Gene “Shaker” Shaskas

Category

Wilkes-Barre, PA

Shaskas played basketball for GAR High School and King’s College but made his mark as the “Boy Wonder” of bowling. He was known as Gene Shaker or The Shaker because of what his bowling ball did to the pins. He was one of the first and few from this area to go on to the Pro Bowling Tour which is now known as the Pro Bowling Association (PBA). In 1959, Shaskas left the Pro Tour and returned to Wyoming Valley and re-established himself as one of the best and most knowledgeable bowlers in the area. In 1961 illness limited his playing. Shaskas has bowled five 300 games, his first in 1946 and the last in 1977. He has had countless 700 series and has only averaged under 200 one season. Gene retired from bowling because of poor legs but throughout his career was involved in many charity events.  Joe Gries, Dallas. A graduate of Hanover High School and Wilkes College, Gries began his radio and television broad-casting career after serving in the Army from ’44 to ’46. He has broadcasted hundreds of high school, college and professional base-ball, basketball and football games, including the Sugar Bowl. Gries has done play-by-play for the New York Giants, Texas & West Virginia Universities, Texas Lutheran, King’s and Wilkes College. Joe has served as Director of Sports at KWED in San Antonio, WJLS in Beckley/Charleston, W.V. and WBRE, WSCR, and WKRZ in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Area. Known as the “Dean of Sportcasters”, Gries donated countless hours to raise money for various charities. Presently, he is the Sports Director & National Sales Manager for WARD Talk Radio.