Clearly this is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. A nice cold 20 ounce coke, some popcorn, a comfortable chair and a movie… Even better…a movie about baseball! I tried to pick 10 baseball movies that people might consider were the best ever.
I was pretty picky on compiling the list and didn’t include Fever Pitch or Summer Catch which were two movies based in the Boston area.
Here are the choices:
Pride of the Yankees (1942) Starring Gary Cooper and Teresa Wright
The Bad News Bears (1976) Starring Walter Matthau
The Natural (1984) Starring Robert Redford, Glenn Close, and Robert Duvall
Bull Durham (1988) Starring Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon
Eight Men Out (1988) — Starring John Cusack, Charlie Sheen, and D.B. Sweeney
Major League (1989) Starring Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, Tom Berenger, and Rene Russo
Field of Dreams (1989) Starring James Earl Jones, Kevin Costner, and Ray Liotta
A League of Their Own (1992) Starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, and Madonna
The Sandlot (1993) Starring James Earl Jones
For Love of The Game (1999) — Starring Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston
For me I couldn’t just pick one. I love Bull Durham. I have seen it over 15 times and still enjoy it. It has great stars, lots of good comedy, and baseball. I also enjoyed The Natural with Robert Redford. I love the cinematography, characters and story. And for a good laugh there is no better than Major League! Charlie Sheen and Wesley Snipes are very funny and solid and the supporting characters are great!
- What do you think and why?
- What movies are missing?
I look forward to your comments.
Rhonda Ellis says:
Field of Dreams is #1 in my book. Excellent movie with a wonderful theme. Two movies to add to the list, “The Rookie” starring Dennis Quaid and “Fever Pitch” starring Drew Barrymore.
Robert Harrell says:
Thank you for not including Fear Strikes Out (Anthony Perkins, Karl Malden) . It’s on some people’s list. The story was good (Jimmy Piersall) but the baseball scenes were the worst in movie history.
The Natural and Field of Dreams would be tied for 1st on my list. A League of Their Own a close 3rd.
It doesn’t get any better than Pride of the Yankees where Babe Ruth played himself.
Bang The Drum Slowly was pretty good…One of Robert DeNiro’s early movies where he played a dying catcher.
As for your list, I’ve seen ‘em all (most several times) and I love ‘em all.
Mike MacLeod says:
Great list. I can’t add any more. I think the list of WORST baseball movies would be great too.
If you enjoy Field of Dreams, I strongly urge you to read the book it was based on – Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella (a fellow Canadian). Also pick up his Iowa Baseball Confederacy.
I can watch Major League any time it’s on TV.
I love the Sandlot. Not a week goes by when I say to someone “You’re killing me, Smalls!”
And in the words of Crash Davis..
I believe in the soul. The ****. The *****. The small of a woman’s back. The hanging curve ball. High fiber. Good scotch. That the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a Constitutional Amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas eve. And I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.
Bob Tekampe says:
I love several of these movies—Field of Dreams (“If you build it, he will come”), The Natural (“Pick me out a winner Bobby”), Bull Durham (“I’m the player to be named later”), Pride of the Yankees (“Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth”), Major League (“JUST a bit outside”), A League of Their Own (“THERE’S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!”).
A couple of oldies but goodies that you left off of your list: It Happens Every Spring (a college professor invents a substance that repels wood. He discovers that if you rub it on a baseball it can’t be hit, so he goes on to pitch in the big leagues) and The Babe Ruth Story (the one with William Bendix–it is really dated and very sanitized, but come on- its the Babe!) Both worth checking out.
Unintentionally funny: Robert mentioned Fear Strikes Out, which features Anthony Perkins (as Jimmy Piersall) displaying the most unconvincing throwing motion ever depicted on the silver screen.
Sandy says:
Hi, sorry I can’t be of more help, but For Love of The Game is definitely my all time favorite and I agree with your Bull Durham reasoning as well.
I also enjoyed Field of Dreams and The Natural and I have to say, although I’m not really a huge sports fan. I am however, a devoted Kevin Costner fan and enjoy Robert Redford.
Take care.
