Baltimore Will Induct Wittman, Savage, And Foreman Into Hall
The Baltimore Blast announced Tuesday 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.
2005 Hall of Fame Inductees:
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 Savage’s Regular-Season Blast Stats:
Games Played: 347
Goals: 38
Assists: 89
Points: 127
Bruce Savage’s Postseason Blast Stats:
Games Played: 47
Goals: 7
Assists: 12
Points: 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 Wittman’s Regular-Season Blast Stats:
Games Played: 365
Goals: 198
Assists:106
Points:304
Tim Wittman’s Postseason Blast Stats:
Games Played: 52
Goals:18
Assists:8
Points: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.
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 will host the St. Louis Steamers at 7:35 p.m. this Saturday night at 1st Mariner Arena. Fans can listen to every Blast game this season live on WCBM 680 AM or on the Internet at WCBM
Blast season tickets and mini-plans are on sale now by calling the Blast office at 410-73-BLAST. Single game tickets cost $20 and $17 and are available at the 1st Mariner Arena Box Office and by calling TicketMaster at 410-547-SEAT or online at (Click here).