Baseball Movie Thread

by The Balls of Summer on Aug 28, 2006 3:32 PM PDT Comment 50 comments

I may have posted one of these in previous years, but since it's an off day, it seems like good discussion.

Let's hear your top five baseball movies. Mine are the following:

Bull Durham
Major League
A League of Their Own
The Rookie
Eight Men Out

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

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Field of Dreams!?

by Brother Bummer on Aug 28, 2006 3:32 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

No

I may be out on my own here, but Field of Dreams is not that good. I'd have it at about 8 or 9. It's just not about baseball. If I want to talk about baseball with my dad, I'll talk about baseball with my dad.

Ha Ha! Armando's the new Meg!

by The Balls of Summer on Aug 29, 2006 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rookie of the Year

Kiddng, Kidding. What about The Sandlot? It's a classic even if Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez became a Dodger in the end.

club ph34r - comics! rally hippo - crappier comics!

by Natto on Aug 28, 2006 3:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Rookie of the Year

"for-EVVVVVVVVVVVER"

by Brother Bummer on Aug 28, 2006 4:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Rookie of the Year

I was seven years old and that last scene almost ruined the movie for me.

Almost.

"Baseball is life, the rest is just details."

by nick on Aug 28, 2006 9:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Rookie of the Year

You play ball like a GIRL!

Read SFDugout.com. It'll make you a better person.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Sep 1, 2006 11:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

Bull Durham
The Natural
Field of Dreams
For Love of the Game
Major League

by SF Pete on Aug 28, 2006 3:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

For Love of the Game

Oh my ghod. I'd forgotten that movie ever existed. One of my least favorite ever, baseball or otherwise. in fact, I haven't watched a Costner film since.

"The first point is whether my brain is still operating...I'll figure that out after the season." - Felipe Alou

by EliminateMe on Aug 28, 2006 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: For Love of the Game

I knew someone was gonna say that. I guess I'm weird but I really enjoyed it. It's the same thing as with 28 Days Later. I watched it, loved it, and told all my friends to go see it. Everyone thought it sucked. Maybe I need new friends.

by SF Pete on Aug 28, 2006 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: For Love of the Game

Keep the friends... but THEY need a new movie buddy!

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more/ Or close the wall up with our Giants dead.

by Mayor of 311 on Aug 28, 2006 4:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: For Love of the Game

Except for the garbage about Monkeys, 28 Days Later is around the top of the "Zombie" movie food chain. It kicks away from having an audience a bit for two reasons: 1) It's essentially two movies. First half, and second half. And if you don't like one, the other isn't good enough to make up for it. And 2) You're never, in my humble opinion, actually supposed to like the protagonist - which is why the American ending is a bit of a mix-up.

Personally, I like both halves and I think the American ending works fine. So I recommend it. But it's certainly not for the fickle.

For Love of the Game I disagree with you also for two reasons: 1) I know he hasn't done that many, but Costner + baseball + movie = already saw it, and Field of Dreams was too good. And 2) The innings take sooooooooooo long.

Coming to you by proxy

by howtheyscored on Aug 28, 2006 9:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: For Love of the Game

What's all this about American ending? Is there something I need to see?

by SF Pete on Aug 28, 2006 10:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: For Love of the Game

Don't you think "Zombie Food Chain" would be a cool name for a band?

by biff pocoroba on Aug 29, 2006 9:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: For Love of the Game

Has there ever been a zombie movie where the zombies move, like, really fast? I'm thinking that someone ought to cast Carl Lewis as that freaky fast zombie in something like "Scary Movie 8." The strolling undead have been done, as they say, to death.

Favorite baseball movies (with caveats):

The Natural (although they shouln't have changed the ending; still, Duvall as Max Mercy is still how I see sportswriters like Pearlman and Lupica)
Bull Durham (Tim Robbins was a disaster as an actor playing a ballplayer, and there's a bit too much fey philosophizing about the sport)
Major League (As bad as Robbins was, Bernsen was even worse, stepping over that line into out-and-out camp)
The Sandlot (pure schmaltz, but good schmaltz; too bad about the Dodger connection, but hooray, as the Red Stripe beer guy might say, for Wendy Pfeffercorn!)
The Bad News Bears (the original, of course, although there are a million girls who can pitch better than Tatum O'Neal, but maybe they couldn't act)

"Mow bwiefings?" "More briefings."

by stobgopper on Aug 29, 2006 4:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: For Love of the Game

You haven't seen 28 Days Later.

by Roger on Aug 30, 2006 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: For Love of the Game

Vampires are fast, Zombies are slow. It's some sort of rule of movie making.

The best depiction of Zombies? Shaun of the Dead.

