By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

This country needs more stories like this.

On Friday, four San Dimas baseball players were going to Jack in the Box on Arrow Highway and Lone Hill for lunch.

After they ordered their food and were about to head back to SDHS, they noticed an elderly man was stumbling a bit between AMPM and Jack in the Box.

And they grew concerned.

Moments later, as they saw the man fall to the ground, Steve Moran, Sergio Robles, Robert Smith and Stevie Rosales put their food down and went to assist him.

As it would turn out, 81-year-old Bobby Thompson told them he was from Glendora and walking to a doctor’s appointment in San Dimas.

Thompson said he was OK, but they recognized that he was not, and helped move him to a safer place near AMPM, and out of danger from cars passing through.

Moran asked Rosales to call 911 and firefighters from Station 85 and an ambulance showed up to aid Mr. Thompson.

It was reported that he had an irregular heartbeat, was taken to the hospital, and he’s expected to be fine.

But before Bobby Thompson left in an ambulance, he told the firefighters multiple times, ‘these kids are heroes. They saved my life.’

In a phone interview with Steve Moran on Tuesday night, the San Dimas junior scoffed at any notion of being a hero.

“We did what anyone should do when someone needs help,” he said. “This is the way we were raised. When I asked if he was OK, he said he was, but he couldn’t stand up or walk, so I asked Stevie to call 911. Sergio and I pulled him (out of the driveway) near AMPM so cars couldn’t hit him. We’re just happy to hear that he’s going to be OK.”

But the drama wasn’t done there.

Steve, Robert, Sergio and Stevie literally waited for Mr. Thompson to be taken from the scene and by that time, they were already 35 minutes late getting back to school.

When they arrived back at SDHS, initially they got a cold response, like it was a BS story they were telling.

Being the quick-thinking guys they are, they actually asked a firefighter to write a note as to why they’re coming back late from lunch.

Firefighter Shelby Hall from Station 85 took my phone call on Tuesday night and had this to say about the San Dimas quartet.

“It is commendable what they did. In a day and age where kids are usually more concerned with getting video of something and then taking off, these boys recognized there was an issue and did something about it. Our Captain actually wrote a note for them, and that’s something we’ve never been asked to do, so he just did it on a blank piece of paper. We are very thankful for their actions.”

Quotable:

San Dimas baseball coach, Mike Regan: “All four of these young men are extremely polite, respectful and good people. It is evident that their parents have raised them right and taught them compassion for others. I am proud of them for stopping to make sure this man was ok and making a decision that changed his life.”

Ps. Someone should get these kids a gift certificate from Jack in the Box.