Life of Brian: Crockett Can Take Harvard Only So Far

HANOVER, NH—If the Harvard baseball team is going to enter the Ivy League’s Promised Land, Moses will once again have to show the way. This time, though, the Crimson might be leaning on captain Ben Crockett more than it can afford.

Five days after he flew in from the bullpen like Superman against Brown to put Harvard in control of its own destiny, and one day after he twirled a one-run, six-hit gem to keep it there, Crockett was taking a well-deserved day off at Dartmouth yesterday. But before the sweat had even dried on his cap, his team already needed him again.

Standing on the sidelines in street clothes during Game Two, Crockett watched the Crimson simultaneously give up a 2-0 lead and the chance to clinch the Red Rolfe division title outright. Now Harvard will have to meet a menacing Brown squad in a one-game playoff on Wednesday. Harvard Coach Joe Walsh has already named his rubber-armed ace as his starter. He’ll pitch on three days’ rest.

All but dead and buried after Harvard’s 13-12 comeback last Tuesday, Brown now has a fresh chance. The Bears are a major-league pest—a week ago, they survived Crockett’s 17-strikeout magnum opus to steal a 6-5 win.

Crockett hasn’t been asked to start a game on short rest yet this year, but he showed little sign of being tired in his one-inning relief stint last week.

“He’s a strong kid,” Walsh said. “I remember in Florida during spring break [last March], I looked out my window at 7:30 p.m. one morning and he was in the middle of a seven-mile run in 95-degree heat.”

Even if Harvard wins on Wednesday, the real winner will be the Princeton Tigers, champions of the Lou Gehrig Division. The Tigers could potentially avoid seeing Crockett altogether in the best-of-three Ivy championship series. Unless Walsh decides to play sadist and pitch him on two days’ rest, the earliest Crockett could take the mound would be Game Three on Sunday. And even then, he would be pitching on three days’ rest for the second time in a week.

As has been the rule during most of Walsh’s tenure, Harvard will go as far as its pitching will take it. After Crockett, though, there may not be much that can be taken for granted anymore.

Senior Justin Nyweide, who’s been a constant in Harvard’s weekend openers, was shaky Saturday, giving up five earned runs on six hits in just 2.1 innings. It was the second straight time he failed to last into the fifth inning. So far this season, he’s yet to match his 2001 form on a consistent basis, though Walsh insists his slump is only temporary.

“We have confidence in [Nyweide],” Walsh said. “It’s easy to look back and say, ‘What did a guy do recently?’ From a coach’s standpoint, I look at what I know he’s done in the past.”

Injuries have not helped Harvard’s cause. Sophomore righthander Marc Hordon, who has been the Crimson’s best starter after Crockett this spring, did not pitch yesterday and is out indefinitely with an injured shoulder. It is the second time in a month that Hordon has missed a start.

Sophomore Trey Hendricks and senior Chaney Sheffield helped soften that blow with nice outings yesterday. But Hendricks—Harvard’s third different No. 4 starter this year—will probably not figure into Harvard’s postseason pitching plans and Sheffield, one of Harvard’s surprisingly consistent performers, tired after five innings yesterday. He has now thrown more innings this year than he has in any previous season in his career. He’s also the only weekend starter who plays the field on games he doesn’t pitch. All that playing time may be catching up with him.

“Sheffield’s been a little sore,” Walsh said yesterday. “We knew we weren’t getting nine out of him.”

The Crimson can take confidence in the fact that its bullpen is as strong as any in the league. Senior Mike Dryden continues to pitch well in middle relief, while junior Kenon Ronz has flourished as Harvard’s lefty specialist. Closer Barry Wahlberg’s gas has been unhittable out of the bullpen.

The three combined for five innings of scoreless relief yesterday. With the starting rotation stretched thin, Walsh was playing to his obvious strength.

“Our game plan was exactly how it went today—have Barry close, use Dryden early in one of the games and have Ronz get the lefties,” Walsh said.

But Harvard’s relievers won’t be a factor in any potential championship series if the game’s already lost when they come in.

On Wednesday, Crockett can put the Crimson in contention for an Ivy title. But it will be up to Harvard’s other weekend starters to finish the job after that. If the Crimson’s season is to last past this week, Harvard will need one or two new heroes to emerge.