Ex-Pioneer star expected to start season in Richmond
POSTED: March 28, 2008
Matt DeSalvo looks spiffy in a Braves uniform.
Thing is, the former Marietta College baseball standout would look even better in it if he was pitching in Atlanta, instead of in Richmond.
As it looks now, the 27-year-old DeSalvo will be starting the 2008 season on the Richmond Braves roster, a Triple-A affiliate of the parent Atlanta Braves.
The R-Braves are scheduled to open up the season against the visiting Rochester Red Wings at The Diamond at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 3.
DeSalvo is very familiar with International League competition, having pitched for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last summer. Then, he was in the New York Yankees organization.
During the 2007 campaign, DeSalvo had kind of a “yo-yo” year as he had four different call-ups to New York.
With the Yanks, he notched his first major league win, beating the Seattle Mariners May 13, 2007.
DeSalvo was more effective at the Triple-A level where he was named Scranton’s Pitcher of the Year, leading the SWB Yankees in wins, strikeouts and ERA.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre also claimed a division title.
Unfortunately for DeSalvo, he was released by the NY Yankees in December.
In January, he inked a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves organization, and was a non-roster invitee to the team’s spring training camp in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
After a shaky start on the hill, DeSalvo did OK...but at the major league level, that’s not going to cut it.
On March 12, he was assigned to Richmond.
The R-Braves are managed by Dave Brundage, and the pitching coach is Guy Hansen, someone DeSalvo will be talking to quite a bit.
A long time ago, Hansen was a star pitcher at UCLA and set an NCAA record with 11 consecutive strikeouts in1969.
DeSalvo, of course, had 53 career wins and 603 strikeouts at Division-III Marietta College, where he was Baseball America’s “Small College Player of the Year” in 2003.
Oh, yes, Richmond’s hitting coach is Chris Chambliss, a former Cleveland Indian and New York Yankee. In the National League, there is no designated hitter, so if DeSalvo does get promoted to the Bigs, there’s a chance he might get an at-bat.
And, if DeSalvo does stay healthy and perform well in Triple-A, he more than likely will receive a call-up to the parent club in Georgia some time this season.
All it’ll take is some pitcher on the Atlanta roster to become ineffective or come up with a sore arm...something like that.
DeSalvo is a fierce competitor on the hill, and no doubt would like another opportunity to pitch in the major leagues.
Right now, all he needs to do is throw strikes — and be patient.
Ron Johnston is The Marietta Times sports editor, and can be reached at 376-5441, or at rjohnston@mariettatimes.com.