Sandy
Ed Sugar says:
“Bull Durham” is my #1. My #2 is not on your list nor has been mentioned in any posting – “The Life And Times Of Hank Greenberg” (1998). Superb documentary on Detroit slugger Hank Greenberg. Great story how Greenberg’s career in the 30′s and 40′s, as the first great Jewish professional athlete, helped set the path for Jackie Robinson in the late 40′s. Not only did Greenberg have a Hall of Fame career as a player, but as a GM; he and Bill Veeck built championship teams in Cleveland and Chicago. A must for any baseball purist.
Meg says:
Great Topic. I would have to say “A League of Her Own” is my favorite. Great stars, Great Story, Great lines and no matter how many times I see it I still get chocked up at the end. It is the great American dream, opportunity, working hard, good friends, humor, success (however it is defined).
Although I have not seen it yet, I did hear my six year old laughing quite loudly over the animated movie “Everyone’s Hero” which is out on DVD now. I think this is another feel good baseball film, although aren’t they all.
I would also recommend “61″ to any baseball movie fans. Very good movie.
Adam Lorber says:
I can quote Bull Durham until I’m blue in the face…..Field of Dreams and The Natural are classics…but the sleeper is For The Love OF The Game ….Billy Chapel’s perfect game being called by Sculley is THE new classic….and better yet it counts as a “chick” movie.
Willie Martin says:
Hi Merrill!
A Good Top 10 list to be sure. If you wanted to add two more black and whites to the credits, and I can’t think of the names, there was a movie that Ronald Reagan did circa 1941 where he portrayed Grover Cleveland Alexander, who had an issue with epilepsy, confused for alcoholism. Another movie that comes to mind, again I cannot remember the name, is about a young boy who takes over a baseball team and leads them to bigger and better things. I seem to recall that his Dad was actually making all the right calls…
Pride of the Yankees is my all tie favorite. I still cry when I see the farewell speech by Gary Cooper. Even though Cooper couldn’t hit a baseball, didn’t know the game, this movie touches a nerve for all fans when the very thing you live for is taken away too early in life. Teresa Wright did an outstanding job as Eleanor Twitchell, who BTW was the daughter to the Wrigley clan…
For humor, I give it to Major League…Willie Mays Hayes…Hit like Mays…run like Hayes…
Take care friend. Nice job with the Yanks…again…
Bob Graham says:
OK, first off, one of my all-time favorites is not on the list: THE BINGO LONG TRAVELING ALL STARS AND MOTOR KINGS. Bill Dee Williams, James Earl Jones and Richard Pryor are members of a barnstorming team in the days of the Negro Leagues. It’s one of the few baseball movies that is not reverential, it’s just plain fun and the acting by the entire ensemble is superb. As a bonus, it introduced one of the best baseball songs of all time : “Slide on Home”.
I’m a big fan of BULL DURHAM (which is a “pure” baseball movie), FIELD OF DREAMS and THE NATURAL, but they all tend to be reverential (i.e. “The Church of Baseball…”), just a bit too serious about the subject, c’mon it’s a game, it’s supposed to be fun.
Also fun are DAMN YANKEES, in which a baseball fan sells his soul to the devil so the Yankees don’t win a World Series (it’s an old movie
; BASEBALL BUGS, one of the best Warner Bros cartoons ever in which Bugs Bunny squares off against the Gashouse Gorillas; and KILL THE UMPIRE in which baseball fan William Bendix becomes an umpire and is forced to see the game from a different side.
I also love two documentaries: STILL WE BELIEVE:THE BOSTON RED SOX MOVIE and it’s follow-up FAITH REWARDED.
As for the worst baseball movie there is one that is the pinnacle, the penultimate: SAFE AT HOME a quickie made to cash in on the Roger Marris/Mickie Mantle home run chase of 1961. If you think Anthony Perkins’ throwing is bad (in FEAR STRIKES OUT), you should see Mantle and Marris’ acting (or better yet, just take my word for it and skip it).
Will Morris says:
All great movies, and very little distinguishes one above the other. Field of Dreams and Sandlot evoked great memories of being a kid and sharing the love of baseball with my father, and experiencing the purity of the game I love so much. Some of my best days were spent in the 50′s and 60′s playing workup, 500, and hotbox with the neighborhood kids for hours. We would take a break at noon to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and several glasses of Cool-aid before heading back out to our own sandlot.
