61* (2001)

Noted baseball fan Billy Crystal directed this made-for-cable drama set in the summer of 1961, as two of the strongest hitters in the major leagues, Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane) and Roger Maris (Barry Pepper), find themselves neck and neck in a battle to break Babe Ruth's long-standing record for most home runs in a season. Both men were playing for the New York Yankees at the time, and as the two men came within grasping distance of Ruth's record, their loyalty as friends and teammates was put to the ultimate test. 61 also features Richard Masur, Bruce McGill, Anthony Michael Hall, and Renee Taylor; the scenes set in Yankee Stadium were filmed at Michigan's Tiger Stadium, shortly after the Detroit Tigers shuttered the venerable playing field and relocated to a newer facility. Made for Cable. Not Rated. (DVD/VHS)

Alibi Ike (1935)

In this rollicking adaptation of Ring Lardner's short story, Joe E. Brown plays an ace baseball player whose insistence upon making up excuses earns him the nickname "Alibi Ike." In the couse of his first season with the Chicago Cubs, Brown also falls in love with Olivia De Havilland, sister-in-law of the team's manager. Brown's "alibi" habit prompts De Havilland to walk out on him, whereupon he goes into a slump--which coincides with attempts by gamblers to get Brown to throw the World Series. The plot weaves its way towards a climax in which Brown escapes the gamblers by commandeering an ambulance and driving onto the ball field during the final Series game. Alibi Ike was the most successful of Joe E. Brown's "baseball trilogy" (which included Elmer the Great and Fireman, Save My Child), and one of the best baseball comedies of all time. Not Rated. (N/A)
  
A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story (1977)

Based on the 1976 autobiography My Luke and I by Eleanor Gehrig and Joseph Durso, Love Affair: The Eleanor & Lou Gehrig Story provides a slightly different slant on the events previously dramatized on film as Pride of the Yankees (1942). The story is told in flashback from the point of view of the wife of baseball's "Iron Man". Sitting in a deserted Yankee stadium, Eleanor (Blythe Danner) relates her tale to her biographer Joseph Durso (Robert Burr). She recalls how she met the painfully shy ballplayer Lou Gehrig (Edward Herrmann) on a blind date in 1933. She remembers her battle of wills with Lou's domineering and possessive mother (played with a nearly impenetrable foreign accent by Patricia Neal), and her 1934 elopement with her "Luke." Other memories include the New York Yankees' goodwill trip to Japan, where relationships became strained between teammates Gehrig and Babe Ruth (Ramon Bieri). Also recalled is the fact that Lou played 2130 consecutive games (a record was only recently broken by Cal Ripken Jr.). Eleanor's story ends inevitably with Lou's slow death from amyotropic lateral sclerosis. In summing up, Eleanor insists that despite the tragic final years, she wouldn't have traded her short time as Mrs. Lou Gehrig for anything. Edward Herrmann took pride in the fact that his portrayal of Lou Gehrig won the unqualified praise of the real Eleanor (though Herrmann learned to bat southpaw for the role, he is seen actually playing baseball only once) Originally scheduled for broadcast on October 9, 1977, the made-for-TV Love Affair was bumped by a World Series playoff game; it was rescheduled for January 15, 1978--smack dab opposite the Super Bowl. Made for TV. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Angels in the Infield (2000)

A baseball player stuck in a losing streak gets some heavenly help in the second sequel to Disney's 1994 hit Angels in the Outfield. Eddie Everett (Patrick Warburton) is a pitcher with the Anaheim Angels who has been in a slump ever since a bungled play helped his team lose the pennant a year ago. Depressed, Eddie has lost confidence in his abilities; his marriage to Claire (Rebecca Jenkins) is on the rocks, and when Claire decides to move on, she leaves it to Eddie to watch over their 13-year-old daughter Laurel (Brittney Irvin). Laurel loves her father, but they're all but strangers to each other, and she isn't sure what she can do to help him. One night, Laurel prays for help for her dad, and her prayer is answered in the form of a guardian angel, Bob "Bungler" Bugler (David Alan Grier). Bob was a singularly unimpressive ball player who died ten years earlier, and has been trying to earn his wings ever since; Bob hopes that by helping Laurel, he can prove his worth to St. Peter, and by helping Eddie, he might get one last change to play in the big leagues. Angels in the Infield also features Kurt Fuller as Simon, Eddie's agent, and Colin Fox as The Devil, who has plans of his own regarding Eddie's career. Made for TV. Not Rated. (DVD/VHS)

Angels in the Outfield (1951)

Though not the most profitable baseball comedy ever made, Angels in the Outfield is one of the most likeable and enduring. Paul Douglas stars as Guffy McGovern, the combative, foul-mouthed manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. With his team in the basement once more, McGovern has plenty to complain about. All this changes when, while wandering through Forbes Field at night, Guffy is accosted by the voice of the Archangel Gabriel (courtesy of an unbilled James Whitmore). As the spokesman for the Heavenly Choir Nine, a celestial ballclub, Gabriel begins bestowing "miracles" upon the Pirates--but only on the condition that McGovern put a moratorium on swearing and fighting. With the help of the invisible ghosts of past baseball greats, the Pirates make it into the Pennant race. During one crucial game, orphan girl Bridget White (Donna Corcoran) insists that she can see the angels helping out the "live" ballplayers--understandably so, since it was Bridget's prayers that prompted Gabriel to visit McGovern in the first place. Newspaperwoman Jennifer Page (Janet Leigh) transforms Bridget's angelic visions into a nationwide news story, causing no end of trouble for McGovern. When Guffy himself confirms Bridget's claims, he falls right into the hands of vengeful sportscaster Fred Bayles (Keenan Wynn), who's been scheming all along to have McGovern thrown out of baseball. Complication piles upon complication until the Big Game, wherein Guffy is forced to rely exclusively upon the talents of his ballplayers--notably "over the hill" Saul Hellman (Bruce Bennett)--to win the pennant. Unlike the spell-it-all-out 1995 remake of Angels in the Outfield, the original film never shows the angels, permitting the audience to draw its own conclusions regarding Divine Intervention. The film is an unqualified delight, never descending into sloppy sentiment or boggy bathos. Understandably, Angels in the Outfield was Paul Douglas' favorite film (though he'd never admit it after President Dwight D. Eisenhower, hardly Douglas' favorite politician, insisted that it was his favorite as well). Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Angels in the Outfield (1994)

Updated from the 1951 film of the same name, Angels In The Outfield takes liberties with the original to bring sentimental values to a modern setting. Roger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a foster child whose irresponsible father promises to get his act together when Roger's favorite baseball team, the California Angels, wins the pennant. The problem is that the Angels are in last place, so Roger prays for help to turn the team around. Sure enough, his prayers are answered in the form of angel Al (Christopher Lloyd), and, before you know it, the Angels' bitter manager (Danny Glover) is watching in amazement as his team starts making the plays -- with the help of angels visible to the audience only as glowing special effects. Disney's Angels in the Outfield is an entertainment home run for the whole family! Rated PG. ( DVD/VHS)

As the World Rolls On (1921)

African-American prize-fighter Jack Johnson plays himself in this all-black sports melodrama about a physically weak young man, Joe Walker (Reed Thomas), whose girlfriend, Molly Moran (Blanche Thompson), is falsely charged with conspiracy to defraud a doctor. Learning self-defense and sportsmanship from Johnson, Joe not only leads the baseball Kansas City Monarchs to victory against the Detroit Stars, but is also able to catch the villain who framed Molly, gang-leader Tom Atkins (Walter Simpson). With Molly as his new bride, Joe visits with Johnson, who presents the young couple with a wedding gift of $1000. As the World Rolls On, which also featured members of the Kansas City Monarchs and the Detroit Stars all-black baseball teams, was produced, directed and photographed by W. A. Andlauer and released to black-only theaters. Not Rated. (N/A)

Aunt Mary (1979)

This TV movie stars Jean Stapleton as the real-life "Aunt" Mary Dobkin, a physically handicapped woman living in the Baltimore of the 1940s. Concerned that juvenile delinquency is destroying her neighborhood, Aunt Mary organizes the "Dobkin Dynamiters", a baseball team comprised of disadvantaged and minority children. As she fights to have her biracial team officially sanctioned by the highly segregated Baltimore power structure, Aunt Mary is further challenged by the amputation of her left leg and right foot. Nonetheless, she perseveres over the next two decades, providing nearly 35,000 disenfranchised boys the opportunity to escape the streets and play ball. Sportscaster Ernie Harwell, who'd once called the shots for the Baltimore Orioles, makes a cameo appearance in this 1979 Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. Made for TV. Not Rated. (N/A)

Babe, The (1992)

