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Crimson Nine is Unlikely Powerhouse

Kelly was a gutsy pitcher. Having little breaking stuff, he worked for the corners. Having little speed, he fooled batters with many variations on half-speeds.

With the bases loaded and none out in the District I playoff, Kelly confused the batters with a change of pace rather than a fastball and struck out the side.

Collins was one of the hardest workers on the team. He frequently warmed up in the bullpen in the late innings of games he wasn't pitching, and sometimes he even threw on the sidelines while his team was at bat in games he was pitching. Collins had relied on his sidearm delivery to surprise batters the year before, but he worked this season on his overhand delivery so that the sidearm became a more versatile weapon.

Nickens has the frustrating honor of being a junk pitcher. Without blazing speed, Nickens succeeded with a jerky delivery, a lot of breaking stuff, and some tempting goofballs.

Nickens had been thrust into the line-up as a sophomore to take Ray Peter's place, and for two years he failed to attract much attention. His trouble has been that he goes for the corners of the plate, wastes a lot of pitches if he gets ahead on a batter, and walks himself into trouble. But this spring' Nickens asse?ed himself in the GBL for a 7-1 record. And an All Star berth.

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While sports fans may recall Kelly for his on-side kick recovery or Varney's two-point catch, or DeMichele for his part in the ECAC hockey championship, they and the rest of the varsity nine have left styles that Harvard fans remember long after their records have beer broken.

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