Utility worker provides spark

Ralph Didio plays so many baseball positions, he’d force Abbott and Costello to revise their legendary routine:

Who’s on first?

No, Didio is.

Some days, the Furness senior fills in for "I don’t know" at third base.

The only two positions Didio doesn’t play are shortstop and outfielder.

"I am too slow," said Didio, of 12th and Porter streets.

Who’s too slow?

He’s at first.

Joking aside, the player does have a favorite position.

"I am more confident at first base," said Didio, 18. "I know what I have to do at every play. I feel more comfortable fielding the ball over there."

But the athlete’s desire to win motivates him to play wherever he is needed. Didio suffered through a combined 1-27 team record his freshman and sophomore seasons, but had a better year as a junior after the Falcons dropped to Division C and finished 7-7 overall.

The ever-flexible player started at third base in the season opener against Nueva Esperanza last Wednesday, helping the Falcons score a 7-5 win.

But the game wasn’t easy, starting with a jam in the first inning. Didio did his best to rally his team through it.

When Nueva’s runner reached first on a walk, Didio pounded his glove and shouted, "Let’s turn two!"

The chants seemed pretty ineffective as the Falcons closed the top half of the first trailing 5-0 against Nueva, which was making its Public League debut.

However, Didio’s actions did what his words couldn’t when he came up to bat. The cleanup hitter worked a walk and scored one of his team’s three first-inning runs.

Didio said the contest shows that rookie squads can’t be taken lightly.

"You always have to play like you’re facing one of the best teams in the league," he said.

DIDIO LEARNED HIS way around the bases while playing for the Southeast Youth Athletic Association, Seventh and Bigler streets, and the Sabres, Seventh Street and Packer Avenue.

But not much could prepare him for consistently being on the losing side of the Public League’s 10-run mercy rule.

Didio said the key is to not get caught up in the defeats.

"You just have to keep your head up and take every chance you have," he said.

And take them he does: In a recent scrimmage, Didio reached third on an infield hit as a result of two throwing errors.

Now that the Phillies season also is underway, the player is rooting for them to get some breaks of their own in what is expected to be an extremely tough National League East race. Didio, who attended last year’s home opener at Citizens Bank Park, wasn’t too optimistic about the Phils’ chances.

"All the teams are a lot tougher than they are," he said. "I don’t think they have a shot. They have a good closer and if they stay healthy, they can win some games."

Didio hopes to continue his own baseball career next season at Community College of Philadelphia.

Currently a student at Furness Law Academy, Didio doesn’t see himself as a future attorney or judge. He plans to study engineering or liberal arts in college.

Didio already has experience in the culinary arts, thanks to his after-school job as a line chef at Johnny Barrel’s, where he prepares everything from chicken parmigiana to mussels.

For now, his focus is on helping the Falcons cook up a winning recipe for the Public League playoffs.

"I just want to be a team player and help the team win any way I can," Didio said. "If I am stinking it up, I would sit out just to see the team win."