Harris fans 13 as Boys' Latin tops Furness

ANTONIO HARRIS lives on South Ringgold Street, little more than a mile from Citizens Bank Park, and his favorite sport is baseball.

So, maybe he can tell some stories about brushes with famous Phillies. Securing an autograph from Ryan Howard. Being tossed a batting-practice ball by Roy Halladay. Dancing on top of the dugout with the Phillie Phanatic.

Um, not quite.

"My favorite team is the Yankees," Harris said.

Yankees?! Seriously?!

Should we end this story now?!

"They've always been my favorite team," he said. "Since I can remember. I've been in Yankee Stadium a few times. Even once in the old one. My uncle took me there. Our seats were pretty high up, but we had a great time. I was really excited, because that was my first time at a professional game.

"Anytime I can watch the Yankees on TV, I do it. My favorite players are Robinson Cano and Mariano Rivera."

If you're wondering what Dad thinks of this, here's the answer:

"He's a Braves fan," Harris said. "He doesn't change the channel, but he's always kidding with me. 'The Yankees stink. They're not winning anything this year.' "

Harris discussed his family's diamond preferences Monday after collecting the biggest win of his still-blossoming varsity career.

In a spirited Public C game at Shepard Rec Center, played in ch-ch-chilly conditions, the 6-1, 180-pound junior righthander posted a six-hitter with 13 strikeouts as Boys' Latin Charter bested visiting Horace Furness, 5-3.

The Warriors used a three-spot in the sixth to erase a 3-2 deficit - Harris got it started with a single; Marcus Peele and Darron Mitchell earned RBI singles - then emerged unscathed from a wacky seventh.

A walk to Steven Perez and single by Omar Asid got things started. Jose Perez sent a looper to right. Asa James not only made the catch, but fired to shortstop Abdur Mujahid for a doubleplay.

Easy sailing thereafter? Hardly. Marshall Drummond worked a full-count walk. After the runners executed a double steal on the first pitch, losing pitcher Augustin Gil (six-hitter, 12 whiffs), the cleanup hitter, was issued an intentional walk. Khaid Jones took a wicked swing and perhaps made solid contact with catcher Manny Fernandez' glove. Put it this way: Fernandez' glove came flying off. The umps conferred. Catcher's interference was not called.

Jones drove the next pitch toward right-center. Mitchell, the centerfielder, scrambled over and made the catch. The happy Warriors raced to a spot near their bench to celebrate, and fans nearby exchanged shrieks mixed with hugs.

During the seventh, Harris received a visit from Tom Hagerty, an assistant to coach Joe Dunn.

"I asked him if he wanted me to bring in Asa," Hagerty said. "All he said was, 'Nah, I'm good.' "

Said Harris: "I still felt fine. I wanted to finish. My fielders made nice plays."

When asked about the CI controversy, Harris smiled and said, "I'm not sure . . . No comment  . . . " Pause. "I did think they were going to call it."

To at least a few members of the previous generation, the name Antonio Harris will be familiar. Antonio Sr. played basketball for Southern and was one of six lefties - along with Mike Richmond, Andy Jones, Will "Chilly" Williams, Lawrence Burgess and future NBAer Nate "Day-Day" Blackwell - on the 1981-82 squad. Unless someone proves otherwise, we'll keep honoring that weird circumstance as a city record.

"I play basketball, too. It's just that I'm better at baseball," Harris said. "My dad got me started in T-ball. He forced me to try more than one sport, and the one I picked was baseball."

Harris employed a four-seam fastball, two kinds of curves and a changeup. He showed good pacing and an ability to put important pitches in the right spots.

"I just want to throw strikes, so I can get outs," he said. "I thought I'd do well, but I was still kind of nervous in the beginning. Big game. Later, when we were down, I wasn't sure if we'd pull through. That last inning was crazy. Just happy we all got the win."

Though Harris fanned in his first at-bat, later he managed two singles and the courtesy runners came around to score. He was the lone Warrior with two hits.

For Furness, which supplies only five players to coach Eric Weinstein's team (the rest are students at Palumbo), Jose Perez was the lone two-hit guy. The wind was blowing in, hard, all game from dead right.

Meanwhile, Harris said he has seen two Phillies games in person. Alas, he struck out when asked to relay any special memories.

Maybe there's a clause in Yankee fans' contracts?