Herrmann—who went undrafted after playing four strong years of Harvard baseball—was called up to pitch for Cleveland in 2010 and then again in 2011. He is currently on the roster of the Columbus Clippers playing at the AAA level.

“It’s rare that an Ivy League player makes it to the major leagues,” Stearns says. “[Herrmann] has had tremendous success coming in undrafted.”

After being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks and spending five years in the minor leagues, Hendricks has shifted his career path to the administrative side of baseball as part of the Indians’ scouting team.

“Maybe what they have in common is that all three of those guys really went about their business without complaining,” McPhillips says. “They’re great, focused guys, and that’s what it takes to succeed in baseball.”

When he graduated from Harvard in 2007, Stearns was met with a difficult task: attempting to break into a popular industry with a small number of jobs available. But Stearns was able to overcome the odds and has settled in nicely to his role with the Indians—just in time for his five-year college reunion.

“I’d say that five years ago I knew I wanted to give baseball as good a shot as I could possibly give it and see how far it could take me,” Stearns says. “I knew I could be unemployed or in a career for the next 30 years of my life.... [When I graduated from college,] I knew I wanted to stay in the game and contribute as much as I could. It’s worked out so far.”

—Staff writer Catherine E. Coppinger can be reached at ccoppinger@college.harvard.edu.