For the Love of the Game and Bull Durham are classics because they both show the passion for baseball when the players had passion about baseball. Kevin Costner “gets it” and expresses in so well in his movies. Growing up I wasn’t really a Yankee fan but Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle captivated my attention as a 9 year old in the summer of ’61. Everybody loved Mickey, as did I, but I thought Maris was something special. I watched that movie on DVD with my dad and it was an awesome experience.
The Natural was just cool. I was coaching an American Legion team of 16 year old boys when that came out. We were playing in a tournament and seeded against the #2 team in the State in the 16-18 year old league. I took my team to see The Natural the night before our game and gave them lightning bolt patches that I purchased from the Army Surplus store, which they put on their uniforms for the game. Needless to say we beat the heavily favored team 14-4 and completely overwhelmed them. By the end of the year my team was #1 in the 156 year of division. We were on the front page of the paper showing our lighting bolt patches.
Kenyon says:
My favorite baseball movie is “The Natural.” There’s a line in the movie which always makes me laugh. It when Robert Redford has been shot and he’s being visited by his woman. He looks deeply into her eyes and says, “I love….baseball.”
The pause is ever so slight as we’re expecting him to tell her, “I love you.” I love Bull Durham as well.
Joe Baldi says:
Bull Durham and For The Love Ff The Game are tops for me because Costner is a real ball player. Looks good throwing and hitting. Also like the supporting cast in Bull Durham.
A couple of interesting facts. The guy who plays the third base coach in the Natural, Tony Ferrara played on my team in the Men’s Senior Baseball league. He was also the BP pitcher for the Yanks and Mets.
The third base umpire Mike ? in For The Love Of The Game used to ump some of our games and the home plate ump in a League Of Their Own umpired some of our game at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown. Living proof that if you stick around long enough you’ve seen it all or at least almost all.
Tobey Belsky says:
My response is actually to Ed Sugar. I’m truly impressed you mentioned Hank Greenberg as a dominating player and innovator in the field of baseball. He happens to be a relative on my husband’s side of family. You truly do know baseball of today and the “Old Timers”! My favorites are The Natural and A League of Their Own, for the pure joy of watching Tom Hanks say “There’s no crying in Baseball” A definite classic line and movie.
Paul says:
I can’t believe nobody listed The Rookie. It was a Great movie and a true story to boot.
Aunt Ruth says:
In the movie Bull Durham, I’ve been looking for years, but have not been able to find out what the name of the song Susan S. was playing on her record player during the movie. It was just beautiful, a female singer and seemed to be in French.
Have looked everywhere I could find but just can’t get it as I don’t know the name of it and of course not the words.
If anyone could help me I will truly be forever grateful. I had just told my daughter a few days ago, “When I’m on my death bed (well not right now, but will be someday) if someone asks me if I have any regrets in life, I’ll have to say, ‘I couldn’t find that song.’
Just a little personal information here also, I have a Hot Dog stand in Coeur d’Alene Idaho at one of the oldest Baseball Stadiums in the area, Memorial Field. Just local Co-Ed games and a few out of State tournaments. It was built in the 1940′s and is still standing.
Aunt Ruth says:
Thanks to Merrill I was able to find the song. It was a recording by Edith Piaf “Non Je Ne Regrette Rien”
I downloaded it from LimeWire this morning and have listened to it 6 times so far. Am so happy it’s almost like I won a Lottery! Well, a small one anyway.
Here’s the weird part. All these years I’ve been telling people I will be on my death bed saying my regret is not being able to find that song, the title translated from French to English is “Not, I have no regrets”
Thank you all.
Aunt Ruth
Aunt Ruth says:
Thanks to Ed Sugar for sending the song info to Merrill who sent it to me. I was so excited when I got the info this I didn’t realize that. Thank you Ed!
Miss Cleo says:
Just thought I would let you all know that Bravo is now in the making of a movie called Curveball it is a documentary of W.P. Kinsella the Canadian that wrote the book shoeless Joe which was later turned into the movie field of Dreams. They shot some of the movie in Vauxhall Alberta where the first ever year round Canadian Baseball Academy started just last year. My son was one of the pitchers that they used…