Change Of Scenery Ignites Mets' Willie Harris
NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) -- Mets fans need no introduction to Willie Harris. Though now instead of robbing the team on defense, he's helping them on offense.
The former Mets killer jumped all over Javier Vazquez on Sunday. Jose Reyes led off the game with a double and Harris followed with a blast over the fence in right. New York won, 9-2.
"I had a pretty good spring, but it doesn't stop there," Harris said. "I've just been really focused on getting off to a great start and just being consistent throughout the season."
The 32-year-old hit .183 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs in 132 games for Washington last season. The Mets signed Harris to a minor league deal in January.
"I felt like it was a great fit for me," he said. "Not only that, but it seems like the organization was starting over. They made some changes in the front office, got a new manager. And in my mind, I'm starting over."
In parts of 10 seasons with the Orioles, White Sox, Red Sox, Braves and Nationals, Harris hit to the tune of .239. This season he's already 4-for-10, batting .400 over 3 games with 2 doubles, 1 home run and 4 RBIs.
"I'm not really worried about a whole lot," said Harris. "Hitting behind Jose and in front of David (Wright), who do you think they want to deal with? They want to deal with me rather than David. So it's been good to get out to a good start."
"He's making it hard, isn't he?" manager Terry Collins said of Harris filling in for Jason Bay. "It's going to be tough to put him on the bench the way he's playing."
Can Harris keep it up? Sound off in the comments below...
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