Father-in-law comes to the rescue of Angels

By Coult Aubrey
Of The Morning Call


The days of calling the United States Cavalry to the rescue are long past, so Rick Wittman did the next best thing. He called his father-in-law.

Maybe that doesn't seem like much in itself because it's in a man's best interest to stay on the right side of his wife's father, but Rick Wittman wasn't trying to earn brownie points. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Let's explain.

Rick Wittman is and has been for several years a player for the Allentown Angels of the Tri-County Baseball League, a team which, until two weeks ago, found losing much easier than winning. The Angels were 4-11 at the end of June.

Morale was so low that some players quit out of frustration, and there developed a real danger that the team might fold.

That's when Wittman, through the urging of players who did not want the team to pack it in, went to his father-in-law for help. Wittman asked him to take over team management which, after all, would be no big deal. He used to be the head coach at Wilson High School.

Of course, that was 19 years ago.

"I haven't coached since 1968, but I said I'd give it a try, see what happens," said Bob Gehris, who for many years has been the sports director of Twin County Cable Television. "I knew there was a good bunch of guys. It's been fun."

Why not? With lefthander Ray Ganser pitching every game, the Angels have won five in a row and are back in the playoff race in the North Division. He is a perfect 5-0 since taking over and the Angels now are only a half-game behind third-place North Parkland (9-10).

Ganser has been sensational and won four times in the last week, shutting out South leaders Gilbertsville (17-2) and Quakertown (16-5) in the process. On Sunday he allowed Quakertown only two hits while striking out seven.

"Ray's been pitching great and went the distance (seven innings) in every game," Gehris said. "The guysalways tell him he'd better be ready because they're counting on him.

"A lot of the players are young guys, but we've got some in the 30- 32 range. It's a good mix."

Gehris, who on occasion plays piano at the Depot Restaurant in Bethlehem, coached Wilson from 1965-68, the last two years as head coach. "My last team was the last there to win any kind of championship in the old Lehigh- Northampton League," he said. "We beat Nazareth, which still was being coached by Andy Leh, 3-2 to win the Northern Division." Bangor then defeated Wilson to win the overall title.

"Things have worked out well," Gehris said of his brief tenure with the Angels. "We got the first three batters on base in one game and Steve Wippel hit a grand slam. On Sunday against Quakertown we got a rally going and scored one run in the second inning, and Bill Harries hit a three-run homer in the next inning.

"We tell Ganser to always be around the plate, don't walk anybody, let the defense take care of it. Every game we seem to get a good defensive play that picks everybody up. Rightfielder Mookie Smith made a great diving catch in short right field against Quakertown."

The Angels will try to continue their surge when they play tonight at Limeport. Tomorrow they'll be at home (Scherersville Field) against Salisbury and on Friday night at division-leading Coplay.

"The good thing about home games is that you get to take batting practice," Gehris said. "We had one guy who had a habit of taking his right hand off the bat when he hit the ball. I told him to keep both hands on the bat and the next game he hit one out of the park.

"As he rounded third base, I said, 'see!' He just smiled."

With the current winning streak the Angels are 9-11 and, if they can keep going, will be in position to make the playoffs. "The players are enthused about it," Gehris said. "It's been a lot of fun."

Especially for Rick Wittman's father-in-law.



  

From The Morning Call -- July 14, 1987

Copyright © 1987, The Morning Call