'BAMA SLAMMA: Home Run Record Revisited

Everybody loves taters.

And by taters, I mean dingers. Did I say dingers? I meant jacks. Dongs. Gophers. Moneyballs. Big flies and round-trippers.

In linguistics, they teach you that slang frequently comes from “tabooed words, especially for the ones considered most objectionable.” You can read that on page 231 of Hock and Joseph’s bible of semantic change, Language History, Language Change and Language Relationship.

“Home runs” is the exception. No kidding, everybody loves them. So it comes as no surprise that home run records are scrutinized and admired unlike any other in sport.

I have, then, just one question: where’s the love for the Harvard single-season home run record?

Right now, that mark is in danger. On Sunday, shortstop Zak Farkes stepped up to the plate and connected. The No. 2 hitter, a generously-listed 5’11, 195-lb. sophomore from Boston, once again packed a punch that belied his frame.

On an inside pitch from Brown hurler Brian Tews, Farkes turned and hammered a 390-foot rocket into the shrubs beyond left field. That rocket shot, his tenth home run of the season, tied him for the Harvard school single-season record.

After the game, Farkes was characteristically humble about his accomplishment and preferred, instead, to talk about the more immediate circumstances of the homer.

The game was Harvard’s third straight win, putting the squad—only two games behind first-place Dartmouth—in reasonable position to pounce upon the league lead in the final Ivy weekend set against the Big Green.

“It feels great,” Farkes said of the record, “but I really wasn’t thinking that much about that.”

Until that point, not too many among the Harvard faithful were, either.

Moments after Farkes crossed the plate, the public address system announced the feat to a surprised smattering of cheers from the fans at O’Donnell Field.

Contrast that reaction with Busch Stadium’s on September 8, 2001, when Mark McGwire launched No. 61 into Big Mac country.

Obviously, there’s a difference. Aside from the fact that Farkes isn’t chasing a Major League cultural pedestal, school records don’t usually garner too much attention.

Here’s why this one should.

Against the backdrop of a Red Rolfe playoff race, Farkes is chasing that most rare of school records—one that has lasted 34 years.

Let’s think about longevity. Babe Ruth’s record was broken by Roger Maris after 34 years. McGwire broke Maris’ after an unbearable 37.

Similarly, Farkes’ 11th home run this weekend would break a record Pete Varney ’71 has held since 1970.

Adding to the significance is the fact that three Harvard players—Mike Stenhouse ’80, Nick DelVecchio ’92 and Brian Ralph ’98—have tied, but failed to break, the record.

Ah, the heartbreak. The disappointment. So many have come so far, only to fall short.

But slouches they aren’t. Let’s think about the quality of the record. Most importantly, let’s think about the quality of group our friend Zak finds himself in.

All four—most recently Ralph, who tied the record in 1998 and was last seen in the Dodgers’ organization—have played pro baseball.

DelVecchio, who tied the record as a junior in 1991, was drafted by the New York Yankees the next year with the 690th pick—two spots ahead of Benny Agbayani, and in the same round as Quinton McCracken. After a hot start (.373, 7 HR, 21 RBI) in his first year of pro ball, he was featured in the May 18, 1993 issue of Yankees Magazine.

Stenhouse, who tied the record in 1978 and is also the school record-holder in single-season batting average (.475), was a 1979 Oakland A’s first-round draft pick—how many of those have come from Harvard?—and made his MLB debut with the Montreal Expos in 1982. He played three seasons with the Expos and one with the Twins before retiring in 1986 with the Red Sox. Yes, those Red Sox.

Of all these men, Varney is the most accomplished. Varney—who also played football, catching the famous two-point conversion in a 29-29 tie against Yale in 1968—was an All-American baseball player with the Crimson. “A big guy at 6’3, 235 lb, he was drafted seven times and spent seven years in the Bigs as a catcher with the Chicago White Sox and Atlanta Braves.”

After retiring, he became the head coach at Div. III Brandeis, where he continues to coach to this day. He owns a stellar 514-287-4 career record in 23 years, has led his team to 12 NCAA Tourneys and won the ECAC baseball tournament last season.

So where does that put Farkes?

Well, in some heady company, for one. And like the other four guys, expect to see Farkes playing after college, earning cash at the swing of a bat. Maybe he’ll even get a taste of the big leagues.

But for now, he’s just trying for one more tater...

—Staff writer Alex McPhillips can be reached at rmcphill@fas.harvard.edu. His column appears on alternate Thursdays.