John Goodman is cast as the Sultan of Swat, whose excesses -- especially drinking -- and private demons can (in this context) be excused in view of his genuine love of baseball. The facts never get in the way of a good story for screenwriter John Fusco; we're even offered the umpteenth rehash of "Little Johnny", the largely fanciful tale of the invalid boy who promises to get well if Babe hits him a homer (as in Pride of the Yankees, the cured Johnny makes return a appearance as grownup). The most amusing fabrication is the casting of narrow James Cromwell as the Babe's orphanage mentor Brother Mathias, who in real life weighed 300 pounds. Many of the characters are composites, notably Bruce Boxleitner's Jumpin' Joe Dugan. At least Ruth's two wives--Trini Alvarado as Helen, who suffers Babe's many peccadilloes and dies under strange circumstances, and Kelly McGillis as Claire, who keeps Babe on a very short leash-are depicted with a modicum of accuracy. The baseball sequences are well handled (though there could have been less slo-mo) while Elmer Bernstein's charmingly old-fashioned musical score is right in tune with the film's approach to its subject. The Babe is rated PG; had this been the whole truth and nothing but, and R rating would probably have been in order. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Babe Comes Home, The (1927)

Baseball great George Herman "Babe" Ruth's second starring film (the first was 1920's Headin' Home) was the amiable romantic comedy The Babe Comes Home. Babe Ruth plays Babe Dugan, home run whiz of the Los Angeles Angels (a minor-league team in 1927). Babe's habit of chewing tobacco makes him the bane of the Snow White Laundry, which has to clean his juice-stained uniforms after every game. Laundress Vernie (Anna Q. Nilsson) attends an Angels game to see for herself just how one man can be so messy. Babe hits a fly ball, which hits Vernie in the eye. From this bad start, a romance develops, culminating in an engagement. On the eve of the wedding, Babe and Vernie have a rhubarb over his tobacco habit. She walks out, and Babe goes into a slump. But during a crucial game (bases loaded in the ninth, natch!) Vernie shows up in the stands and tosses Babe a flesh plug of tobacco. He stuffs the wad in his mouth and hits the deciding homer. Conceding that it was Vernie's love and not the "chew" that inspired him to win, Babe swears off tobacco forever. The ball-playing scenes in The Babe Comes Home were filmed at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field, which would become a popular location site for future Hollywood baseball flicks. Based on a magazine story by Wid Gunning, The Babe Comes Home was a success with both movie and baseball fans alike (never mind such inaccuracies as showing the catchers wearing their wedding rings), but it's likely that it had no bigger fan than Babe Ruth himself, who later confessed to having sat through the 6-reeler ten times. Not Rated. (N/A)
 
Babe Ruth (1991)

Babe Ruth is a made-for-TV biopic about the titular baseball legend, here played by Stephen Lang. The film covers the events of Babe's life from his orphanage childhood to his retirement from baseball in 1935. Recounted are Babe's two marriages, the first to the benighted Helen Woodford (Yvonne Suhor) and the second to down-to-earth showgirl Claire Hodgson (Lisa Zane); Babe's frequent tiltings with Col. Ruppert (Donald Moffat), autocratic owner of the New York Yankees; Babe's periodic slumps and suspensions, his "wine, women and more women" lifestyle, and his unrealized dream of becoming a team manager; his record-breaking 60th home run in 1927; and his last-stand "three homer" game for the Boston Braves in his valedictory 1935 season. Too rushed and surfacy to be totally successful, Babe Ruth is nonetheless closer to truth than the sentimentalized John Goodman feature film The Babe ('92), and infinitely superior to William Bendix's atrocious The Babe Ruth Story ('48). As a bonus, real-life baseball great Pete Rose shows up in a one-minute cameo as Ty Cobb. Made for TV. Not Rated. (N/A)

Babe Ruth Story, The (1948)

The Plan 9 From Outer Space of baseball biopics, The Babe Ruth Story is definitely in the "So Bad It's Good" category. An outrageously miscast William Bendix stars as George Herman "Babe" Ruth, who as depicted herein is a childish, misunderstood oaf who happens to be one of the greatest ballplayers of all time. With an almost perverse disregard for the facts, the film chronicles Babe's school days in Baltimore, his brief tenure with the Baltimore Orioles, his glory days with the New York Yankees, his precedent-breaking 60th homer, his "called shot" of 1932, his fall from grace with the Boston Braves, and his slow death from an unnamed but obviously cancerous illness. Along the way, Ruth marries nightclub performer Claire Hodgson (Claire Trevor) with whom he spends many happy years (the earlier Mrs. Ruth, Helen Woodford, is ignored as if she never existed, as is Babe's daughter Dorothy). It's difficult to remember all of the film's howling innacuracies, which include Claire Hodgson's performance of "Singin' in the Rain" ten years before the song was written, the Yankee Stadium billboard for Ballantine Beer in the middle of Prohibition, and Babe's promise to a dying child that he'd hit a homer during the 1932 World Series (this famous incident actually occured in 1927, and the kid wasn't dying). It's also fun to note that Babe's spiritual mentor Brother Matthias (Charles Bickford) remains steadfastly the same age from 1914 to 1948. It was probably to much to expect the truth from coscripter Grantland Rice, who during his newspaper career spent most of his time covering up Ruth's many sexual and alcoholic peccadilloes "for the good of baseball." Despite its multitude of flaws, The Babe Ruth Story is worth sitting through if only for the jaw-dropping final scene (which is even more ridiculous than the earlier vignette in which a Ruth home run enables a crippled child to walk for the first time!) Yes, it's awful, almost stupefyingly so, but The Babe Ruth Story is an experience not to be missed. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Bad News Bears, The (1976)

The success this underdog comedy from director Michael Ritchie almost single-handedly spawned the kids' sports film boom of the 1980s and '90s. When beer-breathed ex-minor-league ball player and professional pool cleaner Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) agrees to coach a Los Angeles little league team, he soon finds he's in over his head, having inherited an assortment of pint-sized peons and talentless losers. They play well-organized teams and lose by tremendous margins, and the parents threaten to disband the Bears to save the kids (and themselves) any further embarrassment. Buttermaker refuses, though, and brings in a pair of ringers: Amanda (Tatum O'Neal), his ex-girlfriend's tomboy daughter, and Kelly (Jackie Earle Haley), a cigarette-smoking delinquent who happens to be a gifted athlete. With their help, the Bears manage to change their losing ways and qualify for the championship, where they face their arch-rivals, the Yankees. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, The (1977)

The misfit kiddie baseball team from the first film is given the opportunity to play in a Junior League match between double-header games at the Houston Astrodome. Two obstacles stand in their way: beloved teammate Timmy Lupus (Quinn Smith) has broken his leg, and the team has no adult coach. Attempting to change their luck, star player Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley) tries to talk his estranged dad (William Devane) into coaching and locates a self-proclaimed hotshot pitcher named Carmen Ronzonni (Jimmy Baio). Watch for quickie cameos by real-life Houston Astros members Robert J. Watson, Enos Cabell, Roger Metzger, James Richard, Joe Ferguson, Ken Forsch, William Virdon, and Cesar Cedeno. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Bad News Bears go to Japan, The (1978)

Filling the shoes occupied by Walter Matthau in the Bad News Bears and William Devane in The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, Tony Curtis takes on the role of the teams newest coach in this, the third installment in the series. Jackie Earle Haley returns as Kelly Leak, the Bears' star player, as the team ventures to the other side of the world to face off against the best little league team in Japan. While there, the Bears find their way into mischief and Kelly finds love with a local girl. Though this was the last entry in the film series a television series followed a year later. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Bang the Drum Slowly (1956)

First published in early 1956, Mark Harris' baseball novel Bang the Drum Slowly was swiftly adapted for television; on September 24, 1956, a streamlined 60-minute version of the Harris novel was telecast live on The US Steel Hour. Paul Newman plays Henry Wiggen, a slang-happy, unabashedly self-promotional pitcher for the fictional New York Mammoths. Wiggen spends a great deal of his free time protecting his dimwitted roomate, catcher Bruce Pearson (Albert Salmi), from being dropped from the team. It's not that Henry is overly fond of Bruce; it's simply that he knows (but the rest of the team doesn't) that Bruce is dying of Hodgkin's disease. This TV adaptation remains faithful to the first-person singular style of the novel by having Henry periodically step "out" of the drama to address the audience: this device is most effective at the finale when, after tearfully recalling the "ragging" he often gave his now-deceased teammate, Henry sobs "From here on, I rag nobody." A very young George Peppard appears as Piney Woods, the country-boy ballplayer who sings the ballad from which the drama's title is derived. A kinescoped version of Bang the Drum Slowly was included in the 1981 PBS anthology The Golden Age of Television. Harris' novel was later adapted into a 1973 theatrical feature, starring Michael Moriarty as Henry and Robert De Niro as the "doom-ded" Bruce. Made for TV. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)

A guaranteed tear-jerker, Bang the Drum Slowly centers on professional baseball player Bruce Pearson (Robert DeNiro) and his team mate Henry Wiggen (Michael Moriarty), who supported Bruce to the bitter end after learning that the young catcher was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease and would soon die. When hayseed Pearson first joined the team, he and Wiggen, the team's red-hot pitcher were oil and water. The other team members were none to thrilled to have Pearson on their team. Wiggen changes his attitude when he learns of Pearson's illness, and when the other team members find out, they too become more helpful until the inevitably teary ending. Look for popular character actor Danny Aiello in his feature film debut. The story is based on a novel by screenwriter Mark Harris and was first filmed for television. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

BASEketball (1998)

