And just like Rodriguez, Albright seems to emerge as the preferred catcher wherever he goes.
“He played in the Cape Cod league this summer,” junior outfielder Sam Franklin says. “From what I have heard, it is the top league in the country. All the top pitchers [there] wanted him catching and calling the games.”
“When Shawn Haviland [’08] was in [the Oakland Athletics organization], he told me that he still hasn’t had anyone catch him as well as Tyler,” Walsh adds.
Albright’s popularity behind the plate should provide some assurance for the Crimson’s young crop of pitchers, who will be expected to perform early in their careers.
“Basically, I have to acclimate them into college,” Albright says. “It’s a different transition, especially having such a young staff. Last year we threw two freshmen against the No. 1 team in the country, and it’s going to be the same this year. I kind of have to keep them comfortable on the mound, keep them motivated, keep them focused.”
“For them, there’s no better person than Tyler,” Franklin says.
Walsh will also hope that Albright’s dedication to the game will rub off on the underclassmen. The standout from Long Beach, Calif. grew up with an ever-present mitt on his hand.
“Being from a warm weather state, I played baseball pretty much year round—summer ball, winter ball,” he recalls.
His practice paid off at Woodrow Wilson High School, when his team was named the National Champion by Baseball America Magazine his senior year. Albright also garnered a number of individual accolades, being named the Defensive Player of the Year by his team that season, as well as earning the squad’s MVP honor as a sophomore and Most Improved his freshman year.
From a team perspective, Albright hasn’t been able to replicate his high school success at Harvard. The Crimson has posted a losing record in each of the past two seasons, but disappointing finishes have prompted the ballplayers to change their mentality.
“This year as a team we have a group of leaders,” he says. “Players step up and look after each other…It’s good this year. It’s different than years past.”
At the helm of the turnaround is Albright, whose tireless work ethic has earned him the respect of his coaches and teammates.
“You take a day like today when we had a three-hour practice,” Walsh says. “After practice it was like, ‘let’s go to the track.’ He has the ability to catch both ends of a double header. He has a lot of enthusiasm. He never gets lazy…It gets a little contagious.”
“He’s just a great guy,” Franklin adds. “Everyone wants to follow him…It’s a great strength being around him…he’s the man.”
—Staff writer Christina C. McClintock can be reached at ccmcclin@fas.harvard.edu.