Steve Garrison, 2005 Hun School Graduate, Enjoys Home Field Advantage

Monday's game was a home game for the Trenton Thunder, but for pitcher Steve Garrison "home" had a little more meaning.

Garrison, a 2005 graduate of the Hun School is pitching for Trenton this season and living with his family in Ewing, just five miles away from Waterfont Park.

"This is definitely a great experience," Garrison said.

Garrison made his first home start for Trenton on April 18. In that game he allowed two hits and just one earned run in five innings. Garrison did not get a pitching decision, but the Thunder went on to a 4-2 win over Richmond.

For Garrison, it was a day of deja vu.

"I played in this park before," Garrison noted. "I played here in high school. I played here in an All-Star Game. I've gone to games here with my Little League team. I don't know if I had any flashbacks, but I definitely felt comfortable out there.

"There was a lot going on, but I was trying to concentrate on the game.  I was trying to concentrate on what I was there to do."

Even so, it was impossible for Garrison to forget where he was and who was there to see him. He may be in his seventh season of professional baseball, but not all players get to have a true "home" game.

"I was 89 miles short (from a true home game)," Trenton Thunder Manager Tony Franklin noted of the time he played in the minor leagues in Kansas. "My parents didn't get a chance to see me play a lot, so that was fun.

"It was a big deal for him (Garrison). He pitched a nice game. I'm sure his family and friends were very happy with that."

Garrison didn't even have to wait until after the game to find out what his friends  thought of his outing.

"It was great to hear the fans," Garrison said. "They were loud, especially my buddies.

"Going through Hun, I had seven really close friends. They have followed my career. They have made trips to see me play and now I'm back home. When I'm out on the mound, I know their voices. If any of them yell, I can hear them. I know the accents. I can definitely pick them out," he laughed. 

Garrison hopes to give his family and friends a lot to yell about this season.

A 2005 10th round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers, Garrison had a career minor league record of 29-28 with a 3.82 ERA coming into this season.

He was traded from the Brewers to the San Diego Padres in 2007. He was acquired by the New York Yankees in the off-season  and is currently on the 40-man roster.

He is a phone call away from the big time -- Yankee Stadium.

"When I was playing at Hun, this is something I never even dreamed of," Garrison said. "Back then, I was worried about winning states with my buddies. We did that my freshman year.

"I loved Hun. Loved the academics. Loved every year there. Loved the atmosphere."

Kind of the way he feels about the atmosphere right now.

"Who thinks they can do something like this?" Garrison wondered. "It's surreal. I came to this park on field trips," he laughed.

Now, thanks to a lot of talent and hard work, Garrison had made the leap from hometown fan to a hometown attraction.