David Zucker directed this slapstick sports comedy starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Competing two-on-two against some basketball jocks, goofballs Joe Cooper (Parker) and Doug Remer (Stone) attempt to win by devising new rules while they play. Thus is born the bizarre game of "BASEketball." Rules: Court position decides whether a sunk basket counts as a single, a home run, or whatever; the opposing team can retrieve missed shots. Verbal abuse is allowed. Ditto for gross-outs -- or anything to annoy the shooter. The game becomes popular in driveways, so sports promoter Ted Denslow (Ernest Borgnine) proposes a deal to form a pro league. Dallas Felons owner Baxter Cain (Robert Vaughn), hopes to increase revenues with product placements and pro endorsements, but he needs the okay of team owners. Ted dies during the season finals, leaving Cain to deal with his widow Yvette (Jenny McCarthy). However, Ted willed the team to Cooper, who must win the upcoming season or ownership goes to Yvette. Cameos by Bob Costas and Al Michaels. Rated R. (DVD/VHS)

Battling Orioles, The (1924)

Hal Roach wrote this story, which concerns a club of wealthy, grumpy old men who were players for the Fighting Orioles during baseball's pioneer days of the 1870s. Tommy Roosevelt Tucker (Glenn Tryon) seems like he will always be a small-town barber until the club discovers that his father was an Oriole. They send for him, and he happily goes, since his sweetheart, Hope Stanton (Blanche Mehaffey), has preceded him to the city. Tucker tries to cheer up the old men, but his silly attempts are futile until he discovers that Hope has fallen into the clutches of her wicked uncle, Sid Stanton (Noah Young). Stanton is a crook who is trying to use Hope in his schemes, and the situation inspires the old men. Once again, the fighting spirit overtakes them and they aid Tucker in rescuing the girl and bringing the schemers to justice. Not Rated. (N/A)

Big Leaguer,The (1953)

Big Leaguer was the inauspicious feature-film debut for director Robert Aldrich. Edward G. Robinson stars as the real-life Hans Lobert, the baseball scout in charge of the New York Giants' Florida training camp. Each year, a new crop of would-be ballplayers are given a two-week tryout under Lobert's supervision. The aspirants this time out include, Adam Polachuk (Jeff Richards), the son of a Polish immigrant who wants Adam to become a lawyer; Julie Davis (William Campbell), a tough guy from the streets of New York; Bobby Bronson (Richard Jaeckel), a cocky Ohio lad; and Chuy Aguilar (Lalo Rios), a Mexican youth whose skill on the ballfield compensates for his tenuous grasp of the English language. Gradually, Adam emerges as the film's central character, as he simultaneously tries to make good for Lobert, romance Lobert's niece Christy (Vera-Ellen), and keep his dad from finding out that he's not attending law school. Though Big Leaguer was held in such low esteem by distributor MGM that it became the first Edward G. Robinson picture not to be given a regular playdate in Manhattan, the film is worth seeing today, if only for the presence of such genuine big leaguers as Al Campanis, Carl Hubbell, Bob Trocolor and Tony Ravish. Not Rated. (N/A)

Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, The (1976)

Based on the novel by William Brasher, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings is set in the segregated south of 1939. African-American baseball pitcher Bingo Long (Billy Dee Williams), tired of being jerked around by the less-than-ethical managers of the Negro League teams, forms his own barnstorming ball club. His partner in this endeavor is black catcher Leon Carter (James Earl Jones). Though boycotted by powerful Negro League manager Sallison Porter (Ted Ross), the Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings flourish, gaining a loyal fandom with every new game and cutting into the League's profits. Finally, Porter offers Long a deal: if the Motor Kings can win one big game with the Negro All-Stars, Long's team will be allowed to join the League. Porter contrives to have Leon Carter kidnapped before the deciding game, but Long and his fellow barnstormers come out on top. Also appearing in Bingo Long is Richard Pryor as a ballplayer who tries to break through the big-league color line by pretending to be everything from a Hispanic to a Native American named "Chief Tokohama"; if Pryor seems to disappear for long periods during the film, it's because his role was written to accommodate his many nightclub appearances. Sidenote: the producers originally wanted young Steven Spielberg to direct, but he suddenly went beyond their price range thanks to Jaws. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Bleacher Bums (2002)

There are people who like to watch a ball game every once in a while, and then there are baseball fans, individuals of rare dedication whose passion for their favorite team defies conventional logic, and this comedy-drama follows a group of fans whose devotion to their hometown heroes is rarely tainted by the fact they almost never win. It's a typical summer afternoon, and a group of fans are watching the Chicago Bruins play a typically lamentable game from the cheapest seats in the stadium. Decker (Peter Reigert) is the owner of a hardware store who is playing hooky to watch the game. Marvin (Brad Garrett) and Zig (Wayne Knight) are compulsive gamblers who will bet on anything -- even the hapless Bruins. Richie (Hal Sparks) is a loyal Bruins booster who probably knows more about the team than the players do. Melody (Sarain Boylan) is a sexy fan who likes going to the game, getting some sun, and showing off her figure. And Greg (Matt Craven) likes to follow the game, even if he can't see the players -- he's blind. Bleacher Bums was based on a long-running stage play created by Chicago's Organic Theater Company; Joe Mantegna and Dennis Franz were among the actors who wrote and performed the play in its original incarnation, and Stuart Gordon, who went on as a filmmaker, also contributed to the script, as well as directing the premier production. This film adaptation of Bleacher Bums was produced for the Showtime premium cable network, where it premiered in the spring of 2002. Incidentally, in the stage version of Bleacher Bums, the baseball team in question was the Chicago Cubs, but the team and Major League Baseball refused to give the producers of the film permission to mention the Cubs in this adaptation. Rated R. (DVD/VHS)

Blue Skies Again (1983)

A talented, determined young woman turns the corporate baseball world upside-down when she attempts to become the first female in pro ball, in this light sports tale. Paula (Robyn Barto), a standout softball star dreaming of making a big league roster, heads to spring training to play for a team owned by chauvinist bachelor Sandy (Harry Hamlin). When Sandy begins falling for Paula's strong-willed personal manager (Mimi Rogers, in her big screen debut), he starts to reconsider his narrow views, in this entertaining film for every girl who's dreamed of becoming a pro athlete. Rated PG. (VHS Only)

Bull Durham (1988)

A blend of comedy, drama and romance, Bull Durham follows the intertwining of three lives brought together by the great American pastime. Crash Davis (Kevin Costner, showcasing his Midwestern charm) is a perennial Minor Leaguer assigned to the Durham Bulls, a hapless team with a long tradition of mediocrity. There he tutors a young, dim-witted pitching prodigy, Nuke LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) in the ways of baseball, life, and love. Each strikes up a romance with Annie (Susan Sarandon), the team's "mascot" who takes it upon herself to sleep with a new player every season. Each has his/her own conflict: Crash struggles to end his career with some measure of dignity; Nuke struggles to make it to the "big show"; and Annie struggles to find something more than a roll in the hay -- and of course, Crash and Nuke come into conflict over Annie's affections to further complicate matters. The film treats the sport of baseball with a sort of casual reverence, highlighting both the drama and the humor inherent in the game, illustrated by Annie's numerous references to baseball as "her religion." Although not X-rated, there are a few instances requiring parental viewing prior to youth watching it. Rated R. (DVD/VHS)

Busher, The (1919)

As might be guessed by the title, The Busher is a baseball film. Charles Ray plays Ben Harding, a country greenhorn who is the hired hand of Deacon Nasby (Otto Hoffman) and pitcher for the local team. A group of major league players and their manager get stuck in town when railroad trouble causes a layover, and they discover Ben's talents. They send him a telegram, asking him to join the team, and his girl, Mazie Palmer (Colleen Moore) bids him a tearful farewell. But success goes to Ben's head and when the hometown folk come to see him play, he screws up the game and loses. The manager fires him and he goes back to work for Deacon and learns to be humble. But all is not lost for Ben -- his successor disappears and he is called into play once again. This time he pitches a great game and ends up victorious. Ray had great support in this film -- not only did he have future star Colleen Moore as his leading lady, John Gilbert, who was also headed for stardom, had a featured role too. Not Rated. (N/A)

Bush Leaguer, The (1927)

The popularity of MGM's Slide, Kelly, Slide led to a brief cycle of baseball pictures in 1927. Warner Bros.' contribution was The Bush Leaguer, starring Monte Blue as small-town garage owner and would-be inventor Specs White. Though he's the local ball team's star pitcher, Specs is more interested in puttering on his latest invention, a high-tech gas pump. When Lefty Murphy (William Wilson), a scout for the Los Angeles Angels, offers Specs a contract, our hero accepts, hoping to use his salary to finance his invention. Terrified of large crowds, Specs overcomes his phobia with the help of the Angels' pretty owner Alice Hobbs (Leila Hyams). Alice nearly drops Specs like a bad habit when she is led to believe that he's accepted a bribe to throw the Big Game, but Specs comes through with a winning homer in the last reel. The Bush Leaguer was unofficially remade in 1932 as the Joe E. Brown starrer Fireman Save My Child. Not Rated. (N/A)

Casey at the Bat (1916)

