Savery turning tables at torrid pace

Former first-rounder Joe Savery has seen his career come full circle, and he couldn't be happier.

A standout two-way player at Rice University, Savery was selected by the Phillies as a pitcher with the 19th overall pick in the 2007 Draft.

Following mixed success in his first four years of pro ball, the 25-year-old left-hander asked to move to first base, the position he played in college. Just three games into the season, Savery said he made the right choice.

The Texas native continued his torrid start Saturday, going 4-for-4 with a homer, double and two RBIs in the Clearwater Threshers' 4-2 road victory over the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Savery also was 4-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs scored on Opening Day, then followed that up with two more hits Friday. Through three games, he's batting a Florida State League-leading .833.

"I feel like I can help the team every day at first base, and I enjoy that part of the game," Savery said. "It fits my personality well, and even though I won't go 4-for-4 every night, I really enjoy this side of it."

Savery is no stranger to swinging the bat. He hit .348 (16-for-46) in 23 games as a pitcher, pinch-hitter and designated hitter with Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season. He was converted to first base during the Florida instructional league.

Before that, he batted .335 with 66 RBIs and 61 runs scored in 68 games as a Rice sophomore in 2006. The previous year, he led Conference USA with a .382 average and was named to the all-conference team as both a pitcher and first baseman.

"The good thing in pro ball is that the strike zone gets smaller as you move up and that allows you to be more selective," Savery said. "Knowing that guys have to throw strikes means you don't have to chase bad pitches. I've been on both sides of it and everything seems a little better for hitters."

On Saturday, Savery doubled to right in the second inning and homered off starter Chad Beck in the fifth. He led off the seventh with a base hit up the middle off Frank Gailey, then added an RBI single off Ryan Shopshire (0-1) in the eighth.

"I was a 'Grip it and rip it' guy in college," Savery said. "I was functional with a metal bat, but I never really hit with the kind of power that someone with my size should, so I'm glad to get that first big fly out of the way.

"The guy was throwing a lot of fastballs and he got ahead of me, 0-1. I thought he would try to come with another one and I was able to pull it well."

Savery won 16 games across two levels in his breakout season of 2009, but he struggled to replicate his form on the mound last year. He lost his final eight decisions and finished 1-10 in 19 starts and 0-2 in nine relief appearances with the IronPigs. As the offseason approached, he knew a change of scenery would do him good.

"The talks about a change came about around the All-Star Game last year and I started DHing once a week from August," he said. "This winter, I told the Phillies that I would like a chance to move to first and luckily they gave me a shot.

"I saw that some of the other pitchers were passing me by and after I was moved to the bullpen I felt that maybe the page was being turned on me a little bit. I was only 24 and I felt that if pitching was not going to work out that maybe I could still swing a little bit. I wasn't ready to go home."

An Eastern League All-Star as a pitcher in 2009, Savery said it will take a little time to find his feet at first base.

"I was drafted to be a successful pitcher and I tried my best, but there was a lot of down time and I was in the stands a lot," he said. "It was difficult for me going from playing every inning of every day at Rice to playing half a game every fifth day. It was hard for me to focus.

"I spent a lot of time worrying about where I would end up, and it drove me crazy. Now I try not to worry about it as much and I'm just happy to be playing every day. I'm grateful for the opportunities the Phillies have given me, both on the mound and in the field."