The Dodgers are evil.

by irwin on Aug 30, 2006 10:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I pretty much agree, but

1.) Bull Durham
2.) The Natural
3.) Field of Dreams
4.) Major League
5.) Pride of the Yankees

The Dodgers are evil.

by irwin on Aug 28, 2006 4:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

Bang the Drum Slowly is pretty good, but it could be constured as not a "baseball" movie.

by Cleophus on Aug 28, 2006 3:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

In no order:

Field of Dreams
Eight Men Out
The Natural
Sandlot
Bull Durham

-- Born Yesterday

by thatdog on Aug 28, 2006 3:46 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

Major League
Major League 2
Major Leauge: Back to the Minors
and oh ya...Major League was pretty good too.

"Hats for bats, keep bats warm."
"I think we got hosed on that one."
"And it's OFF THE RESERVATION!!"
"How's your wife and my kids?"

and my all-time hacktastic favorite...
"Bats, they are sick. I cannot hit curveball. Straightball I hit very much. Curveball, bats are afraid. I ask Jobu to come, take fear from bats. I offer him cigar, rum. He will come."

DFA Alou the Elder !

by PacBellBoozer on Aug 28, 2006 3:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The only two I've seen...

Sandlot
Field of Dreams

Close though.

I blame F.P. Santangelo, while F.P. somehow blames Kuiper.

by WalrusMan on Aug 28, 2006 3:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

These are much like mine:

1. Field of Dreams
1A. Sandlot

Saving countless runs with my defense

by lyricalkiller on Aug 28, 2006 4:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wonderboy!

Botha ya kids need to watch The Natural. For a little proof of the goodness that is the Natural, check out the IMDB trivia page here.

-- Born Yesterday

by thatdog on Aug 28, 2006 8:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

Your top five is my top five (in a different order), except with Field of Dreams instead of The Rookie. The Natural deserves an honorable mention, too.

by hometownboy on Aug 28, 2006 3:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

Favorite: Eight Men Out (especially D.B. Sweeney as the Shoeless Joe character, who actually hit left-handed unlike Ray Liotta)

Best Movie Where One Shot Shows Someone Hit a Ground Ball to Second and the Next Shot Shows That Same Hit Going Over the Left-fielder's Head: A League of Their Own

Worst Swing: Wesley Snipes in The Fan

Most Inspiring: A Winner Never Quits: Pete Gray Story
Second-most Inspiring: Fred McGriff's Baseball Skills instructional video

by Josh from The New Giant Thrill on Aug 28, 2006 4:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

Can't believe no one has mentioned the original "Bad News Bears".

My list:

Field of Dreams (far and away my favorite)
Eight Men Out
Bad News Bears
The Natural

5a. Major League
5b. Bingo Long Travelling All-Stars & Motor Kings

Honorable mentions for "Sandlot" and "League of Their Own".

Putting the "Goof" in "Goofus" every day since 1964.

by Goofus on Aug 28, 2006 4:34 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

Perfect! Except, UGH how could anybody prefer Major League to Bull Durham (studio pitch for Major League: "That Bull Durham was pretty successful, what say we copy that, dumb it down a whole lot, lose the sparkling dialogue, and replace the great Los Lobos song with a great X song. That should about do it. Oh yeah, and we'll put it in Cleveland. It would be funny to see Cleveland win." "I like it!")

by Roger on Aug 29, 2006 7:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"Eight Men Out", by a thousand miles

There are two great paradoxes of filmmaking:
(1) The French are funny; sex is funny; comedies are funny... so why aren't French sex comedies funny?

(2) Baseball is fascinating and entertaining; movies are fascinating and entertaining... so why aren't baseball movies fascinating OR entertaining?

'Bull Durham' has some great quotes which I enjoy; 'Major League' definitely has some great laughs which I don't dismiss at all; 'Field of Dreams' has some moments of touching truth about baseball. But they are all flawed in many ways.

'Eight Men Out' is a GREAT FILM (as are most films by John Sayles; I put 'Lone Star' in the Top Ten American Films Ever Made). It happens to focus on a great baseball story -- the fixing of the 1919 World Series -- but, in John Sayles's gifted way, is a story of a significant aspect of America.

Anyone who hangs out on McCC should see this movie if you haven't already. Must see. Great stuff.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more/ Or close the wall up with our Giants dead.

by Mayor of 311 on Aug 28, 2006 4:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: "Eight Men Out", by a thousand miles

I agree wholeheartedly. And yet my top five:

The Natural (baseball as myth beats baseball as reality, imho; plus Randy Newman's score is brilliant!)
Eight Men Out
Bull Durham (myth, with humor)
Major League
A League of Their Own (This used to be my playground. Say goodbye to yesterday.) Oh, and there's no crying in baseball!

