By: Austin Alexander – May 23, 2014 In the spring of 2006 I first laid eyes on a Harrison from Hilton Head. It was actually Diamond Prospects’ first year of existence and I was beating every bush tracking down players that I had been told were pretty good. I heard there were a pair of brothers on the Island that ‘had a chance’ to be okay. I literally located Brian and Greg Harrison amongst the pine needles at Beaufort High School. Indeed they did have a bright future and it became a future that has since inter-twined with my family. That summer of 2006 I had the privilege of coaching the oldest brother Brian and met his parents as well. I don’t typically become friendly with parents of players but I quickly connected with their father Jamie and mother Patty. I eventually got to know Jamie’s parents well when they would visit from Upstate New York or when we played in Canada. Over the next three years I had the opportunity to coach both boys. Now understand this, these Harrison’s are a legit baseball family. At the peak of his own professional career, Jamie left a very successful accounting job to become a full-time dad. With Patty having a great career of her own at Gulfstream, Jamie was then freed up to make sure that the boy’s academic and baseball needs were met. He became Mr. Mom! Well, in the span of time that I have known this crew, I have been close to them every step of the way through recruiting processes, Wrigley Field, pro ball, transfers, slumps and injuries galore, etc. I have stayed in their home, played billiards with my kids in their man room (which is a bon-a-fide baseball shrine) and our families visit each year during the week after Christmas. Stay with me, I am building to something here. It should be mentioned that both Brian and Greg were exceptional students (1400+ SAT’s), honor students and all that comes with academic accolades. They were also pretty solid baseball players. I now have two young sons that are playing baseball and I shared a picture last week with Jamie of my son and his battery-mate following a no-hitter. His response was a powerful one for me regarding the circle of a baseball life, it truly resonated with me. With Brian now retired from a pro ball career in the Mets organization and Greg in his final days of baseball as a senior at Furman, what happened on Thursday night made me so incredibly happy for Team Harrison. With grandfather, parents and Brian in the stands, Greg stepped to the plate with the Paladins tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth versus Appalachian State in the Southern Conference tourney. One pitch later he was circling the bags having hit a two-run, walk-off bomb advancing Furman to the next round. But more than that, it was a frozen moment in time that was full of family euphoria as it delayed their lives as a baseball family for one more day. It should be noted that as Greg (#22) approaches his teammates, his older brother is atop the dugout in the distance sporting the Hawaiian shirt with arms extended! It should be noted that the blast made a winner of Alex Abrams, who I first met in 1995 and have remained very close to his parents too all these years after I left The College of Charleston…perhaps a story for another day! The point here is this…our game is such a great game! There are so many awesome people in the game of baseball. It is amazing how path’s continue to cross so many years after an acquaintance becomes a friendship. Parents: Cherish the moments your child experiences, Players: Cherish the moments you have during your window of time to play, Coaches: Cherish all the relationships that cross your path… Regardless of your place in the game, baseball is filled with amazing experiences and so many outstanding people, cherish every day that you can spend in the midst of it!