Predicting the LCS

Once upon a time, scenes like the Harvard football pressbox and press row at Lavietes Pavilion played witness to the most illicit insider sports gambling by Boston-area college students this side of Chestnut Hill. Those were the glory days, when--as Our Man in the Ivy Office knows--many a free lunch was earned taking the under on Nick Palazzo rushing yards and the over on Jen Monti turnovers.

Clearly unacquainted with said knack for prognosticating, Faiz like jazz has decided to bring it, proposing the following categories for a Harvard baseball guessing game, LCS-style. Faiz's and Marty's entries appear below, followed by the answer key.

CATEGORIES
1) Who wins/by what score/how many games?
2) Who are the MVPs * batting and pitching separately?
3) Who ends the series with the career Crimson homerun record * Mann or
Farkes?
4) How many bases do the Crimson steal?
5) How many runs does Vance score?
6) How many homeruns do the Crimson hit?
7) How many different pitchers pitch in the Series?
8) How many different positions (including DH) will
Wilson/Salsgiver/Farkes play (a number for each)?

Bonus: Describe in detail Coach Walsh’s unusual and unanticipated
coaching move of the Series.

FAIZ SHAKIR (WARNING: Has a tendency to come up big this time of year)

1) Harvard in 2-game sweep; 9-3 and 10-4
2) Sky Mann (hitting) and Frank Herrmann (pitching)
3) Mann
4) 6 stolen bases
5) 3 Vance runs
6) 5 homeruns
7) 4 total pitchers
8) Wilson, Salsgiver each will play 2; Farkes will play 1 position

Bonus: The Coaching Move of the Series: Steffan Wilson pitches twice in
the same game. He comes in to relieve a starter late in Game 2; Coach
brings in another pitcher to relieve Wilson; he faces a hitter or two,
while Wilson is put back into the field; then Wilson comes back in to
close out the game.

MARTIN BELL (Battles illness to take Faiz on mano a mono)

1) Harvard. 7-3(L), 5-4, 9-1.
2) Haviland. Klimkiewicz.
3) Mann.
4) 3 stolen bases.
5) 5 runs.
6) 8 home runs.
7) 8 total pitchers.
8) Wilson: 2.
Salsgiver: 2 (LF/RP).
Farkes: 2 (DH/2B).

Bonus: In an attempt to even further capitalize on the massive All-Ivy chip on
his first baseman's shoulder, Walsh will bat Josh Klimekiewicz seventh in
Game One. He will also warm still-woozy Morgan Brown in the pen five innings
into the pivotal second game. Decoy? No reason at all? We'll never know.

ANSWER KEY

1) Harvard in 3 games; 6-5, W; 7-5, L; 10-6 W
2) Batting: Klimkiewicz. Pitching: Herrmann.
3) Mann.
4) 7 steals.
5) 4 runs.
6) 6 home runs.
7) 6 pitchers.
8) Wilson- 3rd/Pitcher
Salsgiver- RF/CF/Pitcher
Farkes- DH

Bonus: Accepts homemade chocolate chip cookie from eager Harvard parent between games of Monday doubleheader. Also, spots subtle, hard-to-discern balk move by opposing pitcher and shames umpire into calling it in crucial situation.