This film was inevitable. Stage actor DeWolf Hopper (husband of future gossip columnist Hedda Hopper) was famous for his recitation of the immortal poem, and his studio was desperately trying to make him a screen star. According to this comedy-drama, Casey was upset because his niece was hurt when she fell off a tree. That's why he bungled the last strike in the final Mudville versus Frogtown game. Just as the pitcher was about to throw strike three, Casey saw the boy who was going to bring him news of the little girl, and it made him miss the ball. There was another attempt to bring the poem to the silver screen in 1927, which was even less faithful to the original source and starred Wallace Beery as Casey. Not Rated. (N/A)

Casey at the Bat (1927)

Because of its heavy reliance on slapstick (a no-no for features in the late '20s), this picture, very loosely based on the Ernest Thayer poem, got mixed reviews. But with comedians like Wallace Beery, Ford Sterling, ZaSu Pitts, and Sterling Holloway in the cast, it's a surprise that anyone wouldn't expect slapstick! Casey (Beery) is a junk dealer whose helper is the 13-year-old Spec (the very freckled Spec O'Donnell). He's in love with Camille, who runs a millinery stop (Pitts), but he is taken away from the small town where he lives when he is signed up by the New York Giants. Casey seems to be more interested in beer drinking than he is in playing baseball, so he is introduced to Trixie, a Floradora girl (Iris Stuart), in the hopes that this will distract him from the brew. Casey's rival for Camille attempts to get him drunk so he will miss the Big Game. Spec shows up in time to get him up to bat. Unfortunately, Casey strikes out and all his friends and fans leave him -- except for Spec. And when he arrives home, Casey finds that Camille is waiting for him. Not Rated. (N/A)

Catch as Catch Can (1927)

Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer, Warming Up is an early baseball film starring Richard Dix and Jean Arthur. After pitcher Bert Tolliver (Dix) is heckled by the members of a major-league team he's trying out for, he comes to believe that one of the players has hexed him. Luckily, a pretty girl named Mary (Arthur), who happens to be the daughter of the man who owns the Green Sox, discovers Bert at the local park, where he's amazing concession stand customers with his pitching accuracy. When it's time for the Green Sox to play the last game of the series, the team manager is forced by unforseen circumstances to let Bert pitch. As he faces the batter, Mary signals her love for him, in doing so giving Bert the inspiration he needed to end the jinx. Warming Up also features Claude King, Philo McCullough, and Billy Kent. Not Rated. (N/A)

Chasing Dreams (1982)

A young man (David G. Brown) is bogged down by his family, farm and school life, but after the baseball coach convinces him to play, he finds a bit of comfort in the sport--which he also excels in. Although Kevin Costner is prominently featured on cover of the video release (to capitalize on the success of Field of Dreams), he appears only briefly in the film. Rated R. (VHS Only)

Cobb (1994)

What does a biographer do when the truth about his subject is far less pleasant than the legend? That is the moral dilemma at the heart of Cobb, which explores the lives of both baseball's premier hitter, Ty Cobb (Tommy Lee Jones), and the sportswriter assigned to set his story down, Al Stump (Robert Wuhl). Stump arrives at the Tahoe home of the dying Cobb to write the official life story of the first man inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame. He finds a drunken, misanthropic, bitter racist who abuses his biographer as well as everyone else. Stump must either candycoat his subject's life or present an accurate picture of a disgusting man who happened to become an American sports hero. The movie's biting focus on Cobb, ferociously performed by Jones, is not matched by its weaker representation of Stump, an imbalance which ultimately weakens the film's overall effect. Rated R. (DVD/VHS)

Comeback Kid, The (1980)

Made for television, a former professional baseball player (John Ritter) coaches a team of misfits to the little-league crown. Made for TV. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Comrades of Summer, The (1992)

After getting booted out of his latest managerial position, a has-been major league baseball player/coach goes to Russia and becomes the coach for their Olympic baseball team. This good-natured made-for-cable television comedy chronicles his endeavors to turn the bumbling, inexperienced team into winners. Starring Joe Mantegna. Made for Cable. Rated R. (VHS Only)

Cooperstown (1993)

A baseball pitcher who never had quite the professional career he dreamed about is visited by the ghost of his former catcher, for whom he always harbored a secret jealousy. The spirit of the catcher gets him to revisit people and places from his past and gives him a new perspective on his life. Starring Ed Begley, Jr., Alan Arkin. Also Ernie Harwell appears. Made for TV. Not Rated. (N/A)

Court Martial of Jackie Robinson, The (1990)

Made for the TNT cable network, The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson concentrates on the wartime service of major league baseball's first black player. Robinson (Andre Braugher), a star athlete at UCLA, is drafted during World War II. He hopes that his academic record will assure him entry into Officers Candidate School, but the racism inherent in the military at the time puts several roadblocks in his way. After finally making OCS, Robinson's belief in himself is strengthened tenfold--to the point that he refuses to bow to the "Jim Crow" laws regarding the seating arrangements on an Army bus, and is subsequently threatened with a court martial. Stan Shaw costars as boxing great Joe Louis, likewise a victim of prejudice during the war years (the script intimates that Louis was more willing to roll with the punches than Robinson). Ruby Dee, who played the ballplayer's wife in the 1950 film The Jackie Robinson Story, is here seen as Robinson's mother. The Court Martial of Jackie Robinson premiered on October 15, 1990. Made for Cable. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Damn Yankees (1958)

Damn Yankees is a frothy, faithful adaptation of the 1956 Broadway hit. In an amusing slant on the "Faust" legend, aging baseball fan Joe Boyd (Robert Schafer) is given an opportunity to lead his beloved Washington Senators to victory by a devilish gent named Applegate (Ray Walston). Boyd is transformed into handsome young "Shoeless" Joe Hardy from Hannibal, Mo. (and in the process, the part is taken over by Tab Hunter, who's better than everyone said he was back in 1958). Joe becomes the Senators' star player, but at the price of his immortal soul; he isn't terribly worried, however, since he's built an escape clause into his contract with Applegate. To see that Joe doesn't get a chance to exercise that clause, Applegate sends his luscious assistant Lola (Gwen Verdon) to seduce the ballplayer. This effort doesn't work, but Applegate still manages to cause Joe to lose his chance at salvation. But there is still a ray of hope--if Hardy can win the deciding pennant game, he'll be able to foil Applegate's master plan of causing the Senators to lose. With Lola's aid, Joe gives the devil more than his due. The principal selling angle of Damn Yankees, beyond the presence of Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston delightfully recreating their stage roles, are the wonderful Richard Adler/Jerry Ross songs, including "You've Gotta Have Heart" and "What Lola Wants, Lola Gets." Based on the novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, the film (like the play before it) unfortunately throws away Wallop's wryly ironic climax; as a result, the last scenes appear rushed and haphazard. But why quibble? Damn Yankees is and always was a rock-solid piece of entertainment, as proven by its recent S.R.O. Broadway revival. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Death on the Diamond (1934)

Based on a novel by Cortland Fitzsimmons, the storyline of this "gimmick" mystery follows the St. Louis Cardinals during a championship season. The arrival of hotshot pitcher Larry Kelly (Robert Young) coincides with an apparent plot to sabotage the Card's chances of making it to the World Series. A failed attempt to poison all the pitcher's mitts is followed by a series of murders: catcher Dunk Spencer (Joe Sauers) is shot while sprinting to third base, pitcher Frank Higgins (Robert Livingston is strangled in the locker room, and lovable catcher Truck Hogan (Nat Pendleton) is killed with an arsenic-laden hot dog. Finding himself one of the many suspects, Kelly nearly becomes a victim as well when he is slipped a booby-trapped baseball. With the help of sportscaster Jimmy Downey (Paul Kelly), Kelly exposes the murderer, surviving to win the pennant and the heroine, team secretary daughter Frances Clark (Madge Evans). Partly filmed on location at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs' minor-league LA farm team), Death on the Diamond offers a fresh slant to the standard whodunit format, with some particularly good work by Ted Healy as an exasperated umpire. That MGM produced the film is tipped off by two of the studio's trademarks: The killer's last-minute confession, wherein the guilty party transforms from a mild-mannered soul into a raving lunatic, and the shoddy process-screen work in the ballgame scenes. Future stars Mickey Rooney, Walter Brennan and Bruce Bennent show up in bit roles. Not Rated. (N/A)

Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy "Satchel" Paige (1981)

This TV-movie biography of legendary black ballplayer Leroy "Satchel" Paige unfortunately whitewashes and hokes up his fascinating story. Louis Gossett Jr. stars as Paige, who spends virtually his entire professional career in the Negro leagues because of the "gentlemen's agreement" barring African-Americans from the Majors. Paige's prowess as a pitcher is so famous that he becomes the highest paid player in the Negro leagues--but as for joining the mainstream teams, the answer is always the same: "If only you were white." When Jackie Robinson is signed by the Dodgers in 1946, the doors open for other black ballplayers; thus it is that in 1948, Satchel Paige becomes the first black pitcher in the American leagues...at the tender age of 42. Don't Look Back downpedals Satchel Paige's tempestuous private life (his two marriages are combined into one, for example), and tends to shortchange the viewer in the crucial ballplaying scenes. Its saving grace is the towering performance by star Louis Gossett Jr., who struggles manfully to overcome the script's banalities and inaccuracies. When the film was first telecast on May 31, 1981, the real Satchel Paige appeared in the prologue; one year later, Paige was dead at the (reported) age of 76. Made for TV. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Ed (1996)

