Former Harvard Hurler Makes MLB Debut

Frank Herrmann ’06 began his major league career with the Cleveland Indians on June 4 with 1.1 hitless innings against the Chicago White Sox and one strikeout against former Indian Omar Vizquel. The right-handed reliever was called up by the Tribe just that morning from Triple-A Columbus and earned the hold in Chicago in the evening.

Herrmann is Harvard's first major league player since southpaw pitcher Jeff Musselman ’85 retired in 1990.

The 26-year-old Herrmann was signed by Cleveland as a non-drafted free agent in 2005 and contributed nine columns for The Crimson during his first year of minor-league play in 2006.

In 19 appearances in Columbus this season, the 6’4”, 220-pound hurler went 3-0 with two saves and a 0.31 ERA. In his 28.2 innings, he allowed a single earned run, fanned 22, and walked only eight.

The former Crimson pitcher entered the majors with a scoreless streak of 27.1 innings in Triple-A. Since entering the Tribe farm system in 2006, he has gone 33-23 with a 3.62 ERA. In Hermann’s 146 appearances, he made eight starts and averaged 9.3 hits, 2.3 walks, and 5.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

At Harvard, Herrmann went 9-6 with a 4.93 ERA, five complete games, 81 strikeouts, and 102.1 innings pitched. In his third and final season in 2005, he went 5-2 with a 4.34 ERA and two shutouts.