New Fireflies Manager Continues Chase of Baseball Life By John Kocsis Jr.
David Noworyta is no ordinary first-time manager. The former Detroit Tigers farmhand is only 28 years old and in the midst of a baseball-lifer journey that started when he was just 12. Many players and fans dream of winning a World Series. To the Noworyta family, that dream became a reality in 2008.
journeyed across the country from the Tigers Spring Training Facility in Lakeland, Florida to Independent Baseball in Billings, Montana, where he joined the Mustangs roster. After just one season in Big Sky country, it was time for David’s career to take another twist and he moved from behind home plate to the dugout. The twist is that the organization that drafted him in 2014 elected to hire him as an assistant hitting coach.
In a way, Nowortya’s game had always been modeled more towards being a coach than playing.
David Noworyta was 12 when his father, Steven Noworyta, a Special Assistant to Player Development for the Phillies, celebrated Philadelphia’s first World Series title in 38 years. The elder Noworyta was accompanied by his son David, who starts his managerial career when the Columbia Fireflies host the Charleston RiverDogs on April 8 at Segra Park. In a 2021 MLB.com article, David told Greg Rachac, “I was at the perfect age. I was in the seventh grade. I was old enough to know what was going on, but still young enough to really be in awe of it. That was the coolest thing ever.” The journey as a 12-year-old took Noworyta from a playing career through high school, to college in Hawaii and then to a minor league career that was cut short. At that crossroad, Noworyta's penchant for seeing all aspects of the game as a catcher prepared him for a turn of fate into coaching. Noworyta was selected in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of Holy Cross High School in Delran, New Jersey by the Kansas City Royals. At the time, he declined to sign and instead chose to attend the University of Hawaii to continue to develop into his 6’4” frame. He spent four years honing his craft before signing a free agent deal with the Tigers. That meant trading the Pacific islands for Lake Parker, Fla. to start a career he had been dreaming about since 2008. The COVID-19 Pandemic affected a lot of people. The 25-year-old catcher was affected as well. Noworyta was released by the Tigers on July 3, 2020, just months after the global outbreak halted the world and canceled Minor League Baseball indefinitely.
“I was almost unselfish to a fault during my career. While I was catching, I was worried a lot more about the pitcher’s success than my own,” Noworyta explained. “I was always told I would be a good coach someday by different managers because I did care about that a lot more than maybe my own success.” After one year in HIgh-A, Nowortya moved up to Triple-A. Two years ago, Noworyta served as the Omaha Storm Chasers bench coach behind legendary manager Mike Jirschele. “Jirsch”, as he is affectionately known, has accumulated 1,365 wins as a manager, which is the seventh highest among active managers. In 2024, Noworyta worked as the Storm Chasers’ assistant hitting coach en route to an International League Championship. The coach received his Championship ring in Arizona March 15 as he checked off another milestone in his bucket list. “We’re excited for David to take this next step in his coaching career. He’s been in and around the game of baseball his whole life, from his childhood and playing career, to his first few years as a coach in Quad Cities and Omaha,” Royals Director of Player Development Mitch Maier said. “Those experiences will continue to be the foundation for David as he takes on his first year as a manager leading our team in Columbia. His care for the players, curiosity to keep growing and learning, and passion to develop our players will make David a great manager this year in Columbia.” Now, Noworyta is at the helm of the Columbia Fireflies, ready to begin his own legacy. A legacy to continue to pave the road for others to climb that lifelong baseball ladder.
After the dust settled, the backstop found a new home. Noworyta
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