‘The Sandlot’ star returns to Boston for baseball children’s book

“You’re killing me, Smalls.”

I’m not the only millennial who repeated that line ad nauseam on the playground in the ‘90s. (It’s what we did before memes, kids.)

Just months before he taught Smalls how to make s’mores in 1993’s “The Sandlot” as Hamilton “Ham” Porter, Patrick Renna was playing Dorchester Little League, and digging into grandma’s rigatoni and meatballs in her Malden kitchen.

The Boston native and lifelong Red Sox fan returns to Boston this week to launch his first children’s book: “A Little Slugger’s Guide to the Unwritten Rules of Baseball and Life.”

With charming illustrations by Tommy Parker, including a few depicting Renna himself — along with a mention of the Green Monster  —  we get 20 witty and heartfelt bits of advice that apply to baseball and life. 

For example, “Rule #6: Keep Your Eye on the Ball: whether you’re up at plate or have your mind set on another life goal… And if life throws you a curveball, remember you have three strikes and unlimited foul balls.” Or, “Rule #16: Be the Underdog: Don’t let other people tell you what is possible…” 

There’s plenty of text on each page for a full bedtime read — ages 6 to 10, I’d say — with real-life stories peppered in, like Jim Abbott or Michael Jordan. The illustrations and bright colors will captivate younger readers; its “Sandlot” star author will appeal to grown-ups. 

Catch him at a ticketed event at Trident Bookseller on Feb. 26 ($19 includes photo opp and book) or Plainville’s An Unlikely Story on Feb. 27 (with book, $19.94). 

On his to-do list while he’s in town? 

“I gotta go to the North End with my cousin and have some Italian food,” Renna, 45, tells me. “Pasta is hands-down my favorite food. I make my grandmother’s rigatoni and meatballs for my fantasy football league every year. Nothing better. The thing is, day-old, it’s even better than day one. It’s wild.”

I called the Great Hambino at his LA home, where he lives with his wife, two sons (and soon, a daughter)  to talk about his book, baseball, “The Sandlot” group-chat, Big Papi, and Donnie Wahlberg. 

While Renna says he’s lost his Boston accent, in conversation, he’s funny, humble, and down-to-earth — very much still a Boston kid.

Boston.com: So you grew up here, mostly in the North End and Dorchester. 

Renna: Right, I left to go film “The Sandlot,” basically. I’ve been in LA ever since. But I was born, basically, on the corner of Salem and Prince Streets in the North End. I lived on Salem Street for a few years. My dad’s whole family’s from the North End. We moved to Watertown when I was around 3. There might have been a stop in Cambridge, then Dorchester.  I lived in Savin Hill in Dorchester the longest. Probably from ages 7 to 13. I played Little League in Dorchester. I used to walk by the Wahlberg house every day to get there. 

I love that “The Sandlot” and the Wahlbergs collide in a slice of Boston history.

Renna: [laughs] That was back when Mark was Marky Mark and Donnie was a big deal with the New Kids.

[laughs] That’s awesome. How did you get cast in “The Sandlot” from there?

Renna: Well, my mom moved to LA, she had a job opportunity there, so I joined her. I’d always wanted to try acting — I did school plays and things like that in Boston. In LA, there was this photographer shooting a couple models near our house. He asked my mom if he could use our fence for a shoot. She said, “Sure, if you take my son’s headshot.” So I got my first headshot. “Sandlot” was basically my first audition. I had this crazy beginning. I didn’t taste defeat until my later years.

I did an episode of “Salute Your Shorts,” then my second audition was “Sandlot.” I didn’t know any better. I thought, “This is how easy it always is.”

“The Sandlot” was such a classic for our generation. You must’ve had no idea what it was going to become.

Renna: We didn’t. But we knew it was something special. We weren’t little kids, so we learned what dailies were, and they were coming out of the dailies legitimately saying: “Wow, this is looking good.” So we knew it didn’t suck, but we didn’t know it was going to be this. With James Earl Jones, Denis Leary, Karen Allen, we knew there was something special — but there’s no way to know it would stand the test of time for more than 30 years.

Are you still friends with the Sandlot kids? 

Renna: Totally. A couple of us live in LA, the rest are scattered, but we see each other every year. It’s like a high school reunion, right back to where we started: we’re brothers again. We have a group chat. 

That’s awesome. You said you started Dorchester Little League around age 8. Have you always loved baseball?

Renna: Oh yeah. I grew up playing baseball and basketball. But as a short dude, I couldn’t excel in basketball, so baseball became my go-to. I probably played Little League starting at 8. 

What was your team?

