Not even halfway through the 2024 Cape Cod Baseball League season, the Hyannis Harbor Hawks have experienced plenty of ups, downs, twists and turns. However, one thing the club hadn’t seen come to fruition was finally witnessed on Friday.

During each Friday night home game, the Cape League honors a local military member or first responder as the Massachusetts State Lottery ‘Hero of the Game.’ Brian Morrison of Barnstable was greeted with plenty of claps and cheers from the Hyannis faithful in the middle of the fourth inning on Friday night.

“It meant a lot,” Morrison said. “I mean, it could have been a number of people who are deserving. You know, I just go out every day and do my thing for the community because that’s what we should be doing. Police officers, firefighters, even bystanders do this type of stuff day in and day out because we love helping people. I love helping people.”

Morrison has been with the Barnstable Police Department for 32 years and served in the Navy for 26. A current community resource officer, Morrison had an unusual introduction to becoming a hero.

“My passion in high school was football,” Morrison said. “I was all set to go to college to play the sport I loved, but an injury during my senior season sidelined me and kept me from continuing to play. My father told me I either had to go to work or go to school, so I joined the military — the Navy. We have a military family anyway, my brother’s a Marine, and my father was in the Army. It felt like the right choice at the time, and definitely was.”

Originally from Hyannis, Morrison now resides in Centerville with his family. He is also an avid Harbor Hawks fan.

“I come here all the time,” Morrison replied when asked about visiting McKeon Park. “I love baseball and the atmosphere that comes with it. Every summer I try to catch as many Cape League games as I can.”

Being a first responder, Morrison is tasked with different challenges daily. It can be a thankless job, and isn’t for everyone — but he continues to persevere.

“Being an officer is a very tough job,” Morrison said. “But there are people out there that need our help, and that will always keep me going. It’s knowing that if I’m helping people out there, I’m making a difference. You can’t save the world in one day, but if you can save just one person every once in a while, it makes you feel really good. It’s incredibly rewarding.”

The Harbor Hawks will honor their next Mass. State Lottery ‘Hero of the Game’ on July 19 at 6 p.m. vs. Chatham. Five heroes are honored throughout the CCBL every Friday evening.

“I don’t consider myself a hero,” Morrison said. “Just knowing that people can go out and enjoy themselves without having to worry because of officers and firefighters protecting the communities is what makes it worth it. Other men and women go out there every day and do exactly what I’ve done, I’m just trying to keep the city safe.”

Sam Fosberg can be reached at ***samfozsports@gmail.com*** and followed on Twitter/X @discussbaseball