Rich Degener Is Lower Township’s Marv Levy

They’re now referring to Rich Degener as Marv Levy.
Levy, the affable, learned former Buffalo Bills head coach was at the helm for four consecutive Super Bowl losses.
Degener, a Cold Spring resident and journalist by trade, is the manager of the Lower Township Phillies of the New Jersey Independent League’s “25 and older” division.
The 57-year-old has led the Lower nine to four straight NJIBL 25 and Over league championship games only to come up short on each occasion. Sometimes the reason is injuries or a short-handed roster for the Sunday morning games. Sometimes it’s being victimized by a bad hop or a close call by the umpire. Sometimes the other team is more talented.
Over the last four seasons, Lower has dropped title tilts to Ventnor, Northfield, Vineland and Lindenwold, respectively.
Lower, which plays home games at the Bennett’s Crossing facility in Erma, competes in the Eastern Division of the NJIBL’s American League along with the Wildwood Mariners, Vineland A’s and Victus Sports of Ocean City. The Phillies won the division crown this season with an 11-7 overall mark, a 7-2 record in the division and 37 points in the standings after finishing 2012 with a 9-8 mark.
Degener and his baseball widow spouse, Ann, have two sons. Geoff is a 29-year-old right hander and Rick is a 30-year-old outfielder for the team.
“The challenge is to hit a baseball as I get older and the pitchers get younger,” said Degener, a St. Louis native who played collegiately at Drew University. “Some say hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports, but it’s especially challenging with a 25-year-old throwing to a member of the AARP!”
The rest of the Lower roster included shortstop Jerry Griffin, pitcher and outfielder Rich Carlucci, outfielder Tom Miller, catcher and first baseman Daniel James, third baseman Daniel Russo, pitcher Jeff Martin, pitcher and right fielder Kevin Holmes, and left fielder Mike Pron.
Also on the squad were center fielder Graham Ginn, catcher Ryan Slaney, pitcher and first baseman Randall Rivers, left fielder Adam Lauer, second baseman Randy Sturm, pitcher and center fielder Rick Carlucci Jr. and infielder Tom Marker.
“People are busy so I give these guys credit for making a commitment and sticking with it,” said Degener. “We have a handful of players who also coach so they know the game and that makes it even more enjoyable to work with them.”
Degener said he “loves the challenge” of still competing in the sport he grew up with. Like Geoff and Rick, Degener coached many of the players when they grew up playing the game.
“I love that I am now playing with my own two sons and kids I used to coach with Cape May Rotary, Sons of Thunder and the Lower Township Whalers,” he said. “I used to take these kids out for ice cream after the games. Now I have to buy them beer.”
Degener’s love of the game started when he played for the St. Louis Athletic Club team in the Khoury League, a local version of Little League. His father, a high school baseball coach at the time, took him to Sportsman’s Park to watch the great Stan Musial play for the Red Birds
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“I was hooked on the sport from then on,” said Degener. “My motivation is I love baseball. It’s truly an American sport. I love the goal, which is to get home.”
Formed in 2008, the NJIBL boasts 88 Sunday morning league teams along with eight mid-week squads and 40 fall league clubs. Players are eligible for the 25, 35 and 45 and older divisions, respectively, if they reach those ages by Dec. 31. The 18 and older grouping requires the players be 18 by the start of the calendar year.
The league is structured so that teams are competing with clubs within their skill level. Once a league is formed, the squads are divided into smaller, geographic divisions to reduce travel, although Lower preferred to face tough competition for road games to Pennsylvania.
Degener, who has the skill to make his own bats, arrived in this area in 1985 when he bought his grandparents’ farm. He’s been playing and coaching in various baseball leagues all the while regardless of the painful losses.
“The funny thing is that after we lost the championship again this year the players started calling me Marv Levy, but little did they know that my dad succeeded Levy as a football coach at St. Louis Country Day High School,” said Degener. “My dad still holds the Missouri record for most games won in a row. I think it was eight straight years without a loss. My dad wrote letters to Levy, and he replied, to commiserate after the last two Super Bowl losses.”
Degener’s ongoing love affair with baseball was tested this season when a pitch interrupted his smile.
“I did take one in the head this year,” he said, “and it bloodied my face and rang my clock.”
Reach Rossi at joerossi61@comcast.net