March to the Sea: Walsh is Correct: Crockett’s The Man

“He’s a horse and we ride him.”

Those are the words of Harvard head coach Joe Walsh, referring to captain Ben Crockett.

It is unclear when the decision was made, but somewhere along the line, Coach Walsh decided to “throw the pitch count away” and rely on his superstar senior pitcher. In almost all of Harvard’s must-win situations down the stretch, Crockett has been on the mound.

Crockett has thrown over 120 pitches in complete game appearances in his last four starts. On April 20, Crockett threw 140 pitches in an 8-3 victory against Yale. On April 27, he struck out a Harvard single-game record 17 hitters in a 6-5 loss to Brown. Four days later, Crockett came on in relief to record the final two outs of a 13-12 thriller against Brown that, in hindsight, saved Harvard’s season. Last week, Crockett threw 125 pitches in a must-win 5-1 victory against Dartmouth.

Finally, on Wednesday, pitching for the first time in his career on three days rest, Crockett hurled yet another complete game. His 16-K masterpiece put Harvard in position for a comeback in the bottom of the ninth with two outs. An error and two hits were all Harvard needed for a 2-1 victory against Brown and a Red Rolfe Division Championship.

Question: Would Harvard have won the Red Rolfe Division if Ben Crockett had either not pitched or been removed earlier from his starts over the past month?

Answer: There’s no way to know for sure, but probably not. While much of Harvard’s pitching staff has struggled as of late, Crockett is the team’s only sure thing. He is the best pitcher in the Ivy League and probably the league’s Most Valuable Player. He leads Harvard with 108 strikeouts this season. Justin Nyweide is second with 52, less than half of Crockett’s total.

Question: Should Coach Walsh have pitched Crockett on Wednesday, given the possibility of an injury that may threaten Crockett’s professional aspirations?

Answer: In this case, yes. It is Walsh’s job to win and Crockett’s job to do everything he can for the team to get Harvard an Ivy League Championship. Crockett shares this attitude and wants the ball in his hands.

“Ben and I have talked about his balancing act between college and pro ball,” said Walsh. “Scouts have been here and will hopefully get another shot at seeing him. I understand the concern, but life’s too short. These types of games are the building blocks to get to the next level. The team counts on him in games we need to win, and he came through for us with a tremendous effort.”

Coach Walsh has clearly thought about the pros and cons of “riding his horse” extensively. There is an argument that Walsh should limit Crockett’s pitch count no matter the circumstances. This point-of-view argues that though Crockett will want to pitch because he’s competitive, a winner, and would let down the team if he turned down a start, his opinion should be irrelevant to Walsh, who should protect his players and give them a chance to succeed on the next level. However, it is Walsh’s responsibility as Harvard’s head coach to put his team in a situation to win, and it is Crockett’s responsibility to do whatever he can to get his team a ‘W.’ “Ben has showed up at every start he’s had all year,” senior second-baseman Faiz Shakir said. “Ben pitched his heart out [on Wednesday] and he is this team’s role model. He is the captain and he’s our leader, both on and off the field.”

Question: Was Crockett’s performance on Wednesday hurt by his previous outings? Was Walsh’s decision to go with his ace a mistake, in hindsight?

Answer: Crockett was fabulous on Wednesday. His performance was one of the best of his career, ranking close to his no-hitter in the regular-season finale against Dartmouth last year. While no one can be sure if Crockett’s arm has been affected by the pitcher’s recent heavy load, Crockett believes he is okay. “Coach Walsh and I talked and I agreed to keep going as long as my arm felt fine,” Crockett said. “I threw a lot of pitches but the arm stayed loose and I want to be in those situations. I want to be in the opportunity to win the game.”

Unfortunately, Ben Crockett will likely not be available this Saturday when Harvard plays a doubleheader against Princeton in the Ivy League Championship series. If Harvard is swept on Saturday, the Crimson’s season will be over.

But if Harvard wins at least one of two, Game Three will take place on Sunday. Sunday means three-days rest. Three-days rest means Ben Crockett. And Ben Crockett means Harvard victory.