Harvard's Utility Man

If you can play solid defense on the baseball diamond, then you are dependable. If you can take the mound and hold off the opposing offense on a consistent basis, then you are reliable.

But if your coach can put you wherever he needs, knowing with full confidence that you will give 110 percent no matter where you are on the field, then you are indispensable.

For the Crimson, sophomore Danny Moskovits is indispensable.

“Without a doubt, [Moskovits] is the one guy who’s made the biggest improvement so far,” Harvard coach Joe Walsh said. “We had him in the lineup a little bit last year, and he was swinging the bat really well, but he’s really come on as a player since the end of last season.”

With the arrival of springtime comes sunny days, green grass, and the return of baseball, and Moskovits cannot wait until the season comes into full swing.

“Obviously, I’m really excited,” Moskovits said. “Everyone on the team is really excited, because we have the best team that we’ve had in a long time, especially in these last four years. We should be really good this year.”

Last season as a freshman, Moskovits played in 19 games for the Crimson and started 11 of them. But after the end of the season, he did not stop playing baseball; instead, he went out to improve his game over the summer and is anxious to show off his skills when Harvard takes the field this upcoming season.

“I just got in 50 times better shape—way more explosive,” Moskovits said. “I just grew a lot mentally after freshman year. Freshman year was pretty tough because my approach, especially at the plate, wasn’t where it should have been. So I’m just trying to stay more relaxed this year and having fun playing baseball and just letting my skills take over. It’s been going really well.”

On the field, Moskovits spent most of his time last year playing third base. But with the graduation of Dan Zailskas ’10, Moskovits finds himself on the other corner of the diamond, taking over the responsibilities at first base.

“He’s taken to it like a fish to water,” Walsh said. “He looks really comfortable over there. We have to wait until the games to see, but we feel really good with him at first base.”

Most players stick to one primary position for the majority of their careers, but according to Walsh, one of the things that makes Moskovits such a special player is his versatility.

“I played all over the place in high school,” Moskovits said. “I’m pretty versatile on the field. I played a lot of shortstop in high school, but I actually played a decent amount of first base in my senior year of high school, so it’s not like a brand new thing for me. The transition’s been fun, and it’s been really good for me.”

But Moskovits doesn’t just showcase his talents on the field playing shutdown defense —he is also a pretty talented pitcher.

“Moskovits will get you through about three innings,” Walsh said. “He wants the ball. He’s an 89 mph guy with a slider, and he wants to be out there.”

“If I get the call to go warm up in the bullpen, I just switch mentalities,” Moskovits said. “I’m still going to be in the lineup when I’m pitching so that’s not a problem. But I love pitching. It’s not hard and it’s something that I really embrace. This year, pitching has been going really well, so I’m excited to get on the mound.”

Even with all the talk about his versatility on the field, his offense at the plate is nothing to ignore or shove aside. His flexibility also applies in the batting order, and Walsh is comfortable starting him at any spot one through nine, although he will primarily be a middle-of-the-lineup hitter.

With the change in the type of bats that will be used in college baseball this season to promote more small-ball and less power-hitting, the heart of the lineup will have to focus more on making contact and driving in runs. Moskovits is not worried about this change at all.

“Personally, I haven’t really changed my approach with the new bats,” Moskovits said. “I mean it’s not the same, but you just have to focus. If you were a good hitter with the old bats, you’ll be a good hitter with the new bats.”

With the start of the season just around the corner, Moskovits has embraced his starting role. After seeing limited action in his freshman year, he is ready to play a bigger role for the Crimson as its starting first baseman. He hopes to be a part of the first winning season for Harvard baseball in four years.

“This year should be the start of a winning tradition here,” Moskovits said. “We have all the talent to roll through the Ivy League and get to the NCAA regionals, but at this point, we just got to go outside, get back to basics, and do it.”

—Staff writer Ricky Liu can be reached at rliu@fas.harvard.edu.