Expect rotating door at mound as season starts
Frank Saviski did not like what he saw as he prepared for Game 5 of the Delco League championship series against perennial league power Wayne last August. The Concord Canes player/ manager looked around and counted 11 players in and around the dugout at Devon Prep and no one but himself to take the mound for that critical, decisive game.
It was the first time Saviski started a game since he was “around 14,” but he gave it a go anyway because he had no other option.
“I’m a one-inning guy,” Saviski said. “It was really frustrating looking into the dugout and only seeing two people.”
The Canes lost that game, 12-2, and the series, 3-2, which left a bad taste in Saviski’s mouth. He spent the offseason trying to rectify that by filling out a roster of 31 players with an emphasis on pitching.
“I’ve been in the league seven years,” Saviski said. “That’s the biggest roster we’ve ever had at Concord so I’m looking forward to it.”
Those extra arms are going to come in handy as the Delco League kicks off its shortened season Tuesday night at 6 o’clock, when the Canes take on Wayne at Devon Prep. Saviski said he plans to use seven pitchers in the opener and seven when the Canes host Upper Darby at Glen Mills on Thursday.
Saviski has added the likes of Tucker Whitman, a lefty from the University of Massachusetts and New Hope-Solebury, Haverford School grad Ethan Pecko, who will be a freshman at
La Salle, and Ridley lefty Jack Liberio to go with such returnees as Brad Scull and Liam Nihill.
“My concern is for my pitchers,” Saviski said. “I don’t really know if they’ve been throwing through this whole quarantine since everyone’s season got cut short that is still playing (high school and college baseball). I want to see what I have, who’s been throwing and who needs more work.”
Adding pitching is an annual concern in the league, but is even more critical this season in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which delayed the start of the oldest semi-professional league in the country by two months. Many of the managers are taking advantage of the league’s open roster format for the regular season. A team can have a maximum of 33 players on its playoff roster and can dress 25 for each game.
Many of the managers are also treating many of the games, especially early in the season, like spring training games and plan to use multiple pitchers to avoid injury and allow the pitchers to build up arm strength.
Wayne skipper Brian Fili has added a couple of pitchers who were supposed to play in the Cape Cod League before that league’s season was canceled. One is Malvern Prep grad and Milmont Park native Billy Corcoran, who plays at Pitt. He was a 36th round pick of the Texas Rangers in the 2018 first-year player draft. Another addition is West Chester East’s Adam Smith, who plays at UNC Wilmington.
Alden Mathes, the MVP of the championship series, and his brother Cameron were supposed to go away this season, but will be available, Fili said.
Like most of the managers in the league Fili plans to use caution with his pitchers, especially in the early going.
“I sent out a mass text message that I’m going to be planning on throwing three guys per game, sometimes four because it’s March for everybody,” Fili said. “Guys need a little bit of a spring training and guys might only be able to go one inning. In that case I’ll have to go 2-2-2-1.
“We have a good number of pitchers that we’re able to do that. I just hope everybody else is in the same boat. You have to keep guys healthy and get some work before they go back to school.”
Fili has put together a spreadsheet for all 16 games so he can map out who is pitching and when so in an effort to not tax his pitchers.
“I’m not going to really worry about who we’re playing,” Fili said. “It might cause us to lose a game here or there but I want to map this thing out and get guys as many innings as possible, but spread things out equally so we can keep guys healthy. I’m not going to over manage on who’s throwing against who. I’m going to make sure we have enough pitchers on every date.”
Marple Newtown manager and league president Nick Ducomb said he has about 30 players on his roster and intends to use five pitchers when the Black Sox open the season at home Wednesday against Wayne.
Narberth manager Steve DeBarberie has added about 12 players, including several pitchers and has roughly 35 players on his roster. He said he’s only going to play when needed this season. He also plans to use seven pitchers in each of Narberth’s first two games, one per inning.
“I want to get the young guys who lost their seasons some reps,” DeBarberie said. “And we’re probably going to have guys on a pitch count. You don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Chester, Upper Darby and Springfield have added some arms, but are keeping their rosters in the 2025 player range. Youth is the common component with the new additions. Many are players who were scheduled to play in college leagues that were canceled for the season and that should raise the level of play.
“I think it’s going to be a very interesting league this year,” Upper Darby manager Dave Jerdon said. “You have to be ready to play every game.”
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The league opener Tuesday will be broadcast live on delcoleague.com. Joe Greenwich, the assistant director of athletic communications at Saint Joseph’s University, will handle the play-by-play. Greenwich has been the public address announcer for the league finals.