Second class to be inducted into Baltimore Blast Hall of Fame
Published on February 1, 2005 under Major Indoor Soccer League 2 (MISL 2)
Baltimore Blast News Release
Baltimore, MD â The Baltimore Blast announced today that former players Tim Wittman and Bruce Savage and original MISL Commissioner Earl Foreman will be inducted into the Baltimore Blast Hall of Fame on February 19. Original Blast Head Coach Kenny Cooper and former players Stan Stamenkovic and Mike Stankovic were three first three people inducted into the Hall of Fame last year. Wittman, Savage and Foreman will be honored in a ceremony during halftime of the Blast game against the Cleveland Force on February 19.
"I am pleased to announce the upcoming induction of Tim Wittman, Bruce Savage and Earl Foreman into the Baltimore Blast Hall of Fame," said Blast Owner Ed Hale. "We created the Hall of Fame last year and these three deserve to be among the names that will hang from the rafters at 1st Mariner Arena for all time."
Wittman, the current head coach of the Baltimore Blast and a member of the 1980-90 All-Decade Team, and Savage, another member of Baltimore's All-Decade Team, will take part in the festivities on February 19. Foreman, who lives in Montgomery County, is unable to be at 1st Mariner Arena that night. Foreman is still active in the practice of real estate law in Maryland and DC and was recently inducted into the Greater Washington Community Jewish Hall of Fame.
Bruce Savage:
A member of the Baltimore Blast 1980-1990 All-Decade Team, Bruce Savage was also named First Team All MISL after the completion of the 1989-90, 1988-89 and 1986-87 seasons. He played for the original Blast for seven seasons, from 1984 through 1991, recording 127 points as a defender and ranking 13th on the Blast's all-time scoring list. He made seven Consecutive All Star Appearances (1985-1991) and was named MISL Defender of the Year for the 1986-87 season. Other accolades include Second Team All MISL honors in 1987-88 and 1985-86 and Honorable Mention All MISL for the 1984-85 season. He was also named MVP of the Baltimore Blast for the 1986-87 season.
"Bruce was the prolific defender of that era who marked the top offensive players in the League," Hale said.
Bruce Savage's Regular-Season Blast Stats
GP Goals Assists Points
347 38 89 127
Bruce Savage's Postseason Blast Stats
GP Goals Assists Points
47 7 12 19
Tim Wittman:
The only member of the Baltimore Blast organization to be part of all three of the team's MISL Championship, Tim Wittman played nine seasons with the original Blast, three seasons with the Baltimore Spirit and is the team's current head coach. A member of Baltimore's 1983-84 MISL Championship Team, Wittman was the assistant coach when the team won in 2003 and the head coach when the Blast won in 2004. Along with Savage, he was a member of the Baltimore Blast 1980-1990 All-Decade Team and he ranks second on original Blast's all-time scoring list with 304 points in 365 games played. He was named Second Team All MISL after the 1989-90 and 1988-89 and made three MISL All Star Appearances (1990, 1989, 1986). The Blast's MVP for the 1987-88 season, Wittman also won an MISL Championship with the San Diego Sockers in 1992. Wittman is serving as a player/coach for the remainder of the 2004-05 season.
"Tim's energy and skill as a player have made him a terrific coach for our championship team," said Hale.
Tim Wittman's Regular-Season Blast Stats
GP Goals Assists Points
365 198 106 304
Tim Wittman's Postseason Blast Stats
GP Goals Assists Points
52 18 8 26
Earl Foreman
A Washington, DC attorney, Earl Foreman was integral in creating the Major Indoor Soccer League when he and Ed Tepper met with the executives of nine major arenas in the United States in 1977. That meeting produced the original six franchises and the MISL was born for the 1978-79 season. Foreman, the first Commissioner of the MISL, served from 1978 to 1985 and returned to the League in 1989 for a second stint as Commissioner. In his second term, Foreman was credited with a television package on ESPN, a three-year expansion plan, various rule changes and a new collective bargaining agreement.
"I had the pleasure of working with Earl as the Chairman of the Executive Committee," said Hale. "I always respected his knowledge of sports and his business acumen as the founder of indoor soccer."
Prior to the Blast vs. Force game and the Hall of Fame inductions on February 19th, there will be an alumni soccer game that will feature players from the last 25 seasons. In addition to Wittman and Savage, Sepp Gantenhammer, Peter Baralic, Joey Fink, Scott Hileman and many other former Blast players will be attending the celebration.
The Blast (10-11, fifth in the MISL), will host the St. Louis Steamers Saturday, February 5 at 7:35 p.m. at 1st Mariner Arena. Saturday night is Girl Scout Night and WCBM CD-ROM giveaway night. Single-game tickets cost $20 and $17 and are on sale at the 1st Mariner Arena Box Office, by calling TicketMaster at 410-481-SEAT or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Group discounts are available for all games. For additional information on all Blast tickets, call the Blast office at 410-73-BLAST.
Major Indoor Soccer League 2 Stories from February 1, 2005
- Second class to be inducted into Baltimore Blast Hall of Fame - Baltimore Blast
- This week with the Force - Cleveland Force
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