He also pitched one inning in the league's all-star game Friday, allowing no runs and no hits while striking out one in one inning.
While Savery continues to impress Russell and others in the Phillies organization with his arm, his bat will likely draw considerable interest. That's because the lefthanded hitter doubled as a pitcher and first baseman for Rice, the Conference USA champion and loser to North Carolina in the 2007 College World Series at Omaha.
Savery, the Conference USA player of the year in 2007, hit a team-high .360, had four home runs, and drove in 56 runs. While on the mound, he posted a 10-1 mark with a 2.78 ERA.
He has no intentions of becoming the next Rick Ankiel, who retired from the Cardinals as a pitcher in 2005 but made a remarkable return to the majors as an outfielder this past season.
"That crossed my mind, the Ankiel thing," Savery said the other day in the clubhouse. "Actually, I think I'm closer to Micah Owings [of Arizona]. We faced each other while he was at Tulane, and I think he beat us like 1-0. I saw his arm and his bat, and thought I could do both, too."
Owings, with two four-hit games this past season with the D-Backs, became the first pitcher since the Yankees' Whitey Ford in the early 1950s to accomplish that feat. For the 2007 season, Owings hit .333 (20 for 60) with four homers and 15 RBIs.
There are about 30 former first-round picks scattered among six Arizona Fall League teams this season. Savery remains on a strict pitch count, and Russell indicated Savery would not throw beyond 70 pitches in any given start.
"All the scouts saw me as a pitcher," Savery said. "So I'm focusing solely on pitching. That gives me a chance to really concentrate in one area. I'm not pushing my limits, and there are many things to address."
He appeared in seven games with Rookie League Williamsport, with a 2-3 record and a 2.73 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. He will likely move on to single-A Clearwater next season.
Right after the draft, the Phillies brought the 6-foot-3 215-pounder to Philadelphia for a session with the media. Flying from Houston with Steve Cohen, the scout who signed Savery, the pair landed around 10:30 one morning.
"We went directly to those cheesesteak places," Savery said, referring to Pat's and Geno's. "That's about all I remember about the city. Then we went to ballpark for a few hours and I flew out. I guess I was in town for less than 24 hours."
The Phillies won't be rushing him back anytime soon. Not even for another cheesesteak.