Waiting for Travis, Nate, Marcus, and Nick P.

by Lyle on Aug 29, 2006 9:49 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

BASEketball?

by dangjackson on Aug 28, 2006 5:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

No.

by Snof on Aug 28, 2006 6:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Brewsters Millions

anyone?

Richard Pryor as the pitcher and John Candy catching for the Hackensack Bulls, playing a game against the Yankees, etc. Not necessarily as much baseball as the others listed, but a good movie nonetheless.

Other lesser baseball movies:

'The Scout' - with Brenden Frasier and that other guy. Not so good.

'Little Big League' - definitely better than Rookie of the year, but along the same lines.

'The Fan' - Wesley Snipes as a player on the Giants, stalked by psycho Giants fan Robert DeNiro. Nothing really to do with baseball, and a really bad, forgettable movie.

'Mr. Baseball' - Tom Selleck plays in Japan and shows his poor chopstick etiquette.

Can't think of any more right now...

by stress on Aug 28, 2006 5:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Brewsters Millions

it's number 6 on my list. Underrated movie. How can you go wrong with Richard Pryor and John Candy?

Ha Ha! Armando's the new Meg!

by The Balls of Summer on Aug 29, 2006 8:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Turning it around

How about the worst baseball movies?

Angels in the Outfield
Damn Yankees
Ed (if Matt LeBlanc is in it, it MUST be good)
Hardball
Major League III: Back to the Minors
Mr. Destiny
The Slugger's Wife
Summer Catch

I'm conflicted about "Cobb." Terrible movie overall, but it did have its moments.

This post certified to be 100% SFW and swear-free.

by Salemicus on Aug 28, 2006 5:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Turning it around

The Babe, starring John Goodman as Babe Ruth. Horrible.

by out machine on Aug 28, 2006 6:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Turning it around

Let's not forget Angels in the Infield.

by Snof on Aug 28, 2006 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

There are only so many watchable baseball movies, and my favorites aren't any different from anyone else's so far as I can tell. I'll mention two films I liked that haven't been (I think) mentioned yet:

61* - A Billy Crystal HBO movie about Mantle & Maris in 1961.

Player to Be Named Later - A documentary about a year in the life of members of an Oakland A's farm team (the Rivercats, I guess). Marco Scutaro figures heavily into the story.

by non sequitur on Aug 28, 2006 5:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

Ohhh, I forgot 61*. I enjoyed that. Highly recommended.

-- Born Yesterday

by thatdog on Aug 28, 2006 8:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Major League

"Jobu no hit curveball--fuck you, Jobu"

"Fuck you Dorn, you ever jake a groundball like that again and I will personally cut off your balls" or something like that.

Bull Durham sucked green rocks.. Susan Saranwrap was and is an ugly ol skank. Timothy Robbins looked as much like a pitcher as Jamey Lee Curtiss Wright. Kevin Costner plays Kevin Costner in all his movies..A guy with no personality who's always semi-contemplating belly button lint.

Eight Men Out. Suspensful even though you know the outcome. Charlie Commisky and Arnold Rothstein..truly guys whose eyes you would have been happy to gouge out with shrimp forks.

Bad News Bears II--Just because it reminded me of Bad Santa, a hysterically crude, rude and vulgar comedy with Billy Bob Thornton. Any Little League team with a Strip Club for a sponsor is worth rooting for.

El Dopo-GONE! Mando and Crazy Phil Next please!

by E Ticket on Aug 28, 2006 6:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

My Top 5

Bull Durham
Field of Dreams
The Sandlot
The Natural
Major League

by joebirdie3 on Aug 28, 2006 7:48 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Enrico Pallazzo

I think Naked Gun deserves a mention here.

by SF Pete on Aug 28, 2006 8:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Enrico Pallazzo

I absolutely second that.

by Brother Bummer on Aug 28, 2006 10:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Enrico Pallazzo

Must... kill... the queen...

by hometownboy on Aug 29, 2006 12:26 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

Pride of The Yankees is a classic

Bang The Drum Slowly is another excellent film

Damn Yankees

by wilriv21 on Aug 28, 2006 8:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Ken Burns

So I have Baseball on my Netflix que. Anybody else see this series?

-- Born Yesterday

by thatdog on Aug 28, 2006 8:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yes!

Good call.

If you whine about Liriano, I will .gif you.

by Fog City Blues on Aug 28, 2006 8:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Ken Burns

Oh, man, just incredible.

Saving countless runs with my defense

by lyricalkiller on Aug 28, 2006 9:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball Movie Thread

It's funny, but even though I've read 21 baseball books, I've only seen one baseball movie (I think) -- Mr. Baseball. Which was bad, but in a good way. Really need to pick up Bull Durham, as I've heard enough Annie Savoy quotes in my lifetime to basically be able to fill in her lines.

by tk on Aug 29, 2006 10:05 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs