Ex-Backstop DePalo To Help Out Batsmen

Who wants to play in Milwaukee, anyway?

After an injury ended his playing career in the Brewers' spring training camp this year, Jim DePalo '87 will return to Harvard as an assistant coach under Coach Alex Nahigian, Director of Athletics John P. Reardon '60 announced this week.

DePalo, one of the best baseball players in Harvard history, brings a legacy of offensive success and catching experience back to the Crimson with him. Over his four-year career, DePalo hit for a .332 average.

In his freshman year, DePalo finished sixth in the Eastern League (EIBL) batting race with a .423 mark and helped lead Harvard to an EIBL title and the NCAA Tournament. In the tournament, the Crimson was eliminated in the Northeast regional after three games.

A first-team ALL-EIBL selection in his first three seasons, DePalo earned Harvard's Bingham Award as the school's top senior male athlete in 1987 when he hit .310. The Crimson finished a close third in the EIBL race and posted a strong 19-7 overall record in his senior year.

With his years of experience behind the plate, DePalo should be an excellent coach to rising sophomore catcher Aron Allen, who--like DePalo--was named to the All-EIBL squad in his rookie season.

Another area where DePalo should help the Crimson is speed. Despite being a backstop, he holds the record for most career stolen bases with 59.