CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Man has thrown rocks and things since the beginning of time; even before the discovery of fire. It's not possible to pick up a baseball and not want to see how hard we can throw it to another person. I would guess that's how the art of pitching was invented. As a kid, like most of us, he talked sports, read the newspaper, listened to the game on the radio, studied players on television, checked box scores, opened packs of baseball cards, memorized statistics and dreamed the dreams little boys dream. Born with a slingshot right arm and the grit to let it go, the kid can melt a radar gun. He can fill up the strike zone and he has turned into Zeus with a 98 mph fastball. God gave him his baseball arm but his love for sports came from his dad, Albert. "My dad wanted us to play football and pushed us that way, but baseball revved me up," he said. Therefore, he became a right-handed gunslinger with a heart three sizes too big. He's the kind of pitcher who can stop a losing streak or start a winning streak. Now, every trip he makes to the mound for the Islanders becomes a story.
Tom Seaver always said, "The most important pitch is strike one." You will love the pop of the catcher's mitt when Aaron Hernandez lets one go, but he will be the first to remind you that he's learned to be a pitcher first and a hard thrower second. When he gets ahead in the count, this guy can make you look silly. He throws so hard the ball begins to feel hot. The kid understands that most home runs are thrown, not hit. This fellow's fastball may be allergic to metal bats, and he can take your soul with his stare. The man's not afraid to live in the strike zone and with the way he pitches, one run can feel like a crooked number. Hitters swear his fastball jumps over their bats like in a cartoon, and he just refuses to give up runs. Walking up to home plate with a bat in your hand and Aaron Hernandez on the bump is like bringing a slingshot to a gun fight. He can throw his fastball through a car wash and not get it wet.
For me, watching a baseball game is less expensive than therapy. You see, baseball is a teacher. It reveals your heart and soul, and the game tries to reveal it to you. We can use the game to help others discover themselves. They can use those discoveries to confront anything in their
lives. The game of baseball finds a story for all of us, and this one is his. Every time he toes the rubber, he may do something remarkable. Aaron has turned into a fan favorite and a pleasure to watch. The kid is a smoke show.
Aaron Alexander Hernandez was born December 2, 1996, to Albert and Kristin Hernandez. He attended Foy H. Moody High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, and graduated in 2015. Aaron is the second of three brothers, with Albert being his older brother and Andrew the youngest. I once saw a sign in a locker room that said, "Tradition never graduates." I immediately thought about Moody High School baseball. When I asked Aaron about what has become known as "Moody Magic," he responded. "The best four years of baseball I ever spent in my life were at Moody," said Aaron. "The friendships I made will last forever. The entire community was always behind us. Playing in front of 4,000 to 5,000 people at the age of 16 has helped me become the baseball player I am today." It's indeed a family affair as Aaron's parents are always in the stands.
Have you ever noticed how some people just look the part? Aaron Hernandez looks like a baseball player. Standing 6' 2" tall and weighing 175 pounds, he's 21 years old and is classified as a redshirt sophomore. Aaron did not play in 2017 due to academic issues. Now majoring in communications, Aaron is outgoing, confident, funny, and he's got winner written all over him. His teammates call him "AZ" which is derived from the "A" in Aaron and the "Z" from Hernandez. "I've been called AZ for as long as I can remember," said Aaron. Aaron enjoys hanging out with his pals and playing "Fortnite" during his free time.
His coach, Scott Malone, starts his 11th season with the Islanders and the team is off to one of their best starts. Malone's team not only fields the ball well, but they also score runs in bunches. When I asked Coach about his team's start, he said, "I wish I could put my finger on it. I think my guys just like to play. We are a bit more mature now and I think our bunch just got tired of losing. It's so much easier to practice and coach them when they want to play." With quality wins over UC Santa Barbara, Mississippi State and Oklahoma, the Islanders are poised to make a run in the Southland Conference. When I asked Aaron to describe his coach in one word, his answer was "different." I smiled. Malone's team was recently written about in D1 Baseball's weekly column entitled "Under the Radar."
Hernandez has built quite an arsenal in his pitching repertoire. He has a fine circle change, a cutter and slider, but it's his fastball that brings the scouts to Chapman Field. "My out pitch depends on the situation," exclaimed Aaron. As a freshman, in 2016, Aaron pitched in 20 games, while starting in five. Aaron threw 39 innings, allowing 41 hits and gave up
31 runs. Aaron struck out 37 and posted a .458 ERA. His win-loss record for the season was 4-4. This season, Hernandez earned a complete game shutout against Utah Valley State and was highlighted as the D1baseball.com Premier Pitcher of the Southland Conference. Hernandez struck out 15 while allowing just seven hits, as the Islanders won 6-0. Aaron was also awarded the Perfect Game/Rawling's Sports Pitcher of the Week Award and placed second in the USA Baseball's Golden Spike Performance of the Week voting. As of this writing, The Islanders' win-loss record stands at 12-8. A tough weekend at home saw Sam Houston State take three from Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Hernandez started his fifth game of the 2018 season this past Saturday and took the loss 5-3. AZ gave up four runs off of six hits to the Bearkats and struck out four, to raise his total to 37 K's for the season, which matches his total for all of the 2016 season. He has yet to give up a home run.
Interestingly, AZ chose to wear #17 after watching a quarterback named Ryan Duke lead the Wildcats of Calallen High School, when AZ was a kid. Aaron's favorite professional baseball team is the Los Angeles Angels, because he played for a team called the Angels in Little League. He follows Mike Trout, and his favorite pitcher is also an Angel by the name of Garrett Richards. Hernandez's goal after college is to pitch professionally in the Major Leagues.
The Islanders will host the Texas A&M Aggies on Tuesday, March 27th at Whataburger Field, and then welcome the University of Texas on April 3rd. So, grab a ticket and check out Islanders baseball. With players like Aaron Hernandez, the sky is the limit.
Andy Purvis
www.purvisbooks.com
