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Enjoy some of these great baseball movies!
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 | 1. Field of Dreams - A struggling Iowa farmer (Costner) obeys a mysterious voice in his cornfield that tells him to replace part of his crop with a baseball diamond resulting in the magical meeting of baseball heroes from the past. Mystical forces are at play here as ghosts of other sorts are confronted. Stars Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta and Burt Lancaster. 1989 |
 | 2. The Bad News Bears - A hopeless Little League team eventually scores big when it acquires a new coach, Morris Buttermaker (Matthau), a grouchy, beer-guzzling pool cleaner who takes the position for some extra cash. When he realizes that his players are a bunch of talentless misfits, he signs up two secret weapons: Amanda Whurlitzer (O’Neal), the daughter of an ex-girlfriend, and Kelly Leak, a motorcycle-riding punk who is inarguably the best player in the area. The Bears breeze their way into the championship game in which they must battle their rivals, the Yankees. Stars Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neal. 1976 |
 | 3. The SandLot - It's about a group of neighborhood boys in the 1960's who enjoy playing baseball all day long. Scotty Smalls moves into the neighborhood and doesn't know how to play, but he wants to learn and to make friends. Benny teaches him and they all become good friends. Characters such as Squints and Ham make two more good reasons to see this great film. Stars Mike Vitar, Patrick Renna. 1993 |
 | 4. 61* - Set in New York City in 1961, 61* is a film directed by Billy Crystal for baseball lovers. Zooming in on Yankee players Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, the film follows these two opposites as they attempt to break Babe Ruth's 1927 home run record. In heated competition, the two players each try to score over 60 home runs and set the new world record. While the fans align themselves with one player to be the winner, the players choose the other, igniting the playing field with tension, excitement, and anticipation. Stars Barry Pepper, and Thomas Jane. 2001 |
 | 5. The Rookie - Jim Morris, the real-life hero of The Rookie, has an inspirational story all but guaranteed to put a smile on anyone's face. Happily, this G-rated Disney drama, based on Morris's published memoir of the same title, is suitable for an all-ages audience. Blessed with an awesome fastball, Morris nursed dreams of pitching for Major League Baseball during his 20s; injuries and bad luck, however, forced him to give up hope and become a teacher and coach. Years later, pressed by students and colleagues to try out for "the Show" one more time, Morris discovered he still had a powerful arm, and he was signed by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Rookie is at its best throughout this first chapter in Morris's midlife adventure, though the rest of the film finds fresh angles on more familiar baseball-movie conventions. Dennis Quaid is soulful and charismatic as Morris, perfect in his depiction of a man both thankful and startled that destiny has given one of the good guys his due. Appropriate for ages 4 and up. Stars Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths. 2002 |
 | 6. A League of Their Own - In 1943 when the ranks of professional male baseball players were leaving for the war, a group of ladies left their homes to become part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and kept baseball alive for a grateful nation. Dottie Hinson (Davis) is the team's most gifted player,and the camaraderie and jealousy with her sister (Petty) is part of this film's charm and complexity. Jimmy Dugan (Hanks) is the drunken ex-player and slob manager who eventually brings the team to success. Stars Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Jon Lovitz and Bill Pullman. 1992 |
 | 7. The Pride of the Yankees - Gary Cooper plays Lou Gehrig, the first baseman for the Yanks who suffered from a crippling and incurable disease. The New York Yankees selected Gehrig for their lineup and he became an overnight sensation on the baseball diamond. This dedicated player, who had never missed a game once he stepped onto a Major League Baseball field, suddenly fell ill with a mysterious disease. As his body began to fail him, Gehrig had to say good-bye to the fans who idolized him and to the sport he loved so dearly. The film's final scene is a deeply moving portrait of human courage. Also not to be missed is Babe Ruth’s cameo appearance as himself. Cooper’s performance is outstanding, measuring up to the drama that surrounded the real-life events. THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEEES remains one of the greatest biopics ever filmed, in addition to being perhaps the best sports film of the 20th century. 1942 |
