Ex-Cardinals pitcher had motivating U.S. military background originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Mitch Harris previously made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in just his third year since completing five years of active service in the United States Navy and struck out the very first batter he faced. On the mound for the Cardinals, Harris would see two wins and a 3.67 ERA across 27 innings pitched for his career regular season MLB statistics before moving on to pursue other opportunities. The U.S. Naval Academy alum was also originally drafted by St. Louis in 2008. Flashing forward to the present — Harris is now a family man and a Wealth Management Advisor, but always relies on his background with both baseball and the military. Harris said in an exclusive that his early days at the U.S. Naval Academy and his deployments aboard USS Ponce and USS Carr helped him immensely during his time playing in the MLB. "I think having the discipline and the day in and day out kind of thought of when we talk about the military, we think about duty," said Harris. "Everybody has their their their duty, their responsibilities, attention to detail. And so, when you get to the big leagues, it's very much that in that 'hey, everybody on the team has a responsibility.' Having that discipline, having the attention to detail in the military was big into helping me transition to playing at the highest level." Mitch Harris utilized experience with United States Navy during MLB playing time Harris wore No. 40 for the Cardinals after he attained the rank of a Navy Lieutenant.
COURTESY: PAC, Pro Athlete Community
He rightfully considers these accomplishments to have been his dream coming true, and uses it as motivation to help others with their own accomplishments. "Going to the academy, serving for five years, and then and then making it to the big leagues ... I use that same drive and work ethic and excitement and really just motivation to to help others achieve their dreams," Harris also said. The 2006 Patriot League Pitcher of the Year retains involvement in athletics through being a member of Pro Athlete Community (PAC) while also staying in contact with the Cardinals. "I stay in contact with Cardinals constantly. I probably do two or three events a year with them. Matter of fact, next month [in Sept.] I'm headed up to Field of Dreams for another fantasy camp that they do and and it's always a blast to go up there," said Harris, who currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. While Harris has moved on from the pitching mound, he previously made his mark on MLB history as the first Naval Academy graduate in the MLB since 1921. MORE: Cardinals waste no time with Everson Pereira for Saturday night at Busch