From Baseball to the Big Leagues
Story by Robert Macy

His parents had dabbled in the entertainment business in his childhood years. His mother was a singer, his father a comedian, performing at schools and in various productions. They encouraged him to utilize what they believed to be a God-given talent for entertaining people. “I remember being a tiny kid, seven – eight years old, watching the Ed Sullivan show on television,” Gans said. When the show was over, I would re-enact what went on for my dad. In college, Gans performed at some campus clubs and later would entertain teammates on the team bus or in the dugout.

“It was just something I could do,” Gans recalled of his dabbling in entertainment. “I had my hand in it, but it certainly was nothing like a fall-back career.”

After his second injury, Gans’ mother encouraged him to try his hand at a San Diego comedy club. “It might be something you can do until your leg gets better,” she said. Gans was a hit at the club and spent the next 15 years traveling the country, perfecting his craft at clubs, theaters, conventions and trade shows—playing 200 dates a year. By 1995, Gans was starring in his own show on Broadway. But the travel was taking a toll on his family, so he jumped at the chance to settle in Las Vegas a year later.