If, in the world of the movies, a dog can play basketball and a donkey can play football, why can't a chimp play baseball? That question is answered in the family comedy Ed. Jack "Deuce" Cooper (Matt LeBlanc) is a struggling baseball pitcher who has great natural talent but keeps choking under pressure. Traded to a class A minor league team, Deuce is appalled to discover his third baseman -- and roommate on the road -- is a chimpanzee named Ed Sullivan. While Ed can actually hold his own on the diamond, Deuce feels there's something a bit undignified about having to look after a monkey, and it doesn't help that Ed has poor hygiene and a chronic case of flatulence. Ed was Matt LeBlanc's first starring vehicle following his success on the TV series Friends. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Eight Men Out (1988)

Writer/director John Sayles' dramatization of the most infamous episode in professional sports -- the fix of the 1919 World Series -- is considered by many to be among his best films and arguably the best baseball movie ever made. This adaptation of Eliot Asinof's definitive study of the scandal shows how athletes of another era were a different breed from the well-paid stars of later years. The Chicago White Sox owner, Charlie Comiskey (Clifton James), is portrayed as a skinflint with little inclination to reward his team for their spectacular season. When a gambling syndicate led by Arnold Rothstein (Michael Lerner) gets wind of the players' discontent, it offers a select group of stars -- including pitcher Eddie Cicotte (Sayles regular David Strathairn), infielder Buck Weaver (John Cusack), and outfielder "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (D. B. Sweeney) -- more money to play badly than they would have earned to try to win the Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Sayles cast the story with actors who look and perform like real jocks, and added a colorful supporting cast that includes Studs Terkel as reporter Hugh Fullerton and Sayles himself as Ring Lardner. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Elmer the Great (1933)

Joe E. Brown plays Elmer Kane, a rookie ballplayer with the Chicago Cubs whose ego is matched only by his appetite. Because he is not only vain but naive, Elmer's teammates take great delight in pulling practical jokes on him. Still, he is so valuable a player that the Cubs management hides the letters from his hometown sweetheart Nellie (Patricia Ellis), so that Elmer won't bolt the team and head for home. When Nellie comes to visit Elmer, she finds him in an innocent but compromising situation with a glamorous actress (Claire Dodd). She turns her back on him, and disconsolate Elmer tries to forget his troubles at a crooked gambling house. Elmer incurs an enormous gambling debt, which the casino's owner is willing to forget if Elmer will only throw the deciding World Series game. Elmer brawls with the gambler and lands in jail, where he learns of a particularly cruel practical joke that had previously been played on him. Out of spite, he refuses to play in the Big Game, and thanks to a jailhouse visit by the gamblers, it looks as though Elmer has taken a bribe. But when he shows up to play (after patching things up with Nellie), Elmer proves that he's been true-blue all along. Based on the Broadway play by Ring Lardner and George M. Cohan, Elmer the Great betrays its stage origins in its static early scenes, but builds confidently to a terrific climax during a rain-soaked ball game. This enjoyable film was the second in Joe E. Brown's "baseball trilogy" (see also Fireman Save My Child and Alibi Ike). Elmer the Great was remade in 1939 as Cowboy Quarterback, with Bert Wheeler in Joe E. Brown's part and with football substituting for baseball. Not Rated. (N/A)

Fan, The (1996)

Robert De Niro is Gil Renard, baseball fan from hell. Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes) is the player he is nuts about. No sooner does the talented Rayburn sign a huge contract with the San Francisco Giants, than everything in his life goes horribly wrong. Not only does his field play deteriorate along with his batting average, but someone murders his chief team rival. It's not revealing too much to say that Gil killed him, in the mistaken belief that he was doing Bobby a favor. When superfan Gil insinuates himself into Bobby's everyday life, the situation grows much worse, because this fixated nut-case has some very strange ideas about family solidarity. Amusing highlights come from John Leguizamo as a ballplayer's agent, and Ellen Barkin as a radio sports announcer. Rated R. (DVD/VHS)

Fast Company (1929)

This comedy chronicles the rise of a country rube who becomes a baseball legend for the New York Yankees. Not only does he help the team win the World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he also beats a group of gangsters all by himself. Not Rated. (N/A)

Fear Strikes Out (1957)

Anthony Perkins stars as troubled baseball-great Jimmy Piersall in Fear Strikes Out. Based on Piersall's shattering tell-all autobiography, the film traces Jimmy's ascent from the sandlots of Waterbury, Connecticut to the Boston Red Sox, with his domineering father (Karl Malden) pushing the boy beyond all reasonable limits. Unable to withstand the pressure, Piersall suffers a nervous breakdown and is confined to a mental institution. Through a long period of therapy, Jimmy realizes that he has excelled in baseball not for his own gratification but to please his father. This film was preceded by a 1956 TV version starring Tab Hunter. Not Rated. (DVD/VHS)

Field of Dreams (1989)

"If you build it, he will come." That's the ethereal message that inspires Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) to construct a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield. At first, "he" seems to be the ghost of disgraced ballplayer Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta), who materializes on the ballfield and plays a few games with the awestruck Ray. But as the weeks go by, Ray receives several other messages from a disembodied voice, one of which is "Ease his pain." He realizes that his ballfield has been divinely ordained to give a second chance to people who have sacrificed certain valuable aspects of their lives. One of these folks is Salingeresque writer Terence Mann (James Earl Jones), whom Ray kidnaps and takes to a ball game and then to his farm. Another is Doc Graham (Burt Lancaster), a beloved general practitioner who gave up a burgeoning baseball career in favor of medicine. The final "second-chancer" turns out to be much closer to Ray. That "magical" field in Dyersville, Iowa still draws thousands of baseball-happy tourists each year. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Finding Buck McHenry (2000)

A boy discovers that his coach may be more than just a nice old man who likes baseball in this family-oriented drama. Jason, a kid who loves baseball, is not doing very well with his Little League team, and he is bumped from the regular line-up to an "expansion team" of kids who aren't making the grade. Determined to make good, Jason recruits a couple of friends who are strong players, and he discovers that his school's janitor, Mack Henry, knows the game backwards and forwards and is willing to serve as coach. With Mack's help, the team starts to show promise, but a visit to a baseball card collector's shop sparks a question in Jason's mind -- could Mr. Henry be Buck McHenry, the legendary star of baseball's Negro League? Finding Buck McHenry is based on the popular young people's book by Alfred Slote, and stars Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. Made for TV. Not Rated. (DVD/VHS)

Fireman, Save my Child (1932)

Joe E. Brown plays a small town fireman who is also the town's star ballplayer--and an itinerant inventor on the side. Brown is offered a pitching contract with the St. Louis Cardinals; he accepts, reasoning that the money he'll earn will help finance his invention. While in spring training, Brown becomes entangled with a seductive "good time girl" (Noel Francis), which severely compromises his game playing ability and also strains his relationship with his hometown sweetheart (Evalyn Knapp). On the day of the Cardinal's World Series clincher, Brown arrives at the doorstep of the Zenith Fire Extinguishing company, which has invited Joe to demonstrate his invention, a baseball-shaped "extinguisher bomb." A mix-up in briefcases nearly causes Brown to burn down the Zenith company, but eventually he proves the efficiency of his invention. The local fire chief then rushes Brown to the big game, where he pitches his team to victory. Though just as much a "zany inventor" comedy as a baseball yarn, Fireman Save My Child qualifies as the first of Joe E. Brown's "baseball trilogy", followed by 1933's Elmer the Great and 1935's Alibi Ike. Not Rated. (N/A)

For Love of the Game (1999)

Based on the novel by Michael Shaara, For Love of the Game brought Kevin Costner back to the world of baseball after his successes with Bull Durham (1988) and Field of Dreams (1989). Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) is a star pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, standing on the mound at Yankee Stadium and throwing what is shaping up to be a perfect game with the help of his best friend and catcher, Gus Osinski (John C. Reilly). However, Billy is having a hard time keeping his mind on the game; he's come to a crossroads in both his personal and professional lives, and he isn't sure what to do or where to go. He's learned that the Tigers are about to be sold, and the new owners intend to trade him at the end of the season, and that his girlfriend Jane (Kelly Preston) is planning to leave him. For Love of the Game represents a change of pace for director Sam Raimi, best-known for the Evil Dead trilogy and the acclaimed suspense drama A Simple Plan (1998) (although Raimi, a baseball fan born in Michigan, doubtless enjoyed making a film featuring the Detroit Tigers). Rated PG-13. (DVD/VHS)

Girls Can Play (1937)

In this crime drama, an evil ex-con makes his living selling cheap booze masked under expensive labels. He runs a drugstore as a front and also sponsors a girl's baseball team. The story is split between the gangster's illegal activities and the action on the baseball field where the lovely players practice. Trouble ensues when one of the dishonest ex-con's prison buddies appears. To protect his scam, the ex-con kills his friend. Later, the team catcher is poisoned during a game. A dullard cop is assigned the case as a brainless rookie reporter. The ex-con ends up attempting to sell his drugstore and illicit booze in order to escape them. Not Rated. (N/A)

Goodbye Franklin High (1978)

