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08/24/2017 12:00 AMNorth Branford’s Ryan Savio suited up for the All-Brite Electric baseball squad in the West Haven Twilight League this summer. Ryan, who graduated from North Branford High School last year, had a great campaign on the diamond and was named to the league’s All-Star team as a result.
“The first game I showed up to, I went 2-for-3 and threw a kid out trying to steal second. I had some nerves going into the game, but I was extremely excited to play again. Playing baseball is more than a hobby; it’s what I thrive to do. I want to go as far in baseball as I can until I can’t anymore,” Ryan says. “The atmosphere was so amazing. Everyone has good hearts and it was just a bunch of brothers playing a sport we all like. The camaraderie was splendid, because everyone was doing their part as best they could.”
Fellow North Branford resident Nick DeLizio, who is also head coach of the Thunderbirds’ softball team, recruited Ryan to play for All-Brite Electric this summer. DeLizio was pleased to see Ryan succeed behind a .292 batting average on 14 hits to go with nine runs scored.
“We were looking for someone who would be reliable as far as handling the duties of catching. He’s a young kid on a team of veterans and, since we have a few other North Branford guys on the team, I figured he’d be a good fit to come on board,” says Nick. “He’s a good teammate and was open to coachable moments. As a young player playing with guys that played in college, this was a good opportunity for him to learn and refine his skills.”
Ryan played all around the infield at the outset of his baseball career. Once he moved to the big field, Ryan found his home behind the plate.
“When I was younger, [catcher] was looked at as the boring position. You crouched behind home plate, caught the ball, and threw it back to the pitcher. As leagues got more difficult and we moved to the big diamond, the game changed. Being a catcher was important, and I enjoyed being an important part of every play,” Ryan says. “I felt confident in my ability to secure the position as my own, instead of being one of four first basemen.”
Ryan was North Branford’s varsity catcher in his senior season before manning that position with All-Brite this year. Ryan says that he likes how much control he has on every game as a catcher.
“The way I look at it, I’m the jockey and the pitcher is the horse. The horse may win the race, but a good jockey is there giving all the controls,” he says. “Calling pitches is just a small part of the job. Blocking balls, letting players get into position, letting the pitcher take a breath, catching base stealers—they’re all small parts of the position that add up to being a huge factor in a baseball game that not a lot of people take into consideration until it happens.”
When it’s time to step into the batter’s box, Ryan can bat from either the left or right side. Ryan feels that being a switch hitter gives him an edge on the field.
“I know deep down that being a switch hitter is such an advantage—probably the biggest advantage you can have in baseball,” says Ryan. “All the hard work I put in, staying true to who I am, determination, hustling on and off the field, grinding at the gym—I used that as motivation to keep putting in the work to make my weaknesses my strengths.”
It was big for Ryan that he got the chance to continue his baseball career, while proving a major player in the West Haven Twilight League. Ryan feels appreciative to DeLizio for bringing him on board with All-Brite Electric this summer.
“They wanted me to play, and [DeLizio] knew I cared a lot about playing time. I’m still relatively young, but I feel I should be playing more than waiting,” Ryan says. “I could’ve played for another team, but I would’ve been a backup. [All-Brite was] a really good team, but I’d rather play than win, because if I play and we win, I feel I deserve it because I had some impact on the team, rather than just sitting on the bench.”