As much fun as baseball clearly is to these kids, The Sandlot never lets us forget that for Benny Rodriguez, it’s more than just a game. Baseball is life.

It’s a powerful testament to lasting friendship and aggressive baserunning. But then I wondered, “hey, just how old is Rodriguez here?” The present-day scene in The Sandlot is presumably set ...

Benny Rodriguez is always the star. The game is always on. It could have felt cornball, but its charms are genuine. “Those kids were right on the money,” Evans said.