PRINCETON: Garrison called up to Yankees

Hun School graduate promoted to New York bullpen

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   Steve Garrison had to wait a few more months than he would have liked, but on Tuesday he got that unforgettable call from the New York Yankees.
   The Hun School graduate joined the Yankees in Tampa Bay to take on the Rays on Tuesday. It’s the first stint in the major leagues for Garrison, who was the final pitcher left off the Yankees roster when they broke from spring camp.
   Garrison is being used to replace Sergio Mitre, who was put on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury. Garrison takes his place as someone the Yankees can use in long relief, and New York has a few more fans from the area after Tuesday’s promotion of Garrison.
   ”To have that dream that every Little Leaguer dreams, to finally have it be fulfilled for whatever time it is, everyone is so proud of what he’s accomplished,” said Bill McQuade, Garrison’s baseball coach at Hun. “I’ve been getting emails from coaches I coached against congratulating me.
   ”It just shows what sort of person he is. He’s the perfect gentleman on top of being one of the classiest pitchers ever.”
   McQuade’s Hun team rode Garrison to a state title when he was a freshman, and Garrison only got better from there. He bloomed into a 10th round selection by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2005. He was traded to the San Diego Padres, and injuries had slowed Garrison’s progress through the minor leagues.
   ”He was never injured at Hun,” McQuade said. “Now he’s had one arm injury, an ankle, knee and groin. We all knew there was something about the make-up of this young man that will allow him to be successful at the major league level.”
   Garrison just had to be patient. He was the picture of patience even as he was on the cusp of the majors after spring training. Inside, McQuade believes, Garrison was still as confident as ever.
   ”When he was here at Hun, what made Stevie so special, is his inner strength,” McQuade said. “His inner strength and character were beyond reproach. He believed in himself. He never bragged about himself, but he just believed that it was going to happen.”
   Another injury with the Trenton Thunder, the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate curtailed some potential starts, but he has put together a 3-6 record with a 6.26 ERA in 11 appearances, and gotten better as the season has progressed. Since coming off the disabled list, Garrison has looked more like what locals remember of his dominating form. He held Reading to four hits and struck out six last Friday. Through it all, Garrison has kept his usual positive approach and focused on going forward.
   ”He had the classic demeanor of a pitcher,” McQuade said. “He never lived in the past when he was here, and I’m sure he’s never lived in the past when he got to the professional level.”
   The call-up may be short-lived as Garrison fills in for an injured player. When he pitches for the Yankees, it will be only his sixth appearance above the Double-A level, but the call-up also gives him that chance to show that he belongs. It’s something that those near the Hun program, and Steve Garrison as well, have always believed.
   ”You talk about a dream come true for a young man and his family,” McQuade said. “It couldn’t be nicer.”