Less than two years later, the Central Islip native is thriving in a league many players and coaches equate with Triple-A. Harris was one of six Ducks named to the Atlantic League’s All-Star game, which takes place Tuesday at Newark’s Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

No major league experience was required for the Ducks four positions players who made the Liberty Division squad. Ray Navarrete gets the nod for a second straight year, joining Harris, catcher John Pachot and Brooklyn native Johnny Hernandez. Former big leaguers Joe Valentine and Bill Simas, the club’s set-up man-closer combination, also earned the selection.

“We’re very happy for the players selected to represent our ball club in Newark,” says Ducks general manager Michael Pfaff said in a statement. “They deserve the honor and I’m sure they’ll put on a good show for the fans.”

Just 24 years old, Harris is showing the bat speed and power that made him the Yankees second-round draft choice in 2003. The Ducks (28-24) still trail first-place Southern Maryland by four games with 18 contests remaining in the first half.

The Ducks has won seven of its last 10. Harris, who enters Thursday with a team-high .319 batting average, said he is excited about stellar pitching complementing a resurgent lineup. Harris drilled his second grand slam of the season Sunday and has belted six home runs and driven in 30 runs while slugging .556. The outfielder continues to compensate for the injured Preston Wilson, recording an impressive .399 on-base percentage.

“It’s great when you see the consistency from both sides,” Harris said before the Ducks started a four-game road trip to Somerset. “That just makes us a complete team. It’s good right now. We’re just trying to keep it going.”

Somerset beat the Ducks in the opener before the Flock evened the series with a 6-3 win last night. Navarrete is helping the club and earned his second straight All-Star selection in a Ducks uniform. The one-time Mets minor leaguer continued his high-level play while learning a new position, starting the season as the Ducks everyday third baseman.

Navarrete is batting .288 with a team-high 10 home runs and 34 RBIs. After participating in last year’s home run derby, Navarrete is candidate for the exhibition again. His home run total leaves him just one behind Bridgeport’s Brandon Sing for the league lead.

Pachot will return to Newark after another good start. The former Bear was traded to Long Island in a trade that worked out well for both teams. Carl Everett was sent to New Jersery in exchange for the backstop, who in addition to brining his defensive ability has also batted .295 with 20 RBIs. Hernandez missed all of 2008 but shrugged off the rust to bat .303 with 21 RBIs in registering a .427 slugging percentage.

Valentine continues to thrive in the eighth inning, posting a 1.23 ERA and a 2-0 record through 28 appearances. Simas’ 11 saves is the league’s third most. Simas has struck out 27 batters in just 20 innings.

With media taking a part in the All-Star balloting, here was my list of starters. Bold indicated the player was selected to start while a double asterisk denotes a player made the team but as a reserve.

All-Star Ballot:

Liberty Division                                              Freedom Division

1st Eric Crozier (SMD) Josh Pressley  (Somerset)

2nd Mike Just (SMD) Keoni De Renne (York)**

3rd Ray Navarrete (LI) Jeff Nettles (Somerset)

SS Travis Garcia SMD**                                Ramon Nivar  (Newark)**

OF Jeremy Owens (SMD) L.J. Biernbaum  (Lancaster)

OF Chris Walker (Camden)                            Sean Smith      (Somerset)

OF Johnny Hernandez (LI)**                                    Michael Woods (Lancaster)

OF Estee Harris (LI) Michael Hernandez (Newark)

C John Pachot  (LI) Jed Morris ( Lancaster)**

DH Vito Chiaravolloti (Camden)**               Matt Hagen (Somerset, selected at second base)

Click here for a full list of players and pitchers: http://atlanticleague.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=1245279074

There he was, Armando Benitez, wearing No. 48, as he trotted in to close the Newark Bears eventual 7-3 win.

Of course a dunker and a walk put two runners on, but Benitez recorded the save – after all this wasn’t the playoffs – as Long Island wanted to put this match behind them.

“It was one of those games,” said Ducks manager Gary Carter. “Our starting pitcher goes four innings and throws 84 pitches and our middle guy Mike Hrynio throws 51 pitches. It’s not what you are looking for.”

