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07/22/2008 11:00 AM ET
Journal: Now batting ... Joe Savery
Clearwater hurler plays DH, picks up first professional hit
By Joe Savery / Special to MLB.com
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 Joe Savery is 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA over 27 1/3 innings in four July starts for the Threshers. (Jerry Hale/MLB.com)
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The 19th overall pick by Philadelphia in 2007, Savery posted a 2.73 ERA for Williamsport in his pro debut after earning All-American honors three times as the premier two-way player in the nation at Rice. The 22-year-old southpaw then posted a 0.64 ERA for the Peoria Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League.
Send Joe an email
Hello everyone! I'm coming to you from Palm Beach in the middle of an eight-day road trip. Palm Beach is a good trip for us because we're in a good hotel with plenty of food choices nearby. That's really what you are looking for on a road trip. You want to have a few options late at night. Having a gas station and/or a grocery store also helps. In my case, I was able to get my haircut here today, which was a plus.
A lot has changed in the past few weeks. As the season has continued, fans have written in asking if I ever get to take batting practice or will ever be allowed to DH or hit for myself in a game. And every time, I answered with something like, "Don't hold your breath" or "Not gonna happen."
All that changed a few weeks ago when I was told to start taking batting practice with the team a few times a week. After a week or so of that, I made my professional debut as the designated hitter in the nine-hole. I don't know if I've ever in my life hit ninth in the order, but I was extremely excited to be hitting again. I must admit that I was nervous. After all, it had been more than a year since I had seen live pitching. I was going out there cold and was praying for fastballs.
In my first at-bat, naturally, I was given the bunt sign. Bunting is another part of hitting that I am not particularly familiar with. Luckily, I was able to get the bunt down and move the runner over. It was good to help the team in that situation, and it helped to calm my nerves a bit. My next two at-bats resulted in groundouts, and I came up in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and a hard-throwing closer pitching for Daytona.
Miraculously I connected with a fastball, sending it over the center fielder's head for a double and my first professional hit. I can't describe how good it felt to hit a ball like that again. It was a great experience, and I am thankful I was able to do that. I have been the DH in one other game since then, but am unsure how often it will happen. This does not mean I will stop pitching -- in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. I am a pitcher and will continue to try and make it to the big leagues as a pitcher.
On the mound, things have gone much better in the second half, especially the past couple of weeks. I am really starting to feel better on the mound and more comfortable with what I am trying to do. My walks are down and I am getting a much better feel for my change-up and slider. I've decided this game is much more fun when you play well.
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read this and write in. I am pleased to re-answer one of the more repeatedly asked questions: "Are you going to continue hitting and will you DH at some point?"
After answering no to that question for more than a year now, I can now say that YES, I will DH for my team every now and then! Joe Savery is a pitching prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies organization and a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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