Baseball Movies
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Baseball is often referred to as America’s pastime. It’s a sport that spans multiple generations and is firmly embedded into the fabric of the United States. This piece aims to break down the best baseball-centric films ever made. Each film has its place in the zeitgeist — offering richness, perspective, and a purpose to the bigger story of the sport as a whole, and what it means to those in this country.
6. A League of Their Own
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A League of Their Own illustrated the short-lived All-American Girl’s Professional Baseball League. The league was created in 1943 during World War II, and lasted 11 years before ending in 1954. While the characters were fictional here, the story was impactful — not only educating the audience as to the popularity of the league but also building a compelling relationship between two sisters who didn’t always see eye to eye. From there, the brilliance of Tom Hanks was on full display. A former Big Leaguer with a drinking problem, he aimed to revitalize his career as the Manager of the time, all the while still haunted by the demons that somewhat negatively control his life. The collection of high-level actors in this film is immense. Aside from Hanks, Lori Petty, and Geena Davis, it also features Jon Lovitz, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, David Strathairn, Bill Pullman, and Garry Marshall.
5. Major League
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Of the movies listed in this piece, Major League takes the cake as the one with the most humor. It’s a raunchy movie — though utterly hilarious and authentic, encapsulating baseball in the 80s. This ragtag bunch wasn’t supposed to win anything, yet they pulled it together and stuck it to their villainous owner — who had aimed to make them as bad as possible ahead of a plot to relocate the team. The baseball scenes are realistic enough that the actors don’t look like total novices. Charlie Sheen looked like a real ballplayer, and the acting chops of veteran actor Tom Berenger were a nice foil for some of the younger, greener actors. Wesley Snipes and Dennis Haysbert both popped off the screen as Willie Mays Hayes and Pedro Cerrano, respectively. And of course, Bob Uecker steals any scene he’s in.
4. Moneyball
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Moneyball is the most serious film on the list, and it’s also the most modern. It’s an analytical look at how the Oakland Athletics were constructed despite not being flush with resources or cash. Led by Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt), the franchise operated atypically compared to its peers. The ability to acquire players was driven by computer estimations rather than a more old-school approach. The film is beautifully written, and the depictions of the players/coaches are very strong.
3. The Sandlot
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There’s a special place in the hearts of all baseball fans when speaking about The Sandlot. At one point, you were that kid playing outside with your friends in the summer heat. While the sport of baseball was the backdrop for this film, it wasn’t so much about the sport as it was a coming-of-age tale among your childhood buddies. The film is nearly flawless in this capacity. It works even better being a period piece in a time when things were simple. This might be a ‘kid’s movie’, but it certainly is one adults can universally appreciate from a nostalgic standpoint.
2. Field of Dreams
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This movie captures the essence of film magic in more ways than one. Much like The Sandlot, Field of Dreams uses the sport of baseball as a vessel to dive deeper into the essence of our protagonist. In this case, Kevin Costner is taken on a journey that leads him to build a baseball field on his Iowa farm for ghost baseball players to use. This might sound like a hokey premise if you’ve never seen the film. With that said, it’s full of heart and wonderment. The final scene in which Costner plays catch with a younger version of his father — with whom he had a fractured relationship — is something that will make even the most stoic person emotional.
1. Bull Durham
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The script is arguably the best part of this movie. It’s a brilliant look into the life of Minor League baseball players toiling around the United States with the dreams of one day making it to ‘the show’. Fleshing out this dichotomy of a hardened veteran (Costner) and a hotshot cocky flamethrower (Tim Robbins) was a very smart choice. Throwing a notorious local lady in Susan Sarandon helped elevate the movie beyond a sports romp. We watched as Robbins’ character ultimately learned from Costner’s, and fulfilled the potential he always had. At the same time, the tragic notion of Costner never making it to the Big Leagues was softened a bit by his eventual romance with Sarandon. Costner’s monologue on ‘what he believes in’ is a must-watch.