Renna: The Baltimore Orioles. I always joke that I lost the accent — I can’t even fake it anymore. I can’t pull the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. But I have this video of me at 8. I lost my Orioles hat out of the sunroof and I’m screaming, “Dad! I lost my hat out of the caah!” It’s real thick. But somehow I just lost it. I miss it. I love the Boston accent. It’s very comforting for me.

[laughs] That’s great. Still a Sox fan?

Renna: Oh yeah. I’m an all-sports fan for Boston. The Patriots is easy because we had six [Super Bowl] rings. I love the Celtics, the Sox, the Patriots. Also the Bruins — I’m not the biggest hockey guy, but my cousin’s a huge Bruins fan, so I give love to the Bruins.

Favorite Red Sox players?

Renna: Come on, Big Papi for sure. And Dustin Pedroia. Because Pedroia,  I always felt like if I was going to be a baseball player — that’s me. What is he, 5’6”?  I also played second base in Little League.  I never had quite the arm, but I was a wall. I would never let balls get past me.

[laughs] Do you come to Boston often?

Renna: Unfortunately, not that often. I was at Fenway for the 25th anniversary of “The Sandlot” because they sent us around to different stadiums, anywhere that was home for any of the guys. My family was there. That was pretty special. 

I still have some cousins there. My closest cousin lives outside Boston now, but he grew up in Malden. That’s where my grandmother lived. They had a quintessential Boston double-decker. My grandmother lived on the top; my cousin on the bottom. So I spent a lot of time in Malden.

So what sparked this book?

Renna: I’d never thought of writing a book, but Penguin Random House reached out and said, “Hey, would you be interested?” Had I not had kids, I would’ve said, “No way.” But having two young boys — they’re 7 and 4 — and now having read so many kid’s books, I was like, “I’d love to do that.”

Renna: I knew I wanted to do a baseball theme. When the idea of 20 rules came out of a meeting, that excited me because looking at the comparisons between baseball and life, there’s so many similarities. Also, it’s not a 1,000-page novel, so it was a nice easy beginning.

What are some favorite rules?

Renna: The first rule, “Always be ready” has a cool “Sandlot” story with it. I love Number 19 “It’s about the journey.” Because ask anyone — ask Tom Brady: It’s not about the moment. The moment he won is great. That’s a fun celebration for 24 hours — maybe with a parade, 72 hours — but that’s it. Then it’s done, and on to the next game. That’s an important one I really want to impart to my kids.

The last rule: “Don’t be afraid to call (and take) your shot.” That’s a cool one—seizing opportunities and going for it because that’s what I’ve done. I’ve missed and made it, missed and made it. 

That first rule you mentioned with the “Sandlot” story, you write that director David Mickey Evans rewrote a trash-talking scene just before you were going to shoot. 

Renna: I was in my trailer and heard a knock at the door. My memory was him being dramatic about it. He opened the door, threw the script at me, and said, “The scene is yours, kid.” Very director-y. “I don’t want Benny to do it. I want you to do it.” I was like, “Holy moly.” That turned out to be, probably, the biggest scene for me, aside from “You’re killing me, Smalls.” 

@classicoldclips The Sandlot 1993 #thesandlot #bennythejetrodriguez #smalls #yourkillingmesmalls #fyp ♬ original sound – classic_clips

Would you work on another kid’s book?

Renna: Oh, yeah. If people like this one, I’ll follow it up with 20 more rules. Why not? There [are] plenty of rules out there. I don’t want to call myself a writer … until I’ve really honed home the craft and learned it and mastered it. But I would definitely do another kid’s book. It’s less words.

[laughs] Have your sons seen “Sandlot”?

Renna: Yeah, but they’re more interested in my TikTok. I think seeing me as a young kid is a little strange to them.

Your IMDB says you were “Sandlot 2” but you weren’t.

Renna: I wasn’t. I know it’s credited. I think because they did a little interview with the original cast. But I wasn’t in 2 or 3. I didn’t want to be.

Why not?

Renna: I don’t know. “Sandlot” was very special. I chose to let it be.

I can appreciate that. But you’ve kept busy. You had two baseball movies out last year.

Renna: The baseball movie, “You Gotta Believe” with Greg Kinnear and Luke Wilson. And “Monster Summer,” a spooky horror for kids. I remember at the premiere, I got myself. I had a little jump-scare moment. I screamed in the audience. And I knew it was coming.

[laughs] Amazing.

Renna: [laughs] I’ve always loved acting in horror. I hate watching horror because I’m scared. I’m the biggest wimp when it comes to the horror. You will get that jump-scare out of me.

This interview has been edited and condensed. Lauren Daley is a freelance culture writer and regular Boston.com contributor. She can be reached at [email protected]. She tweets @laurendaley1, and Instagrams at @laurendaley1. Read more stories on Facebook here.