Lancaster Barnstormers starting pitcher Will Savage learned that a massive tornado had touched down in the Oklahoma City suburbs while watching television in the Barnstormers clubhouse. A resident of Oklahoma City, he scrambled to reach his wife on the phone to learn if she and their 1-year-old son were safe.
“I found out probably about 15 minutes before I went out to stretch that my wife and son were OK,” Savage said. “It was about 20 minutes south of where we live, so they saw it coming and went to my mother-in-law’s house. So I knew they were OK.
“It was pretty stressful for awhile because the cellphone service wasn’t working, and finally they got a hold of me once they got out to my mother-in-laws house. But I do have some friends that live in Moore (Okla.) so I haven’t heard from (them) yet. My wife said she saw my best friend running around helping look for survivors on the news. It hits pretty close to home. … It was pretty stressful because the coverage they were showing was pretty intense.”
Savage is a transplant from Southern California and admitted he hasn’t grown accustomed to the type of severe weather common in Oklahoma.
“It still really bothers me … because (the storms) can come out of nowhere,” Savage said. “It’s pretty scary.”
A former Phillies and Dodgers prospect, Savage (3-2) pitched well despite the circumstances. He shut out York in five of his six innings. He allowed all of York’s run in a crazy fifth inning, when two fielding miscues — including Blake Gailen losing a pop fly in the lights in left field — fueled York’s four-run rally. The go-ahead run and eventual game-winning run scored on the ball that dropped behind Gailen. York won 4-3, taking three of four from the Barnstormers.
“Fifth inning: It got a little crazy there,” Savage said. “It’s frustrating. Made some quality pitches, that’s just baseball. Those ground balls get through, it’s just frustrating.”
Able to talk after a stressful day, Savage noted he would call relatives and friends to check on them once he finished the interview.
“When some event like that happens it really makes you put baseball on the back burner,” Savage said. “I want to go out there and compete. But I’m not going to sit here and get all upset that I didn’t catch a break there, when you realize — you know — real people are suffering in a real-life situation.”
