Top five baseball movies?

[K.C.]

I go:

#5 - 61*
Billy Crystal did an amazing job creating the throwback feel to the movie. I like the casting of Thomas Jane and Barry Pepper a lot. Roger Maris has an excellent story and he's a guy who didn't really get a lot of love from anyone including Yankee fans. Only thing that takes the luster off this movie a little bit is it beginning and ending with Mark McGwire's 62nd HR in '98. It really kind of gives this movie a whole different context in light of what happened in recent years.

#4 - Eight Men Out
Love the casting on this movie. It's tough to really get a good read on what happened with the Black Sox even to this day, but I think it's a pretty fair portrayal.

#3 - The Natural
Robert Redford owns in this movie, and it has the guy from A Christmas Story in it. Also I think Wilfred Brimley reminds us to get our prostates checked somewhere in there.

#2 - Bull Durham
Great, great portrayal of minor league baseball (at least at that time). Fun story between the three in the movie.

#1 - Field of Dreams
If you ever played catch as a kid, you get this one.

[ChrisTheCop]

Major League.

A League of Their Own.

Fever Pitch (ok, not top 5, but what an ending!!)




Havent we done this before? I think I made the same joke.

[MrPink]

Can't think of 5 but Bad News Bears is #1.

[TheGameHHH]

I go:

#5 - 61*
Billy Crystal did an amazing job creating the throwback feel to the movie. I like the casting of Thomas Jane and Barry Pepper a lot. Roger Maris has an excellent story and he's a guy who didn't really get a lot of love from anyone including Yankee fans. Only thing that takes the luster off this movie a little bit is it beginning and ending with Mark McGwire's 62nd HR in '98. It really kind of gives this movie a whole different context in light of what happened in recent years.

#4 - Eight Men Out
Love the casting on this movie. It's tough to really get a good read on what happened with the Black Sox even to this day, but I think it's a pretty fair portrayal.

#3 - The Natural
Robert Redford owns in this movie, and it has the guy from A Christmas Story in it. Also I think Wilfred Brimley reminds us to get our prostates checked somewhere in there.

#2 - Bull Durham
Great, great portrayal of minor league baseball (at least at that time). Fun story between the three in the movie.

#1 - Field of Dreams
If you ever played catch as a kid, you get this one.

thats pretty much my top five in that order, i cant really expand on that list any further other than saying great job.

[TheMojoPin]

Buncha great ones named, but I'm throwing The Sandlot in there because it rules.

I also submit Rookie of the Year as the most unrealistic and unbelievable work of fiction known to man. Gary Busey, the janitor from Scrubs, the voice of Kevin from The Wonder Years and the dude chowing Tera Reid's box from American Pie lead the Cubs to the World Series? OK, great. Thanks for kicking me in the balls, Hollywood.

[keithy_19]

Buncha great ones named, but I'm throwing The Sandlot in there because it rules.



Good fucking call.

I was watching Little Big League yesterday and the movie made me smile. It's incredibly over the top, unrealistic, family movie fun and it works.

It's not in the top five, but it's a fun little movie.

[tupper65]

Can't think of 5 but Bad News Bears is #1.

I agree! (the original, not the remake)

[Ritalin]

Yeah, I've got to put Bad News Bears in and take 61 out.

[BeerBandit]

#5) The Natural. I don't think it's a great movie, but it was my first baseball movie and used to be on HBO all the time when I was a kid. And it does capture that old timey baseball feel.

#4) For Love of the Game. Not a big fan of Kevin Costner (haaaaaaaate Field of Dreams), but damn did he get this right. If you can deal with the chick flick part of it, the baseball part is very enjoyable to watch. Piuki actually recommended this one to me and we watched it together, so I was able to trudge through the girlie parts with my chick by my side.

#3) The Bad News Bears/TBNB: Breaking Training. Little League baseball. Fun recreation for some kids, talent showcase for others, terrifying compulsory for the nerdlier ones. This film, captures the good and the bad of organized sports in general. The attitude is great and the comedy still holds up. I also love Breaking Training for the William Devane "Let Them Play!" chant at the end in the Astrodome.

#2) Major League. What more can be said about this absolutely perfect baseball film. Sure it's formulaic, but this movies contains some of the classic lines in film comedy. And the characters were great. The aging junkballer, the grizzled catcher, the reckless fireballer, the voodoo slugger. Baseball is the perfect setting for a character driven ensemble cast movie. There's a whole team of personalities to write for and this film comes through and still makes me laugh every time.

#1) The Sandlot. This movie captures so well what may have ended with my generation because I know I don't see kids playing sandlot games anymore. Back in the mid-to-late 80's, once Spring hit, we would all ride our bikes to one of three fields in town and play baseball until we couldn't see pop-ups anymore, upholding the traditions of our fathers and grandfathers. Every one knew his or her position, especially the fat kid. And since I lived in rural Sussex County our fields weren't in the proximity of a neighbor's yard with a slobbering canine sentinel, but we were still afraid to lose the ball into the cow field necessitating maneuvering past cowchip landmines.

[K.C.]

I love Bad News Bears...that was a VERY close #6 for me, but i'd have to stick with 61*...it's just such a well done movie.


I'll throw out Mr. Baseball. I like any movie where an American goes into a foreign culture and shows absolutely no respect for it. Makes me want to wave the flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance with pride.

As far as Major League goes, I watched that again not too long ago. The best part about that movie by far is the fact that Fighting Epos' announcer Bob Uecker is in it. The guy is fantastic.

[RhinoinMN]

Buncha great ones named, but I'm throwing The Sandlot in there because it rules.

I also submit Rookie of the Year as the most unrealistic and unbelievable work of fiction known to man. Gary Busey, the janitor from Scrubs, the voice of Kevin from The Wonder Years and the dude chowing Tera Reid's box from American Pie lead the Cubs to the World Series? OK, great. Thanks for kicking me in the balls, Hollywood.

I will see your submission and raise you with "Little Big League." Timothy Busfield and Jonathan Silverman. C'mon.

[Kris10]

8 Men Out and Field of Dreams for me. I love everything Shoeless Joe!

[badorties]

i can't honestly think of one baseball movie i'd want to watch

i'd much rather watch baseball documentary ... i love the first 2/3 of ken burns baseball, when it was a game series and the life and times of hank greenberg

fictional baseball movies seem very flat and predictable ... and i maybe in the minority, but field of dreams is an unbearably boring chore of a movie

[Knowledged_one]

No particular order

Major League
A League of their Own
Soul of the Game
Field of Dreams
Summer Catch

[kdubya]

Everyone is forgeting Angels in the Outfield, but seriously.
I think Field of Dreams is more about the relationship between fathers and sons and not regreting the choices we make than it is about baseball.

I would add "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings" into the discusion. It's kind of silly but a pretty good baseball movie.

[Jujubees2]

Best
Field of Dreams
Bull Durham
Major League
Fear Strikes Out
Bad News Bears

Worst
Brewster's Millions
Kid in Leftfild
Mr. 3000
Fever Pitch
Any Bad News Bears after the orginal

[tupper65]

'Bang the Drum Slowly' was a pretty good movie too. Tough to watch though, really emotional.

[badorties]

[size="2"]Best
Field of Dreams
Bull Durham
Major League
Fear Strikes Out
Bad News Bears


it's funny to see the complete lack of athleticism (especially at throwing) by anthony perkins in fear strikes out

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v22/xanka/fso.jpg

[A.J.]

A bit hokey but still...

http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/pride-of-the-yankees-DVDcover.jpg

[hammersavage]

Bull Durham is a chick flick in the guise of a sports movie. Can't stand it.

In no order:
Major League
Sandlot
Cobb
Bad News Bears
League of their Own

[PhishHead]

I concur on Soul of the Game and Sandlot

[Bossanova]

How has noone mentioned The Scout starring Albert Brooks and Brendan Fraser.

I mean it had everything including a helicopter entrance to the mound. Steve Nebraska striking out 27 batters on 81 pitches to throw a perfect game in Game 7 of the World Series. I believe e hits the game winning homerun as well.

Good Times

[Mike Teacher]

A bit hokey but still...

http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/pride-of-the-yankees-DVDcover.jpg

better then 90% of the movies mentioned in the thread so far, IMHO.

[King Hippos Bandaid]

no Rookie of the Year

Henry Roengartner could start for that mediocre bottom half of the Cubs Rotation

[TheMojoPin]

Bull Durham is a chick flick in the guise of a sports movie. Can't stand it.

Madness.

I get a kick out of:

http://www.boomerangshop.com/dvdcover/imageweb20/TheBingoLongTravelingAllS1201_f.jpg

Awesome cast.

[TheMojoPin]

How about The Fan for dumbest baseball movie? The entire climax takes place with a MLB game being played in a pounding rainstorm.

[EddieMoscone]

Madness.

I get a kick out of:

http://www.boomerangshop.com/dvdcover/imageweb20/TheBingoLongTravelingAllS1201_f.jpg

Awesome cast.

Made me think...does Brewster's Million's count? Richard Pryor reminded me of Oil Can Boyd when he pitched in that movie.

[Epschtein]

lol bossanova, i was trying to think of the name of that movie while reading thru the thread, what a pile of crap that was.

i have only walked out on 2 movies and that was one of them, i made it about halfway thru "the scout" and couldnt take it anymore, thankfully it didnt cost me anything because i had won the tickets to see it.

[Tall_James]

This one was kind of ignored but I really enjoyed it....

http://thompsonshockey.org/thc/assets/rookie-DVDcover.jpg

This one was kind of ignored for good reason....

http://www.impawards.com/1996/posters/ed.jpg

[K.C.]

#3 - The Natural
Robert Redford owns in this movie, and it has the guy from A Christmas Story in it. Also I think Wilfred Brimley reminds us to get our prostates checked somewhere in there.


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