Francis Xavier "The X-Man" Hernandez (born August 16, 1965 in Port Arthur, Texas), is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues primarily in relief, from 1989-1998. He returned to coach in the professional ranks with the Tampa Bay Rays in the Minor Leagues from 2002-2010 where he was the pitching coach for the Charleston (SC) Riverdogs (2002-2004), Montgomery (AL) Biscuits (2005-2006) and Durham Bulls (2007-2010). He made the transition to the collegiate ranks in 2010 and is currently the pitching coach for Houston Baptist University Huskies, a Division I team currently competing in the Great West Conference.
Xavier played high school baseball at Port Arthur (TX) Thomas Jefferson where he led the Yellow Jackets to a 5-A State Title in 1983 with a 19-1 W/L record and was named the Texas High School Player of the Year. He attended and pitched for the University of Southwestern Louisiana (University of Louisiana-Lafayette) Ragin Cajuns before being signed by the Toronto Blue Jays after being drafted in the 4th round of the 1986 June draft.
Hernandez pitched in the Major Leagues for the Toronto Blue Jays (1989), Houston Astros (1990–1993 and 1996), New York Yankees (1994), Cincinnati Reds (1995–1996) and Texas Rangers (1997–1998). He held a career 40-35 record with 35 saves and a 3.90 ERA. His best year came with the Houston Astros in 1992 when he posted a 9-1 record with 7 saves and a 2.11 ERA.
Famous quotes containing the words xavier and/or hernandez:
“If you’re so helpless you can’t find the water you’ve no business in it.”
—Robert Tusker, and Michael Curtiz. Joanne Xavier (Fay Wray)
“There were metal detectors on the staff-room doors and Hernandez usually had a drawer full of push-daggers, nunchuks, stun-guns, knucks, boot-knives, and whatever else the detectors had picked up. Like Friday morning at a South Miami high school.”
—William Gibson (b. 1948)