of them were by Bill McCurley just near the very end of the schedule.

The manager saluted McCurley for his overall hitting performance. McCurley hit .300, Moyer pointed out.

Moyer also had words of praise for the three newcomers on the Angels' roster - Scott Buck, Tom Ganser and Bill's son Bill Jr. Buck was the stopper on the mound. Both Ganser and Bill Moyer Jr. hit over .300.

The manager said his pitching staff turned out stronger than he expected. Keith Meyers, Ray Ganser, John Fry and Buck were consistently impressive, certainly more so than the manager thought they would be at the time the season was getting under way.

The Angels played good defense in the outfield but Moyer said they made too many errors at the shortstop and third baseman positions. He noted the Angels committed 30 errors alone at those two positions. Nevertheless, again he had no complaints because those same players hit well all season.

"We just gave up too many runs," Moyer said in summing up the situation.

Moyer said the Tri-County League has become stronger in recent years and he now feels it is on a par with the Blue Mountain League.

"Most people think the Blue Mountain has more talent but I definitely do not," Moyer said.

During the campaign the Angels had the most trouble with Limeport and Upper Perk but did not do too badly against the likes of Coplay, for example. The Angels whipped Coplay in the final week of the season.

As for the future, Moyer is optimistic.

"We had 16 players on our roster this summer and I understand all of them willbe back to play for us again next year," the manager said.

"I figure we could develop into a solid contender for the Tri-Co championship in 1986 if we can come up with at least one more solid pitcher and a long-ball hitting outfielder," he said.

"The 1986 season could turn out to be a very interesting for the Angels," he concluded.



  

From The Morning Call -- August 15, 1985

Copyright © 1985, The Morning Call