Goodbye Franklin High is one of the most elusive of baseball pictures, even harder to locate than Ty Cobb's Somewhere in Georgia. The film stars Lane Caudell as a high school athlete who must choose between the certainty of college or the possibility of a baseball career. Everyone associated with the boy has a different opinion, making the final decision all the more dramatic. Julie Adams and William Schallert play Caudell's parents, Ann Dusenberry is his girl friend, and Darby Hinton (formerly a child actor on the TV series Daniel Boone) is his good buddy. Produced by the here-and-gone Cal Am Artists Company, Goodbye Franklin HIgh was lauded by film critics upon its initial release, but prints no longer appear to be generally available, either on TV or in video stores. Rated PG. (N/A)

Great American Pastime, The (1956)

Tom Ewell plays a busy attorney who wishes to be closer to his son. To do this, he becomes manager of the boy's little league team, much to the dismay of his wife (Anne Francis), who can't stand baseball. Ewell finds that he must contend with pushy and ambitious parents who hope to live their own sports fantasies vicariously through their ballplaying children. The single mother of one of the kids (Ann Miller) goes to Ewell to plead for her boy's advancement, but the purpose of the meeting is misinterpreted by Ewell's jealous wife. Fed up with sacrificing sportsmanship to the whims of the parents, Ewell encourages his team to play for the love of the game rather than "winning at any cost." Not Rated. (N/A)
 
Hardball (2001)

Keanu Reeves stars as Conor O'Neill, an underachiever and inveterate sports gambler who needs a bailout loan from a friend to pay off his mounting debt. As a condition for receiving the necessary funds, Conor is saddled with coaching a corporate-sponsored Little League baseball team for underprivileged youth in Chicago's notorious Cabrini Green housing project. Reluctant at first, Conor slowly begins to enjoy his new authority role, especially when he makes the acquaintance of his players' attractive teacher, Elizabeth Wilkes (Diane Lane). Based on the real-life chronicle Hardball: A Season in the Projects by Outside magazine editor Daniel Coyle, Hardball also stars D.B. Sweeney. Rated PG-13. (DVD/VHS)

Headin' Home (1920)

The sole purpose of this picture was to make money exploiting the "King of Swat," Babe Ruth, in his motion picture debut. The baseball hero plays a character, appropriately named Babe, a country boy who the locals consider useless. He thinks he's got some batting talent, but no one will take him seriously until a rival team comes to town and engages him when their one of their own players can't make it. Babe hits a ball that soars five blocks and smashes through a church window. From that point on, his future fame is assure d. Along the way, he foils the villain -- the local pitcher who does a bit of embezzling on the side (William Sheer) -- and wins the banker's daughter, Mildred (Ruth Taylor). Lawrence Windom directed the picture under the supervision of Raoul Walsh. The sporty subject matter was right up Walsh's alley, but even he couldn't do anything with this silly story, and Ruth was no actor. Its sole saving grace were witty title cards courtesy of Bugs Baer. Not Rated. (DVD/VHS)

Here Come the Tigers (1978)

This comedy, also known as Manny's Orphans, tells the story of a heterogeneous, ill-spoken, team of Little Leaguers that goes from a bunch of young losers into a championship winning team thanks to the assistance of their new coach, a police rookie. This film was created on the heels of The Bad News Bears. Rated PG. (VHS Only)

Hit and Run (1924)

Hoot Gibson trades in his cowboy hat for a baseball bat in this comedy-drama. After an argument with the team's manager, baseball scout Red McCarthy (Mike Donlin) gets off the train in the middle of the Western desert. There's a baseball game going on in the tiny town, and McCarthy is stunned by the batting talent of Swat Anderson (Gibson). Anderson moves from the bush leagues to the majors and falls in love with McCarthy's sister, Joan (Marion Harlan). The team's crooked treasurer becomes jealous of the couple's growing relationship and he plots with a rival manager to ruin Anderson's career. Before the last game of the series, they kidnap Joan, knowing that Anderson will come to her rescue. The crooks had planned to break his arm, but instead Anderson wipes the floor with his adversaries. The bad guys still manage to tie Anderson and Joan together and throw them into a freight car. The climax isn't whether Anderson will make it to the game in time to win the pennant -- you know he will -- but how he does it. Not Rated. (N/A)

Hot Curves (1930)

The second of comedian Benny Rubin's two starring features for Tiffany Studios, Hot Curves is a spoof of baseball manager John McGraw's publicity-conscious efforts to put a Jewish player on the New York Giants. Rubin plays Benny Goldberg, a soda jerk who joins the Pittsburgh Cougars along with his egotistical pal Jim Dolan (Rex Lease). While Benny works himself up to star-player status, Jim falters badly, thanks mostly to his ever-expanding ego and his romantic misadventures with manager's daughter Elaine McGrew (Alice Day) and predatory Margie (Natalie Morehead). He pulls himself together in time to lead his team to victory during the World Series, but not before he's put through the emotional wringer when Benny is reported killed in a plane crash. Featured in the cast as Benny's Irish-Catholic girlfriend is Pert Kelton, three years before her "official" screen bow in RKO's Bed of Roses. Not Rated. (N/A)

It Happened in Flatbush (1942)

It Happened in Flatbush is a likable baseball comedy inspired by the 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers' pennant win. Lloyd Nolan portrays an ace ballplayer who was disgraced while still in college and is only able to secure work as a team manager. He takes charge of an unnamed Brooklyn team and whips in into a World Series contender. The players resent Nolan's drill-sergeant tactics, and when Nolan falls in love with the pretty owner of the team (Carole Landis), the players use this as an excuse to circulate a petition demanding Nolan's ouster. The manager pays no attention to the petition and leads his team to a league pennant, finding time along the way to help out a trouble-prone young ballplayer (George Holmes) on the verge of throwing away his career. Bolstered by film clips of actual Dodgers games (including one in which an anxious fan jumps out of the stands and attacks the umpire), It Happened in Flatbush is an enjoyable second-feature effort. Not Rated. (N/A)

It Happens Every Spring (1949)

Lloyd Bacon's baseball comedy stars Ray Milland as Vernon Simpson, a chemist who develops a product which repels wood. Signing on with a major league team as a pitcher, he throws screwballs doctored with his solution, becoming a sensation who strikes out every batter he faces. With Ed Begley, Alan Hale Jr., and Paul Douglas. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

It’s Good to be Alive (1974)

For his TV-movie directorial debut, Michael Landon selected the autobiography of baseball-great Roy Campanella. It's Good to Be Alive begins when Campanella (Paul Winfield) is nearly killed in a car accident on January 26, 1958. He survives, but his fifth cervical vertebra has been fractured, meaning that he will be paralyzed for the rest of his life. Thanks to months of tireless efforts by physical-therapist Sam Brockington (Louis Gossett Jr.), Campanella is able to move about a bit, though he remains bitter about his condition. Campanella's accident causes a deeper rift in his already tottering marriage to his second wife Ruthie (Ruby Dee), and alienates his son David (Ty Henderson), who has been raised on his father's "never say die" philosophy. Realizing that by pitying himself he is letting his family down, Campanella sincerely adopts a more optimistic, upbeat outlook on life. Eventually, the wheelchair-bound Campanella accepts an offer to coach the LA Dodgers during spring training. In a finale reminiscent of Pride of the Yankees. Roy Campanella tearfully declares to an SRO audience at Los Angeles Coliseum that "It's good to be alive." When this 90-minute film first aired on February 22, 1974, it was introduced by the real-life Roy Campanella and his family (including his third wife Roxie). Made for TV. Not Rated. (DVD/VHS)

Jackie Robinson Story, The (1950)

Despite its lack of production values and box-office "names," The Jackie Robinson Story is one of the best and most convincing baseball biopics ever filmed. Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson plays himself, and quite well indeed. The film traces Robinson's career from his college days, when he excelled as a track star at Pasadena College and as UCLA's All-Sports record holder. Upon his graduation, Robinson tries to get a coaching job, but this is the 1940s, and most doors are closed to black athletes. After serving in the army, Robinson plays with the Negro Baseball League, where his uncanny skills attract the attention of Branch Rickey, general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Anxious to break down the "color line" that exists in major-league baseball, Rickey is chosen in 1946 to play for the Brooklyn farm team in Montreal. In a harrowing sequence, Rickey lets Robinson know what he's in for by bombarding him with insults and racial slurs. The manager is merely testing Robinsons ability to withstand the pressure: he wants a black ballplayer "with guts enough not to fight back." Robinson agrees to ignore all racial epithets for the first two years of his Brooklyn contract. Despite the unabashed hatred to which he is subjected during his year with Montreal, Robinson steadfastly continues to turn the other cheek, and in 1947 he graduates to the Dodgers lineup. After a slow start, Robinson justifies the faith put in him by Rickey. The Dodgers win the pennant race, and slowly but surely the ban on black players vanishes in the Big Leagues. Though a model of restraint by 1990s standards, The Jackie Robinson Story is surprisingly frank in its detailing of the racial tensions of its own era. It falters only in a couple of silly vignettes involving comic-relief ballplayer Ben Lessey. The cast is uniformly fine, including Louise Beavers as Robinson's mother, Ruby Dee as his wife Rae (Dee would later play Robinson's mother in the 1990 TV movie The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson), Joel Fluellen as his brother Mac, Minor Watson as Branch Rickey, and best of all, Richard Lane as Montreal manager Clay Hopper. Not Rated. (DVD/VHS)

Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the Way (1997)

Former New York Yankees Manager Joe Torre was one of the team's more colorful figures. This made-for-cable drama chronicles events from his extraordinary life. The tale culminates with the 1996 season during which Torre Paul Sorvino) not only had to get the Yanks through the play-offs but also worked to find a match for his proud and ailing brother Frank (Robert Loggia) so he could undergo a heart transplant. Made for Cable. Rated PG. (VHS Only)

Kid from Cleveland, The (1949)

The "kid" is Johnny Barrows (Russ Tamblyn), who runs away from his nasty stepfather and hits the streets of Cleveland. Seemingly destined to become a juvenile delinquent, Johnny is rescued by sportscaster Mike Jackson (George Brent). Making it his mission to put Johnny on the right path, Mike gets the youngster a job as batboy for the 1948 Cleveland Indians. As the Indians overcome a bad season start and slug their way towards the World Series, so too does Johnny clean up his own act. If Kid From Cleveland has any value today, it is manifested in the presence of Johnny Barrows' "30 Godfathers" on the Cleveland team, including Lou Boudreau, Tris Speaker, Hank Greenberg, Bob Lemon, Bob Feller, Gene Bearden, Satchel Paige, Bob Lemon and Larry Doby. As to the quality of the film, Bill Veeck, general manager of the 1948 Indians, once stated "I have an unwritten law at home that I adhere to: I never allow my kids to mention or see that abortion." Even more succinct was ballplayer Lou Boudreau: "I would like to buy every print of [Kid From Cleveland] and burn it." Not Rated. (N/A)

Kid from Left Field, The (1953)

Despite the lighthearted promotional campaign mounted by 20th Century-Fox when the film was first released, The Kid from Left Field is not a comedy. The title character is young Christy Mathewson Cooper (Billy Chapin), the son of former big-league ballplayer Larry Cooper (Dan Dailey), who is now reduced to hawking peanuts at the ballpark. Securing a job as a batboy with a team called the Bisons, Christy amazes the players and management by giving them tips on how to win games. What no one knows is that Christy is passing along information provided by his father. Impressed by Christy's apparent expertise, third baseman Pete Haines (Lloyd Bridges) tells team secretary Marion Foley (Anne Bancroft) about the boy. She, in turn, tells Bisons owner Whacker (Ray Collins), a "Bill Veeck" type ever on the alert for a new publicity gimmick. Whacker promptly appoints the pint-sized Christy as manager of the team, replacing the ill-tempered Billy Lorant (a truly venomous performance by Richard Egan). Larry is about to spill the beans concerning Christy's baseball knowledgeability, but he decides not to, considering himself a burnt-out has-been. And that's all that can be revealed without giving away the ending. Its whimsical premise notwithstanding, Kid from Left Field is treated as a straight drama, with several near-noir long shots of the shadow-drenched ballpark. The film was remade for television in 1978 as a vehicle for Gary Coleman. Not Rated. (N/A)

Kid from Left Field, The (1979)

In this made-for-TV remake of the 1953 comedy, the wisdom of a young batboy (Gary Coleman) leads the San Diego Padres from worst to first and an eventual berth in the World Series. Made for TV. Not Rated. (VHS Only)Kill the Umpire (1950)William Bendix is perfectly cast as a diehard baseball fan who hates umpires with every fibre of his being. Bendix' devotion to baseball has lost him job after job, so his father-in-law (Ray Collins)--who happens to be an umpire--forces Our Hero to enroll in umpire school. Eventually Bendix learns to respect his new job, even gaining a measure of popularity by earning the nickname "Two-Call Johnson" (the result of double vision brought about by an overdose of eye drop medicine). But when Bendix calls a play against a popular pitcher, he is accused of cheating by the angry fans. Forced to disguise himself to get to the Big Game, Bendix arrives at the ball park to a chorus of "boos." Exonerated by the pitcher, who praises the umpire's honesty, Bendix is the hero of the day...until he makes another unpopular call two seconds later. Kill the Umpire is climaxed by a zany chase sequence scripted by former cartoon director Frank Tashlin. Made for TV. Not Rated. (N/A)

Kill the Umpire (1950)

William Bendix is perfectly cast as a diehard baseball fan who hates umpires with every fibre of his being. Bendix' devotion to baseball has lost him job after job, so his father-in-law (Ray Collins)--who happens to be an umpire--forces Our Hero to enroll in umpire school. Eventually Bendix learns to respect his new job, even gaining a measure of popularity by earning the nickname "Two-Call Johnson" (the result of double vision brought about by an overdose of eye drop medicine). But when Bendix calls a play against a popular pitcher, he is accused of cheating by the angry fans. Forced to disguise himself to get to the Big Game, Bendix arrives at the ball park to a chorus of "boos." Exonerated by the pitcher, who praises the umpire's honesty, Bendix is the hero of the day...until he makes another unpopular call two seconds later. Kill the Umpire is climaxed by a zany chase sequence scripted by former cartoon director Frank Tashlin. Not Rated. (N/A)

Ladies Day (1943)

Lupe Velez is "The Mexican Spitfire" in everything but name in the frantic baseball farce Ladies Day. Eddie Albert plays Wacky Waters, star pitcher of the Sox, a league-leading contender for the World Series. Alas, whenever Wacky falls in love, his game suffers-and so do the wives of his teammates, who are counting on that Series bonus money. When Wacky marries vivacious movie star Pepita Zorita (Velez), the wives, led by Hazel Jones (Patsy Kelly), take drastic action, kidnapping Pepita and hiding her out in a hotel room. But Pepita manages to wriggle out of the hotel towels that bind and gag, disguise herself as a bellboy, and head to the ballpark during the Big Game. Fortunately, Pepita turns out to be Wacky's prime motivation for winning the Series, and there's a happy ending for one and all. Pretty lame as far as baseball films go, Ladies Day will be best appreciated by fans of Lupe Velez and Patsy Kelly, who never speak when shouting will do. Not Rated. (N/A)

League of Their Own, A (1992)

The All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League was founded in 1943, when most of the men of baseball-playing age were far away in Europe and Asia fighting World War II. The league flourished until after World War II, when, with the men's return, the league was consigned to oblivion. Director Penny Marshall and screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel re-create the wartime era when women's baseball looked to stand a good chance of sweeping the country. The story begins as a candy-bar tycoon enlists agents to scour the country to find women who could play ball. In the backwoods of Oregon, two sisters -- Dottie (Geena Davis) and Kit (Lori Petty) -- are discovered. Dottie can hit and catch, while Kit can throw a mean fastball. The girls come to Chicago to try out for the team with other prospects that include their soon-to-be-teammates Mae Mordabito (Madonna), Doris Murphy (Rosie O'Donnell), and Marla Hooch (Megan Cavanagh). The team's owner, Walter Harvey (Gary Marshall) needs someone to coach his team and he picks one-time home-run champion Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks), who is now a broken-down alcoholic. After a few weeks of training, as Dugan sobers up, the team begins to show some promise. By the end of the season, the team has improved to the point where they are competing in the World Series (which is no big deal, since there are only four teams in the league). Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Life's Greatest Game (1924)

Emory Johnson directed this baseball drama, written by his mother, screenwriter Emilie Johnson. Jack Donovan (Tom Santschi) is a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. He runs afoul of some crooks who are trying to fix the game and they retaliate by making it appear that his wife, Jean (Jane Thomas), is having an affair with Mike Moran, who runs a pool hall (David Kirby). Donovan angrily walks out on her and gives Moran a thrashing. Moran admits it was a setup, but by then, Jean and the couple's little boy (Dicky Brandon) have left for Europe. The ship they have taken hits an iceberg and they are reported lost. But Jean and the boy are alive, and 20 years later, Jack Donovan Jr. (Johnnie Walker) becomes a baseball player because his mother is in financial difficulties. He joins the New York Giants and recognizes his father, who is the manager. Still angry over the treatment his mother received, Jack Jr. decides to throw the World Series game when he is called in as a pinch hitter. But in the end, he can't go through with it and hits the winning home run. He receives word that his mother is ill, so he brings his father to her and the long-estranged couple are reunited. Jack Jr., meanwhile, becomes engaged to his sweetheart, Nora (Gertrude Olmstead). Not Rated. (N/A) 

Little Big League (1994)

A 12-year old boy inherits the Minnesota Twins in this baseball comedy that is aimed toward younger viewers. Young Billy, a normal twelve-year old, is nuts about baseball and knows almost everything there is to know about the game. He should, his grandfather owns the perennial losers, the Minnesota Twins. When grandpa dies, he leaves the Twins in Billy's hands. Naturally the players are skeptical, especially after Billy designates himself as team manager. But with a combination of guile, knowledge and determination, Billy earns their grudging respect and the team begins a winning streak. Initially, Billy reminds the team that baseball is supposed to be fun, but he soon forgets that as he becomes increasingly involved in the adult world of competition, management and team politics. His three friends are angered that he no-longer has time for them. Billy gets made when the first baseman starts going out with his mom. Eventually the burned out Billy must again learn how to be a kid. Appearances by Ken Griffey Jr. and Paul O'Neil. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Little Inside, A (2001)

