Harrison, a Philadelphia native, has gone to a Phillies game as a guest of star Bryce Harper. His visit to the ballpark in the Valley remains a highlight in his first few months as a Cardinal.
“It’s my first time being on an actual field and being in this arena,” Harrison said. “It’s cool to see a different sport live in person.”
The trip to Chase field puts a lid on what had been an eventful few days for the rookies. They had their first mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and recently have attended many community service events.
As players, they’re tasked with learning the playbook and familiarizing themselves with the professional athlete lifestyle. But as people, they’ve made it a priority to become members of the community as well.
“We’ve gotten really close, this rookie class,” tight end Tip Reiman said. “Events like this just continue to help us bond. Not only are we having fun, being out at these games and then doing some of the charity work, but we’re getting closer together as a unit at the same time.
“It’s two birds, one stone.”
Earlier Thursday, the rookies spent time at United Food Bank packaging 1,300 food bags for those in need. Reiman said a competition between the offense and defense broke out in the middle of the event to see who could pack the most.
“Obviously, the offense won the competition,” Reiman said. “It was so awesome.”
Many of the players will head home on Friday as the offseason program ends. While he enjoyed throwing out the first pitch, Harrison is ready for the action on the gridiron.
“It’s probably easier to catch a baseball with the big gloves on,” Harrison said. “But football is a lot easier for me.”