 | 8. Mr. 3000 - Seven years ago, a vain and jaded baseball star (Bernie Mac) retired from the sport as soon as achieving his 3,000th base hit, and his place within the select group who have achieved that distinction. Now, however, after three of those hits during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers have been disqualified, the Hall of Famer returns to the game, playing once again for the Brewers, to play a few more games and get back to the 3,000 mark, but along the way, he discovers that the experience renews his love for the sport, reminding him what it was like to be a young boy obsessed with the game, as he finds himself imparting some of this knowledge to a young rookie he mentors. Stars Bernie Mac, Angela Bassett, Evan Jones. 2004 |
 | 9. The Natural - A once promising young baseball player returns to the mainstage fifteen years later in an attempt to restart his career after battling the demons of his past. But, it is the choices he makes with the women in his life that could lead to his downfall again. Stars Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close and Kim Basinger. 1984 |
 | 10. Major League - When the widow of the owner of the Cleveland Indians realizes that she is stuck with a small stadium in a cold climate, she decides that a move to a warmer climate is called for. Unfortunately the only way she can unload her stadium is due to low attendance, so she needs to plan for a losing and lackluster season. The team of misfits and losers that she has hired, though, decide that if they really pull through, they may not wind up in last place and not be the losers that the owner thinks that they are. Stars Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen and Rene Russo. 1989 |
 | 11. Eight Men Out - Unlike other nostalgic baseball films (THE NATURAL, FIELD OF DREAMS), EIGHT MEN OUT explores one of the darkest moments in the history of the sport: 1919's infamous Black Sox scandal, when eight players on the heavily favored Chicago White Sox agreed to throw the World Series. The film investigates why the players, including the great Shoeless Joe Jackson, would purposely lose the most important game of their lives. EIGHT MEN OUT shows how money and exploitative labor conditions destroy the purity of the game. Stars Charlie Sheen, John Cusack, D.B. Sweeney. 1988 |
 | 12. For Love of the Game - Told almost entirely in flashback, the film concerns an already legendary 40 year-old pitcher, Billy Chapel, pitching the last game of his career that also marks the end of what has been, at best, a mediocre season. Going up against the Yankees, Billy remembers, while on the mound, his failed affair with the woman he still loves (Preston). As the game unfolds and it becomes apparent that he's on track to pitch a perfect game, Billy begins to wonder if he can win her back, and if his ailing arm can make it through nine innings. Stars Kevin Costner, Kelley Preston. 1999 |
 | 13. The Babe - A poignant dramatization of the phenomenal life of baseball legend Babe Ruth, from his reform-school childhood to his reigning years on the diamond and retirement from the game. Stars John Goodman, Kelly McGillis. 1992 |
 | 14. Rookie of the Year - Henry, the worst player in Little League, suffers an injury that miraculously heals giving him the ability to throw a baseball 100mph. The Chicago Cubs are one of the lousist teams in the majors and sign young Henry to pitch. Henry helps the Cubs win and then learns to rely on himself when his "power" disappears in the climactic game. A good movie for the entire family. Stars Thomas Ian Nicholas, Gary Busey. 1994 |
 | 15. Little Big League - When a boy inherits ownership of the Minnesota Twins, he assigns himself the job of manager and gives the team (and baseball) a new look. Stars Jason Robards, Timothy Busfield. 1994 |
 | 16. Bull Durham - The Durham Bulls are in a slump and have spent a hefty sum of money acquiring an untested young pitcher in the hopes of reversing their standings. Crash Davis, a 12-year veteran ballplayer who has spent most of his time bumming around as a minor league catcher, is assigned to mature the rookie pitching phenom named "Nuke". But a beautiful and enigmatic team groupie comes between the tutor and his student, enlightening both with her game of life, love and verse. Stars Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins. 1988 |
 | 17. Angels in the Outfield - The down and out California Angels are so bad, one dysfunctional family even begins to compare their own tragedies with this baseball team. When 11-year-old foster child, Roger, hears his drifter Dad sardonically compare that the chances of reuniting the family are as good as the Angels winning the pennant, Roger takes it as a promise and the truth. That night, he prays for the Angel's success, and in response, a star winks back at him with promises of baseballs faster than the speed of light and players able to leap tall buildings for a single catch. Stars Danny Glover, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd. 1994 |
