 Written by Sports Information Intern Annie Miller
Like countless other American boys, Will Savage grew up loving the game of baseball. And just like boys do, he dreamt of one day playing in the major leagues. For a young boy growing up in West Hills, Calif., that meant becoming a Los Angeles Dodger.
Savage began his career playing little league at West Hills Baseball League and went on to play football, basketball and baseball at highly touted El Camino Real High School. Excelling in both football and baseball, Savage received many offers to play either sport at a few small Division I universities. Torn between football and baseball, he desired a local school with an elite athletic program, where he could continue competing in both sports. Aware of its outstanding football and baseball programs, Savage chose College of the Canyons.
From 2002 to 2004, Savage was a member of four very successful teams at COC. The 2002 football team earned a Southern California Championship, and in 2003, quarterback Savage and the Cougar football squad made school history with the college’s first ever perfect regular season record, when the team finished 10-0. In the two seasons that Savage pitched at COC, the baseball team went deep into the post season, advancing to the Super Regional playoffs in 2003, and going to the Regional playoffs in 2004.
However, it is the Regional championship game against Riverside in 2003 that Savage is most remembered for. The righty started on the mound and threw eight innings against the defending state champions, beating them on their own field to help the Cougars advance to the Super Regional playoffs.
“It was my best memory at College of the Canyons,” recalls Savage. “It is just one of those memories that you’ll never forget.”
COC baseball head coach Chris Cota remembers Savage as a pitcher who “got better every time out. He wasn’t a power pitcher but a guy who used three pitches to get outs. He was a complete pitcher. Not so much a hard thrower or a guy that people feared, but he knew how to pitch.”
It was that knowledge of pitching that sent Savage to the University of Oklahoma, where he went 16-6 in his final two seasons in 2005 and 2006, striking out 100 batters while only walking 35 in 154.2 innings. The road did not stop there.
According to NCAA.com, the probability of a NCAA senior baseball player getting drafted by a Major League Baseball team is less than nine in 100, or about 8.9 percent. Will Savage is in that 8.9 percent.
The former Sooner was picked by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 26th round of the 2006 MLB draft. He was sent to the short-season New York-Penn League where he played for the Batavia Muckdogs. After only three weeks, Savage was called up to Low-A minor league ball in Lakewood, New Jersey, to finish the season while also winning a championship with the BlueClaws.
The young hurler moved up the ladder quickly, and by 2008, he was playing Double-A ball in Altoona, Penn.
It was 30 degrees below zero during the first game of the season and Savage was starting. After being on deck without a jacket on for a good amount of time, the pitcher went back to the hill and immediately felt a tweak in his elbow. He tried to pitch through it unsuccessfully for several weeks. After no relief from the pain, he was flown to Alabama to get an MRI.
The news was not good. As it turned out, Savage had suffered a slight tear in his ulnar collateral ligament, which would require Tommy John surgery to fix. At that point, it was so late in the season that Savage and his doctor decided against surgery, in favor of rehabilitation. Their plan worked, and Savage returned healthy to the organization’s instructional fall league.
The next year, Savage came back to spring training at the top of his game and ready to continue his quick path to the big leagues. For most players, spring training is no stroll in the park. The pressure to make a team is extremely heavy on minor-leaguers and every day, the danger of being released from the organization hovers over their heads. Surviving until the very last day of camp, it seemed like the life of Savage’s baseball career had been spared. The pitcher was about to get on a plane to go back to his Double-A team in Pennsylvania, but the Phillies had a different plan. Projecting that his injury would be a problem for them in the future, Savage was released.
This came as a shock to the pitcher.
“I was definitely good enough to still pitch in Double-A and keep moving up the ladder because I was moving up quick,” said Savage. “That elbow injury set me back a little bit but I was healthy and still relatively young.”
With all other MLB organizations already putting the finishing touches on their rosters, the chances of Savage getting picked up by another team were slim. One option left was to play in an independent league. Since independent teams aren’t affiliated with major league clubs, this can be an extremely difficult route to take. Savage was willing to accept the challenge.
“I was about to pitch in the big leagues and I wasn’t going to give that up,” he said.
While it seemed at the time that Savage was living every professional ball player’s worst nightmare, being released by the Phillies may have been the best thing to ever happen for the young pitcher.
Playing for the Wichita Wingnuts in the American Association, Savage was able to convert from a relief pitcher to a starter. During the 2009 season, he had the lowest ERA in the league and was only the second player in league history to throw a no-hitter.
Even after his unbelievable performance, Savage still didn’t get offers to play for any major league baseball organizations because of the lack of scouting in the American Association. Finally, he got his big break when he was called up to play for the Lancaster Barnstormers in the prestigious Atlantic League. He played there for the last two weeks of the season. Those two weeks would drastically change the future of his career.
Will Savage’s childhood dreams were finally about to come true. After surviving an injury, being released from Philadelphia, and playing in the independent leagues, the persevering athlete was finally picked up by a big league organization.
In early February, the ex COC Cougar was signed to a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“It’s always been my dream to be a Dodger,” says Savage. “I’ve been bleeding Dodger blue since I was born so I’m extremely excited about the opportunity.”
Looking back on the rough road that got him to where he is, Savage has a great mental approach.
“I’m trying to take the positive out of getting released by the Phillies,” said Savage. “I was able to go to independent ball and become a starter. I learned a lot about pitching and got a lot more innings.”
His advice to young players is this: “No matter what people tell you, you have got to just have confidence in yourself. If you believe in yourself, good things will happen, no matter what setbacks you might have.”
Savage certainly knows about overcoming setbacks, adding, “I’ve had a lot of struggles throughout my career and I think the reason I’ve been able to have success is because I have been able to take the positives out of all those failures. It’s hard to get better when you’re doing well all the time. When you struggle is when you become a better person and a better athlete.”
As if Savage has not struggled enough in his career already, the pitcher recently had appendicitis, requiring two weeks of rehabilitation. While he was a little uneasy about going into his first spring training with the Dodgers at less than 100 percent, he has proven before that nothing will stop him from fulfilling his big league dreams. Savage passed the test and was assigned to play for the class Low-A Great Lakes Loons in Midland, Mich.
“As long as someone keeps giving you a jersey, you’re doing something right,” Savage’s father Steven always encouraged. “Just keep getting that jersey on your back and things will work out.”
Throughout his career, Savage has gladly taken every jersey he has been given. One read: “Cougars,” another read: “Sooners,” and hopefully one will read: “Dodgers.” |