Baseball: It’s all good news when Hernandez takes the mound

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One of the greatest success stories in baseball movie lore is the one involving Timmy Lupus, the ‘booger-eating spaz’ on the original Bad News Bears movie who couldn’t do much of anything right on the diamond, but then makes an important catch in right field in the championship game.

Then there’s the real-life version of Timmy Lupus.

Jose Hernandez of Canyon Springs was designated as the official foul-ball fetcher in his team’s Southern Section-Toyota Division I first-round game Thursday against visiting Corona Santiago, but his lazy afternoon was interrupted when he was called upon to pitch in the final inning, with two outs, the bases loaded and the Cougars leading by two runs.

Hernandez didn’t wilt under the pressure, however, getting the final out on a ground ball to shortstop and Canyon Springs walked away with a 7-5 victory.

Buttermaker would have been proud.

-- Dan Arritt