 | 18. Angels in the Outfield - This delightful baseball fantasy stars Paul Douglas as Guffy McGovern, the most hard-hearted, foulmouthed, dictatorial baseball manager in the entire league, who has almost hit rock bottom with his losing team. His Pirates are in seventh place and getting worse. His hard-nosed training methods just aren't paying off. But one day he hears an otherworldy voice telling him to "look for a miracle in the third inning." It turns out that the Archangel Gabriel and his ball club, the Heavenly Choir Nine, want to help McGovern's losing team as long as he promises to stop swearing and fighting. Sure enough, as McGovern cleans up his act, his team starts to improve, and with the help of the invisible ghosts of baseball legends, the Pirates' chances for the pennant begin to look brighter. But things become more complicated for McGovern when a young orphan girl (Donna Cocoran) tells a reporter (Janet Leigh) she has seen angels in the outfield giving the players a hand, and McGovern's bizarre secret for success makes national headlines. Plenty of stars from baseball (including Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio) and Hollywood (Bing Crosby) make cameo appearances in this charming film, which was remade in 1994. 1951 |
 | 19. Mr. Baseball - In the twilight of his glory days, Jack is no longer hitting them like he used to and finds himself traded to Japan. He manages to alienate everyone on the team including the manager, without improving his batting average. But with the love of a Japanese girl and a newfound respect for Japanese culture, Jack finds a way to win. Stars Tom Sellec. 1992 |
 | 20. Damn Yankees - An exciting mix of rough-and-tumble baseball with lively song-and-dance numbers makes this musical a home run. When middle-aged Joe, number one Washington Senators fan, gets a deal from the devil and is transformed into a hotshot rookie baseball player, the Senators have their first real chance to beat the Yankees and capture the pennant. But the devil's secret agenda is to pull the rug out from under the fans' feet just before the Senators win, hopefully sparking massive depression. Joe's yearning for his wife throws a wrench into the devil's devious works, encouraging the devil to call in Lola, the best vamp in his staff. Joe and Lola warily dance around each other, he fascinated by her physical charms, she mesmerized by his honest goodness. With so much pressure on him, can Joe hold it together long enough to beat those damn Yankees, win the pennant for the Senators...and keep his soul? 1958 |
 | 21. The Stratton Story - The real-life story of courageous sports hero Monty Stratton. Jimmy Stewart presents a career-defining performance as the young Chicago White Sox pitcher who loses a leg in a tragic hunting accident. Depressed, Stratton at first refuses to walk with his new artificial limb, but under the encouragement of his wife, Ethel, he relearns to walk just as his young son takes his own first steps. With courage and determination, Stratton builds his strength and returns to the sport at which he excelled, becoming a minor league star. An Academy Award winner. Stars Jimmy Stewart, June Allyson. 1949 |
 | 22. Bang the Drum Slowly - Robert De Niro stars as Bruce Pearson, a baseball player stricken with Hodgkin's disease. During his illness, he befriends the team's star pitcher Henry Wiggin (Moriarty), who not only helps Bruce hide his illness from the materialist owners, but also emotionally supports his dying friend. Stars Robert De Niro, Michael Moriarty and Vincent Gardenia. 1973 |
 | 23. Soul of the Game - Set in 1945, when professional baseball's color barrier had yet to be broken, this drama chronicles the relationship between the three Negro League players who vied to be the first to cross over. Pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige, slugger Josh Gibson and soon-to-be Brooklyn Dodger, Jackie Robinson. 1996 |
 | 24. The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings - Comedy about a group of black baseball players who defect from the 1930s Negro National League. The leads are based on authentic heroes Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. The year is 1939, and Negro League baseball players Bingo Long (Williams) and Leon Carter (Jones) have had enough of the black team owners' harsh treatment. So they decide to leave their team and form one of their own. Bingo and Leon's team is a hit, that is until the other owners pressure them into leaving the league. The All-Stars then travel rural America, playing against white teams for white crowds. Even though they are just as talented as their opponents, the black players must resort to comedic antics and tomfoolery on the field in order to be accepted by audiences. Hilarious physical comedy and fine performances provide a thought-provoking balance of social issues and comedy. Stars Richard Pryor, Billy Dee Williams, and James Earl Jones. 1976 |
 | 25. Hard Ball 2001 - When a compulsive gambler (Reeves) is unable to pay a debt he owes to his friend, he is given the choice to payback the debt by coaching an inner-city little league baseball team. Taking on this new challenge gives him a new outlook on life, as well as the kids on the team. Stars Keanu Reeves, Diane Lane. 2001 |
 | 26. Fear Strikes Out - The courageous story of Red Sox outfielder, Jimmy Piersall, who played seventeen seasons in the majors while battling mental illness. Anthony Perkins' trademark intensity brings the ballplayer's nightmare to life and Karl Malden gives a strong performance as his overbearing, perfectionist father! Stars Anthony Perkins, Karl Malden. 1957 |
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