Angels' season considered a success

Interim coach Bob Gehris helps restore pride to Tri-County League team.

By Ernie Long
Of The Morning Call


OK. Maybe the Allentown Angels didn't make it to the Tri-County Baseball League playoffs; a standard by which some measure a team's success.

But, don't think for a minute that this wasn't a successful season for the A's and that the players and interim coach Bob Gehris aren't filled with pride. The fact is, Allentown is lucky to have a team in the league (see The Morning Call, Page C-3, July 14) as a string of losses and managerial shifts left the club's future in jeopardy.

The Angels were downtrodden after finishing June with a 4-11 record. Eight-year veteran Ray Ganser had taken over as manager because of a change earlier in the season, but it became obvious that the Angels needed fresh blood and a man with experience at the top.

Enter Gehris, father-in-law of team member Rick Wittman. Gehris, who took Wilson High School to the 1968 Lehigh-Northampton Championship, answered Wittman's plea for help and led the Angels to five straight victories. The team finished at 12-15 and just missed making the playoffs. Although Allentown won its last game, North Parkland also won its in the seventh on the last day of the season and nudged ahead of the Angels.

"It was an interesting experience for me," said Gehris. "And my wife enjoyed it because she knew where I was for awhile. It also kept me thinking younger, the old twilight of the career bit."

"The team lost a couple close ball games because of indecision. They needed a leader who could call the shots. I went and watched for a couple games and saw they had potential and good ballplayers. It was just a matter of getting things together," he continued.

"One of the keys of the turnaround was that Ganser came along at the right time. He's a rubber arm lefthander, like I was in the old days, and he did a helluva job,"

Ganser became the team's workhorse on the mound, and pitched four straight complete game victories to get the team back on the right track. Two of those victories were over powerhouses Gilbertsville and Quakertown.

The four straight complete games for Ganser, who once pitched at Central Catholic, was a league record. He pitched Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. He led the club in strikeouts and wins. He brought his strikeout total to 70 with 12 in the season-ending 8-2 win over Salisbury. Todd Downing, a former Allen hurler who also pitches for West End in the Lehigh Valley Legion League, recorded the save.

The team was comprised of quite a few players from Allen. Among those is Joe Aleszcyk, who also plays for Mountainville. The talented shortstop made the final cut for the lastest Legion All-Star game and is going to Lehigh University.

"Joe's a good hitter and he really knows the game," said Gehris.

Other Allen products include left-handed pitcher and first baseman Dave Chapman, third baseman Steve Neikam, right-fielder Steve Wippel, and second baseman Bill Harries who is at Wilkes College.

Wippel hit over .400 as a standout for Concordia College last spring.

Gehris had good things to say about each of these players including other regulars like left fielder Wittman, right-handed pitcher Scott Buck, infielders Steve Reiland and Yogi Krasley, Jim Potocnie, and right fielder Mookie Smith.

Chapman, who throws hard as a relief pitcher, was vying for the batting title on the last day of the season, but may have lost it on a line drive to right field that was caught in the last game.

"We have a good mix of college guys and older guys and they blend together well," said Gehris. "I know some of the top teams in the league are glad the Angels are out of it because of the way we played in the last three weeks."

"I think they have potential to be a contender in the league and I'm glad they're not going to fold. You always hear about the Gilbertsvilles and Limeports, but next year we should have a pretty good club too," he continued.

However, Gehris, who has been the sports director of Twin County Cable TV for years, was not sure if he would be present to reap the benefits of his effort this year.

"The guys talked about wanting me back next year, but I'm getting older," he said. "I'll have to wait and see what happens. Dave Chapman's father may be interested in coaching if I help."

He summed up his feelings by saying, "I think the revitalization of our team was good for the league. It showed character."



  

From The Morning Call -- August 6, 1987

Copyright © 1987, The Morning Call