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Harris' Star Turn Nets Softball Victory for Players September 25, 2008 by Ben Couch - NJNETS.COM |
East Rutherford, NJ — The pitch floating through the air Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, it was a fat one.
A bat whipped around, and the ball rocketed down the third-base line, destined for the outfield corner. And then – intercepted. Leather flashed, a back-handed stop impeded the ball’s progress, and as the fielder’s momentum carried him toward the foul line, he pivoted, leapt into the air and buzzed a throw to first base. The runner was out by a step.
It is an iconic image for Yankee fans, familiar as they are with Derek Jeter’s propensity for the “jump toss” after 13 years of watching him play. But this time, the Jeter role was filled by New Jersey Nets point guard Devin Harris.
Wait, what?
Harris was holding it down at the hot corner for the players’ team in the Nets’ fifth annual softball matchup against their coaches, and third played at Yankee Stadium. The players won, 8-2, rapping 15 hits and jumping out to a 6-0 lead. Harris, tabbed to bat leadoff by team captain Vince Carter, stole the show with his late-inning Web gem.
“[Laughs] It’s definitely been a while – junior year of high school, at least,” Harris said. “But I started playing baseball even before I played basketball, because I wasn’t coordinated enough for basketball early on. So I got my hand-eye down playing baseball.”
The event’s loose atmosphere was evident from the start, with players joking around about their skill levels, which varied wildly. Brook Lopez explained he was “relatively good” while gesturing to his present competition, but only “all right” on a broader scale. Bobby Simmons claimed to “know nothing about baseball,” before ripping a two-RBI single up the middle in his first at bat.
Texas-bred Sean Williams showed up for the occasion rocking a customized Houston Astros New Era hat that shone brighter than the afternoon sun. Chris Douglas-Roberts claimed he was “pretty much a DH,” and someone quipped, “All right, David Ortiz.” Jarvis Hayes roped a couple of batting practice line-drives, and then surprised everyone when he turned around to bat lefty. Though he made contact on three pitches he saw, each southpaw swing resulted in a foul.
Coach Lawrence Frank played a smooth centerfield for the coaches, shagging several fly balls, much to the dismay of his players. He notably caught a shallow pop that required a burst of closing speed that surprised his team. “Coach got a little speed on him, huh?” Harris observed. “Yup,” Williams chimed in. “The Little Engine That Could.”
For all the fun, there did remain a bittersweet sentiment – Yankee Stadium’s final home game had been played Sunday night; beginning next season, the team moves into the New Yankee Stadium, adjacent to the current site. After the softball game, several players took photos of the field, the stands and Monument Park.
“I followed the Yankees and Major League Baseball while I was growing up,” said Eduardo Najera, a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, who played baseball through high school. “I’m just happy to be here and have a chance to see this beautiful stadium before they tear it down. I can’t believe they’re gonna do it.”