That starter was B.J. Lamura, who Carter described as the team’s No. 5 man. Getting roughed up early, the Ronkonkoma native gave up two in the first highlighted by Rob Mackowiak’s two-out double into left-center field. And then the Bears added another run in the second to get a 3-0 lead.

The Ducks did come back though thanks to Johnny Hernandez’s homer making it 3-2.

Yet that was all the closest Long Island could muster on the chilly night. Since former Duck Carl Everett gave Newark its fourth run on his fourth homer of the season.

“You have to give Newark credit though, they are a good team,” Carter said. “It’s just one of those things. Tomorrow is another day and Newark has done well in the other division. We just have to keep holding our own.”

Time might be getting short for Lamura who is now 0-3 on the season, as Carter said he is looking for “guys he can rely on.”

Just as Newark is looking to lean on their bullpen and shorten games. Besides the former Met closer, the Bears also have former White Sox ninth inning guy Keith Foulke who pitched a scoreless eighth. Although it’s not Putz to K-Rod, it is a formidable one-two punch for the Atlantic League.

“They have the most major league experience,” Carter said. “Foulke has a lot of saves as does Benitez. Obviously the right answer is to get to their starting staff early, because they have a very strong bullpen.”

The Ducks will look to do that tonight as they continue their four games series against the Bears. Long Island will look to rough up Bears starter Edgar Martinez, while the Flock will send their admiral to the mound with former Yankee Brad Halsey toeing the rubber.

Notes: It was Knights of Columbus night at Citibank Park as the fraternal organization took part in all the pre-game ceremonies and sponsored clock night….Preston Wilson is still rehabbing his knee, and is days away from playing.

Brad Halsey’s acclimation process lasted exactly one start. As a 23-year-old Yankee prospect in 2004, Halsey limited the Dodgers to just two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings, earning the win in his major league debut.

As a reward, Halsey’s next two starts came in front of sold-out Yankee Stadium crowds who agonized and analyzed every pitch the Houston native threw. Asking someone barely out of college to pitch against the Mets and Red Sox-the Bombers top two rivals in terms of fan passion-can be a daunting task for any pitcher. While Halsey lost to the Mets, he held his own against the Red Sox and picked up a no-decision.

Five years later, Halsey is coming off arm surgery and looking to revive his career. That journey can take a positive turn tonight when Halsey takes the mound as the Ducks Opening Day starter against Southern Maryland.

Halsey last pitched in the majors in 2006, going 5-4 for Oakland. In 40 career starts, he is 14-19 with a respectable 4.84 ERA. The Yankees former eighth-round draft pick and University of Texas standout is just 28 and looking to complete a comeback following his July 2007 surgery to repair a torn labrum.

“I just take it one second at a time and enjoy every time I’m able to throw a ball and my arm feels good,” Halsey said.

The 6-1, 187-pound left-hander impressed Ducks manager Gary Carter and pitching coach Dave LaPoint enough to warrant the Opening Day assignment, which Halsey said is an honor at any professional level.

“It absolutely is an honor,” Halsey said. “There are a lot of guys in this clubhouse who have as much or even more major league experience than I do. Anytime you have an opportunity to start Opening Day, it’s a great thing.”

Former Ducks Bill Pulsipher was one of the players Halsey consulted in researching the Ducks. Earlier in the decade, Pulsipher parlayed a stint with the Ducks into another major league job, giving players like Halsey someone to emulate in trying to make a comeback into affiliated baseball.

Before coming to Long Island, Halsey pitched winter ball in Puerto Rico, where his new team got an endorsement.

“Just knowing some of the guys and for the last two years sitting at home doing rehab, I noticed there were a lot of good players in this league,” Halsey said. “For someone in my situation who has a lot to prove; this is a good place to do it.”

LaPoint said the Ducks signed an outstanding defensive catcher in John Pachot, who spent the last two seasons playing against the Flock for the Newark Bears. Pachot’s game-calling could help Halsey, along with playing under a Hall of Famer catcher in Carter.

“My experience is that catchers make the best managers because they have knowledge of the entire game” Halsey said. “Not only are they immersed in the relationship between the battery, they also have to take a bat up there all the time, which as pitchers, we don’t always have that experience.

“As a catcher, he [Carter] knows all facets of what goes on out there.”