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In 45 seasons of coaching baseball, with a specialty in pitching, Motta never has refused a player who sought tutelage.
But when Motta's phone buzzed three weeks ago, he was startled by the voice he heard on the other line.
"You could say I was dumbfounded, too," Motta said. "I never expected a call from Ben Davis."
Davis, the Chester native and former Malvern Prep standout, had spent seven seasons catching for three teams in the major leagues. In the last three years, though, Davis has been mired in the minors. The No. 2 overall selection by San Diego in the 1995 First-Year Amateur Draft has hopped between the Triple A clubs for the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore.
Attempting to jumpstart his career, he is taking his game to the mound.
Davis made his pitching debut Friday night for Chester of the Delco League, for which Motta serves as an assistant coach. Davis earned the win in a 3-2 victory over Aston Valley behind two shutout innings in relief of starter Doug Paul.
Davis, who did not return phone calls to the Daily Times, hopes to make it back to the big leagues in a relief pitching capacity.
Ever since fielding that phone call, Motta has been working exclusively with Davis.
"I asked him, 'Do you really want to do this?' and when he said yes, I told him it was time to go to work," Motta said. "Then I asked him, 'Are you going to be throwing like a catcher or like a pitcher?' He laughed, but then I saw him pitch and he surprised me."
The 6-5, 250-pound Davis throws two variations of the fastball, with his hardest stuff registering in the low 90s on the radar gun. He also mixes in a hard breaking curveball, a change-up and a modest slider.
Motta said Davis' ability to throw each pitch in his repertoire for strikes would help his ascension back to the big leagues.
"He's got superior control, but it's a learning situation right now," Motta said of Davis. "Whatever he does, he needs to get to the next level. Whether that's independent ball or in some minor-league system, he needs to advance. It's one thing to pitch in the Delco League, but he's got to prove himself."
That remains a good possibility, Motta said, referencing the evolution of two big-league players who swapped positions during their careers. Dave Bush, who starred at Conestoga as a catcher, holds down a spot in Milwaukee's starting rotation. And Rick Ankiel, the beleaguered starter for St. Louis, entered the weekend with 22 home runs as an outfielder for the Cardinals.
Additionally big-league players like Haverford High product Mark DiFelice, a minor leaguer in Milwaukee's system who earned a call-up this year, have used the Delco League as a springboard into the majors.
"We've talked about those guys," Motta said. "I think Ben is focused on Ben. He looks at those guys as motivation and I think he thinks he can get to where they are by using them as models."
Chester coach Dan McShane agrees.
"I think with a good showing here, he'll head to somebody in August with the hope of him being a relief pitcher," McShane said. "We added him right before the roster deadline, throwing it out there that if he wanted to get some mound experience that it could be with us.
"He was released (from Triple A Norfolk, Baltimore's affiliate) because of his intention to pitch. All it takes is getting another chance and Ben could be right back there in the majors again."
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Marcus Von Hertsenberg would rather be playing baseball.
He would rather be running out of the dugout, glove in hand, alongside his Main Line American Legion teammates from Wayne.
Instead, Von Hertsenberg is relegated to the bench.
The rising senior at Radnor High School, who suffered a concussion Wednesday, admits that his injuries could have been a lot worse.
Von Hertsenberg hit the ground after a collision with a Narberth player along the first-base line. He was medevacced from South Devon Field to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was admitted Wednesday and released 15 hours later.
"The doctors said it was a concussion, which we figured," said Von Hertsenberg, who was in the dugout for Thursday's winners-bracket final. "I hope to play again, but I'm not really too sure about it."
The collision was so fresh that Von Hertsenberg wore his hospital bracelet to Thursday's game, which Wayne won 5-3 over Concord. Sensitive to the sunlight, he wore a hat and sunglasses. He wasn't in uniform either, opting for a blue Wayne Legion T-shirt and red mesh shorts. And the insides of his forearms were littered with medical tape and gauze, remnants of the precautionary medical procedures he underwent.
Von Hertsenberg's injury suspended the final inning of Wednesday's game until Thursday, which allowed for his swift return to the team.
"(Pitcher-infielder) Jim McConlogue looked at me and we exchanged the same look," Wayne coach Bryan Bendowski said. "He said, 'After what happened to Marcus, I think we needed that suspension.' It gave everyone here a chance to absorb what had happened."
It's unlikely Von Hertsenberg will play in Monday's league championship series, but his impact on Wayne extends far beyond the lineup.
"I'd like to help these guys out," he said, "but I think they'll understand if I sit this one out."
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The winner of Monday's Main Line Legion championship series will advance to the state Region 3 tournament and serve as Delaware County's lone representative in the eight-team field.
The double-elimination tournament begins Saturday and runs through July 30. It will be held at Kopper Kettle Field in Southampton, Bucks County, home to the Lower Southampton Marlins who are guaranteed a spot in the bracket.
That leaves seven slots: Two for teams from Chester County Legion, and one each for teams from Greater Norristown, Lower Bucks County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia and the Main Line leagues.
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Minor League Update: A Villanova product received some high praise this week as Mike Loree was highlighted in a story featured on the main page of MILB.com, the Web site for all things minor league.
Loree retired 62 of 63 batters he had faced for Single A Salem-Keizer entering Wednesday's game. The San Francisco farmhand had his impressive streak halted by the first hitter in that game. During his ridiculous four-game stretch, Loree's only blemish was a solo home run. He left one game after hurling seven perfect innings.
Another Villanova product, Jordan Ellis, was promoted this week within the Phillies' organization. He earned a save Wednesday in his first appearance with Single A Williamsport. Taken with the No. 856 pick in this year's draft, the Radnor High alum began his big-league career with the Phils' Gulf Coast League team.
Have a suggestion for the summer baseball notebook? Send ideas and news tips to cvito@delcotimes.com.
