The Greene Line

Who would have thought that in the two biggest games of Harvard's season, one of its biggest bats would be wielded by sophomore first baseman Erik Binkowski?

Erik Binkowski, who at .294 is one of just three batters in the Harvard starting lineup hitting under .350?

Erik Binkowski, whose name is penciled into the nine spot in the order before the scouting report on the opposing pitcher even reaches Joe Walsh's desk?

Erik Binkowski, whose 6'2, 220-lb. frame belies his .412 slugging percentage?

What are the chances that Erik Binkowski would give the Crimson its first lead of yesterday's opener with a two-RBI single in the fourth, then crank a two-run homer to put Harvard in the scoring column in the nightcap?

The way I figure it, the chances are about one in nine.

Harvard's offense is the non-union assembly line of the Ivy League. The parts are interchangeable; anyone can come up big at any time, and usually anyone does.

"You're only as strong as your one through nine," captain David Forst said. "Every guy needs to come to play every day. It doesn't matter who is the guy that steps up."

In some ways, Friday's twinbill was the nameless offense against the nameless school. The first thing I thought when I learned who would be the final hurdle in the Harvard baseball team's road to the NCAA Regional Tournament was, "What's a LeMoyne?"

Of course just as every cog in the assembly line becomes human the second it walks out of the factory, the Harvard baseball team is, in fact, anything but nameless.

This is, after all, the same Erik Binkowski who tore his ACL during the offseason. For many people it would have meant a season of rehab, watching from the sidelines as other players stepped into the spotlight. Binkowski was ready from Day One.

"It's great when you get something from your nine-hole hitter," Walsh said. "Here's a kid who's on his fifth or sixth month from an ACL--most kids would have forgotten this season, but [Binkows- ki] rehabbed like crazy to get back. Those arethe types of kids you like to see good thingshappen to."

The surgically-repaired Binkowski was asked tofill the enormous shoes of First Team All-Ivyfirst baseman Peter Albers '97, a daunting taskfor someone who entered the season hitting just.257 lifetime.

Suddenly his current .294 average doesn't lookquite so low. Suddenly Erik Binkowski sounds likea name to remember.

I knew a lot more about MAC basketball-championPforzheimer than the MAAC baseball-championDolphins. I assumed LeMoyne was in Pennsylvania,much like its other small-school, starts with-`L'brethren, Lehigh and Lafayette. It's actually inSyracuse, NY, which might as well be Pennsylvania.

LeMoyne's coaching staff may have similarlystereotyped Erik Binkowski. Steve Balboni-type.Nine hitter. Slow first step. Occasional pop butsusceptible to change of speeds.

But on Friday afternoon, Erik Binkowski made aname for himself.

Of course, you shouldn't expect to hear itagain any time soon.

It seems pretty improbable that Binkowski willbe the big bat in the NCAA Regional. I'm nostatistician, but I'd say the chances are aboutone in nine.

More likely than not, it will be a differentnameless player, at a different spot in the order,with a different memorable story to tell

The surgically-repaired Binkowski was asked tofill the enormous shoes of First Team All-Ivyfirst baseman Peter Albers '97, a daunting taskfor someone who entered the season hitting just.257 lifetime.

Suddenly his current .294 average doesn't lookquite so low. Suddenly Erik Binkowski sounds likea name to remember.

I knew a lot more about MAC basketball-championPforzheimer than the MAAC baseball-championDolphins. I assumed LeMoyne was in Pennsylvania,much like its other small-school, starts with-`L'brethren, Lehigh and Lafayette. It's actually inSyracuse, NY, which might as well be Pennsylvania.

LeMoyne's coaching staff may have similarlystereotyped Erik Binkowski. Steve Balboni-type.Nine hitter. Slow first step. Occasional pop butsusceptible to change of speeds.

But on Friday afternoon, Erik Binkowski made aname for himself.

Of course, you shouldn't expect to hear itagain any time soon.

It seems pretty improbable that Binkowski willbe the big bat in the NCAA Regional. I'm nostatistician, but I'd say the chances are aboutone in nine.

More likely than not, it will be a differentnameless player, at a different spot in the order,with a different memorable story to tell