SF Giants: Kyle Harrison’s parents, former coaches delighted by his dazzling home debut
De La Salle community shows out for Kyle Harrison’s SF Giants home debut
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Kyle Harrison’s family ate a variety of snacks before the Giants’ series opener against the Reds on Monday night. It was one way to distract from the rookie’s nerves just minutes before his home debut.
But knowing Kyle, the man of the night, was most likely the calmest guy in the ballpark for his home debut on Monday night calmed the butterflies among those gathered in the Harrison family suite atop Oracle Park.
“I think Kyle’s relaxed now that he’s home,” said his father, Chris Harrison. “This is home, this is home.”
On some level, those closest to the 22-year-old Harrison knew what was going to happen: he struck out five straight batters to start the game and finished with 11 strikeouts over 6 1/3 scoreless innings for a 4-1 win that stunned a Giants crowd thirsty for excitement.
He’s the Giants’ best pitching prospect since Madison Bumgarner, and he’s pitching like a young Madison Bumgarner. But for anyone who has seen Harrison pitch between Danville Little League and De La Salle High School, that performance was classic Kyle.
“He just has a feel for the game,” De La Salle baseball coach David Jeans said. “It’s not something I gave him.” He’d just gotten it.”
Perhaps Harrison felt guided by the magic of his home. When he wasn’t watching games on TV, the Danville native would frequently cross the bridge with his parents or grandmother, or his younger brother and two cousins, to catch the Giants during their World Series run.
Aside from that, Harrison’s baseball dreams were fulfilled entirely in his own backyard. With the exception of some travel ball, he progressed from local Little League to high school to the 2020 MLB Draft. And he passed up a chance to pitch at UCLA in favor of joining his hometown team.
“When things line up like that, it feels like destiny,” his father explained.
The hometown kid warmed up to local artist P-Lo’s “Put Me on Somethin’,” an ode to the Bay Area, and drowned out the crowd noise as he prepared to face a Cincinnati Reds team vying for a wild-card spot. And there was a lot of it. In a suite were his parents, grandparents, girlfriend, family friends, and high school baseball coaches. Katie Grace Carrington, Harrison’s three-year girlfriend, sobbed even more after each of his strikeouts.
“I know every other girl in my situation would feel that,” she explained. “You’re watching the love of your life do exactly what they’re meant to do.”
Hundreds of former and current De La Salle students, faculty, and parents crammed the sections below. School administrators and parents made certain that word got out that one of their own would be pitching a few miles away. Kyle is well-known at De La Salle. His friends waved cardboard cutouts of Harrison’s face as they exited, and their parents rejoiced at a day they had anticipated.
Kim Amigh, who was sitting in Section 122 with a large De La Salle contingent, cheered. Jared, her son, pursued Harrison throughout high school, including during one of the school’s four consecutive NCS championships.
“We’re not surprised because we expected him to arrive,” Amigh explained. “My name is Kyle Harrison. You’ll never see him get agitated.”
Harrison was fearless, daring Reds batters to swing at his mid-90s fastball, which pounded the zone with suffocating zip and was accompanied by a hard slider. And he didn’t falter when he got into his only jam of the game, striking out TJ Hopkins to end the fifth.
As Harrison’s high school pitching coach, Clayton Tanner, a 2006 Giants draftee out of De La Salle, saw that maturity blossom early on.
“There are a lot of guys who can pitch. Tanner described his performance as “his stuff and his maturity.” “He leads by example, and he wasn’t worried about being that guy.”
“I would never have to tell him twice how to do things,” Jeans added. He’d pick it up and adjust his posture. He was aware of my thoughts.”
Harrison’s parents, Chris and Kim, returned to the suite after he was pulled in the seventh inning to pop a bottle of champagne and relive what they’d just witnessed. Following the Giants’ victory, dozens of fans flocked to the dark field to celebrate and exchange mementos.
A Giants team that is still searching for its identity may have discovered one of its main characters. The hundreds who came out to support him on Monday will tell you that Harrison was born for the job.
