And Herrmann found that when a dream knocks on your door, you open it.
While playing with the Oahu Paddlers in the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League, the senior pitcher drew the attention of scouts on the strength of his rejuvenated right arm. In the past, the Rutherford, N.J. native had suffered from tendinitis at the ulnar nerve, hindering both his health and velocity.
But this summer, finally “truly healthy” for the first time, Herrmann—who went 5-1 with a 3.09 ERA last year—was hitting 93 MPH on the radar gun.
After being considered by the Kansas City Royals and the Red Sox, the starter was approached by Indians scout Don Lyle, who offered him the best deal.
Herrmann, who stands 6’4, 220-lbs., calls the time he spent mulling over signing and thus leaving Harvard baseball the “toughest three weeks” of his life.
“I talked to everyone,” he said. “I talked to my family, friends. I talked to Zak, Coach Walsh, Coach Hyde.”
The notion of “What if?” ultimately proved too glaring for Herrmann to ignore. He figured that if he pitched for the Crimson in 2006 and did poorly, or got hurt once again, the prospect of another contract coming along would be slim.
So the Indians threw out a number, offered to help pay for school, and included a signing bonus. Former Boston Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette—whom Herrmann played for in the New England Collegiate Baseball League two summers ago—helped negotiate the deal for him and his family.
“I was a part of the best team ever in my opinion,” Herrmann said. “But I might never get this opportunity again.”
Today, Herrmann is back at school, living with his roommates and readying for the fall semester.
He’ll practice and work out with the team, he says, and then head to wherever the Indians send him in March. He is “99.9 percent sure” that he’ll return next fall to get his degree in government.
“It’s definitely a bittersweet feeling,” Herrmann summarized. “The team’s here, and our chemistry is incredible. It was perfect, and I wanted to be a part of that. I really can’t fully enjoy this.”
But for Herrmann, in the end, this is might be the only logical step in a progression that has seen him ascend from seldom-used pinch-hitter to, just last year, team leader and Harvard staff ace.
In 2006, his friends wil be scrambling to find someone to fill Frank Herrmann’s shoes in the rotation. And he knows that.
“But I had to think with my head, not my heart,” Herrmann said.
That door can’t go unopened.
—Staff writer Pablo S. Torre can be reached at torre@fas.harvard.edu.
—Staff writer Alex McPhillips can be reached at rmcphill@fas.harvard.edu.