BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

Charter Yachts captures

Harbor Cup softball title

NEWPORT BEACH — Hornblower Cruises & Events just won the rights to the ferry service to the Statue of Liberty National Monument.

But Shawn Ware, captain of the local Newport Beach office, wanted a bigger prize.

Win the fourth annual Harbor Cup softball game.

The slow-pitch game pits Hornblower Cruises & Events, one of the world’s largest charter yacht services, against Charter Yachts of Newport Beach, which runs one yacht.

Ware said he still can’t believe how Lee Goodin, captain of a 120-footer, and his seven, sometimes eight employees on a busy day, wins the game every year.

“They must have ringers, or former minor league baseball players,” said Ware, adding that the office he works in has around 200 employees and eight boats. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Barry Bonds showed up.”

Bonds didn’t come Wednesday, but Charter Yachts of Newport Beach hit enough home runs to make it seem as if Major League Baseball’s home run king played.

Charter Yachts of Newport Beach hammered shots to all sides of the field, taking the Harbor Cup with a 33-4 victory at Bob Henry Park.

One of the better performances belonged to Goodin, whose family owns Charter Yachts of Newport Beach. One home run, two triples and three doubles.

But he’s still beating himself up because he missed hitting for the cycle.

“I should’ve stayed at first base instead of going for another double, but I might have helped them out and we don’t do that,” he said. “We’re a dynasty.”

Winning is important to Goodin, but so is the business’ image. He said the event is to showcase that the two competitors in the water get along and care about Newport Beach despite claims from the community that the companies don’t.

The friendly game also shows that a small business can compete with a big business, with offices in San Francisco, Berkeley, Long Beach, Marina del Rey and San Diego.

The Charter Yachts of Newport Beach is the Oakland Athletics of charter yacht services and Hornblower Cruises & Events the New York Yankees.

Now since Hornblower Cruises & Events secured the ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty, Goodin suggested the company sign a couple of New York Yankees to one-day contracts.

Goodin said: “Now that would be a game.”

— David Carrillo Peñaloza