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After seeing some dweeby kid get picked on … OK, technically he was farted on … Gus (Rob Schneider) decides to start a baseball team for a couple of grown-up nerds he knows … Clark (Jon Heder), a booger-eating momma’s boy, and Richie (David Spade), an emotionally stunted man-child. With backing from a nerd-turned-billionaire (Jon Lovitz), the pathetic team of three launches a winning season against some Little Leaguers. Yup, Dennis Dugan’s underdog sports comedy is another Bad News Bears clone, a familiar retread of spilled pop, balls to the crotch and jerks who get a comeuppance. The four stars nail a line or two; you’ll chuckle here and there. Not that anybody should over-think such a formulaic outing, but be prepared for a plot switcheroo in the eighth inning that makes no sense. Fortunately, soon after, somebody gets hit in the nuts and the mindless laughs continue. (AH) 
This article appears in Apr 13-19, 2006.