This engaging, family-friendly drama manages to tackle such weighty issues as single parenting and a youngster’s struggle to develop his own identity. After the death of his wife, mechanic Ed Mills (Benjamin King) devotes himself to his young daughter, Abby (Hallie Kate Eisenberg). Having shelved his own major league baseball aspirations, the former rookie pours all his knowledge of the sport into Abby. Although father and daughter are tightly connected, Ed doesn’t realize that he's living vicariously through his child. When Abby expresses an interest in ballet lessons, Ed decides to refocus on his frustrated career. But Ed must go on the road with the bush league to rekindle his dream, and that doesn't jibe with his daughter's needs, despite help from the Mills' neighbor, Nancy (Kathy Baker). Convinced he’s providing for her future well-being, Ed leaves Abby with Nancy and his game improves sufficiently that he gets another shot at the majors. Meanwhile, Abby's relationship with her once-adored Dad begins to deteriorate and the childless Nancy becomes deeply attached to Abby. While Ed is still weighing his personal ambitions against paternal responsibilities, he snares a temporary berth in the Yankees dugout. Though proud of her dad, Abby dreads the long absences a professional baseball career entails. With the help of divorced mom Sarah Parker (Amanda Detmer), Ed may be able to reach a decision that doesn’t seem like a sacrifice. This modest domestic drama deals with some of the same issues that drive THE ROOKIE (2002), but child-rearing priorities are its focus. Fundamentally decent people must make difficult decisions in writer-director Kara Harshbarger's sweet film, which only occasionally gives way to sappy emotional shorthand. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Long Gone (1987)

Set during the 1950s, this made-for-cable serio-comedy stars William Petersen as the lovesick manager of a minor league baseball team whose team makes a pennant run. Made for Cable. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Man from Left Field, The (1994)

The baseball-movie cycle of 1992-93 was one of the inspirations for the made-for-TV The Man From Left Field. Looking more like a member of the Manson Family than a Hollywood sex symbol, Burt Reynolds (who also directed) plays Jack, a derelict amnesiac who shambles onto a Florida sandlot and collapses. He is discovered by a ragtag group of kids who'd like to form a baseball team but who have no self-confidence...and no coach. When it transpires that Jack is an ace ballplayer, he is pressed into service, and in so doing unlocks the door to his cloudy past. Reba McIntyre plays one of the team mothers, who -- but of course! -- falls in love with Jack. The Man From Left Field first aired October 15, 1993, just in time for the World Series. Made for TV. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Major League (1989)

Inheriting the Cleveland Indians baseball team from her late husband, covetous ex-showgirl Margaret Whitton wants to move the franchise to Miami, primarily to take advantage of the many personal perks she's been promised by that city. But Cleveland won't yield its lease on the Indians unless the year's attendance falls below 800,000. Figuring that chances for this are already good given Cleveland's inability to win a pennant, Whitton tries to make doubly certain that the fans won't turn out by ordering the club manager to put together the worst team possible. The new players include hasbeen Tom Berenger, blind-as-a-bat pitcher Charlie Sheen, self-protective free agent Corbin Bernsen, and Wesley Snipes, who is constitutionally incapable of hitting straight. Surprisingly, this band of misfits begins winning games, so Whitton decides to break their spirit by forcing them to fly from game to game in a World War II prop plane, assigning them a rickety old bus for road games, and divesting them of their precious whirlpool. Still, the team's talent and esprit de corps grows, especially after "Wild Thing" Sheen dons a pair of glasses and is able to see where he's lobbing his 100-mile-an-hour pitches. Once the players are told that Whitton plans to dump them all whether they win the pennant or not, the team defiantly adopts an "us against the you-know-what" attitude. In a nailbiting 20 minute climax, the Indians face down their hated Yankee rivals in the pennant playoff game. The film's conclusion ties up several loose plot ends, notably the off-and-on romance between the irresponsible Berenger and his "ex" Rene Russo. Though set in Cleveland, Major League was filmed virtually in its entirety in Milwaukee, with the Brewers' play-by-play announcer Bob Uecker giving a terrific performance as the Indians' drink-besotted color commentator. The film represented not only the fictional comeback of the Cleveland Indians, but the actual comeback of producer/director David S. Ward, who'd been in a professional slump for several years. Though containing few surprises, Major League was a box-office smash, inspiring a 1992 sequel, inventively titled Major League II. Rated R. (DVD/VHS)

Major League II (1994)

This follow-up to 1989's unexpected comedy hit Major League continues the broadly humorous adventures of the misfit Cleveland Indians. No longer the scrappy survivors who pulled off an upset championship victory, the Indians have let success go to their heads, accepting movie roles and hefty endorsement deals. Unfortunately, with success comes complacency, and the Indians soon wind up back in last place. When this poor performance winds up threatening the franchise, the team rediscovers its roots and again achieves unlikely success. Original director David S. Ward brings back most of the first film's memorable characters, including unconventional pitcher Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn (Charlie Sheen), voodoo practitioner-turned-Buddhist Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert), and base stealer-turned-movie star Willie Mays Hayes (Omar Epps, replacing Wesley Snipes). Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)
 
Major League: Back To The Minors (1998)

This sports comedy is the third inning for the "Major League" series after Major League (1989) grossed $50 million and Major League II delivered a batting average of $30 million in 1994. After Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen), who owns the Minnesota Twins and the minor-league South Carolina Buzz, talks retiring minor-league player Gus Cantrell (Scott Bakula) into managing the bad-news Buzz, Gus takes his underdog team toward an eventual confrontation with the powerful champs, the Twins. In addition to Dorn, the other series characters making a return are Taka Tanakia (Takaaki Ishibashi) and Pedro Cerrono (Dennis Haysbert). Rated PG-13. (DVD/VHS)

Million Dollar Infield (1982)

Rob Reiner coproduced, cowrote and costarred in this TV-movie about suburban "angst" in the 1980s. Reiner is one of four wealthy Long Islanders who play for an amateur softball team. All four men (Reiner, Bruno Kirby, Robert Costanzo and Christopher Guest) suffer from profound personal and professional problems, thus the weekly ball game becomes a method of working out their frustrations. So adept do they become at this cathartic activity that their team makes it to the state-wide championship--which leads to yet another crisis. Million Dollar Infield was the first of several "behind the scenes" projects for onetime TV sitcom star Rob Reiner; more recently, Reiner has been responsible for such moneymaking theatrical films as This is Spinal Tap, Misery and A Few Good Men. Made for TV. Not Rated. (N/A)

Mr. Baseball (1992)

When has-been baseball player Jack Elliot (Tom Selleck) is signed by a Japanese team, he is initially reluctant to take the game seriously. Elliot is very successful, though, as he teaches the team about American chutzpah, and they remind him of the value of respect. He must fight his way out from under a slump to show that he deserves the title. Rated PG-13. (DVD/VHS)

Murder at the World Series (1977)

A disturbed young man, who had tried out for the Houston Astros and been rejected, plots to take revenge by kidnapping 5 women along the last 2 games of the baseball World Series. Starring Lynda Day George. Made for TV. Not Rated. (N/A)

Natural, The (1984)

The film version of The Natural pulls off the neat trick of conveying the spirit of the Bernard Malamud novel upon which it is based, even while changing both the outcome and the meaning of Malamud's closing chapters. In his first film appearance in four years, Robert Redford plays Roy Hobbs, a farm boy with a hankering to be a great baseball player. With his faithful homemade bat "Wonderboy" in hand, Roy heads to the big city. En route, he arouses the fascination of the mysterious Harriet Bird (Barbara Hershey). Luring the boy to a hotel room, Harriet asks Roy what he wants out of life. Roy brashly responds he wants to be "the best there is"-whereupon Harriet whips out a gun and shoots Roy down. Sixteen years later, a humbler Roy Hobbs emerges from the bush leagues to become a 35-year-old "rookie" on the 1939 lineup of the New York Knights. He soon becomes the team's star player, and in so doing once more attracts an enigmatic woman: Memo Paris (Kim Basinger), the glamorous niece of the Knights' manager Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley) and the mistress of Rothstein-like gambler Gus Sands (a curiously unbilled Darren McGavin). Roy's fascination with Memo compromises his ability to play, but this time he finds salvation in the form the angelic Iris Gaines (Glenn Close), his childhood sweetheart. From this point forward, the script for The Natural bears very little resemblance to the Malamud original. Without giving anything away, we can say that Roy Hobbs is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compensate for the mistakes of his youth, despite the demonic intrusion of inexplicably spiteful sports writer Max Mercy (Robert Duvall). The Natural elevates the art of slow-motion photography to new heights; while this technique would become precious and boring in later baseball films, it works beautifully here, as does the decision by director Barry Levinson and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel to convey the symbolism inherent in the story in purely visual rather than blatantly verbal terms (if the characters told you that the story was a retelling of the "Camelot" legend in baseball terms, would you have watched?) Another plus is the pastoral theme music by Randy Newman, which has been well utilized on sports broadcasts and "human interest" TV documentaries ever since. Trivia note: The baseball scenes in The Natural were staged at War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo, New York. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

New Klondike, The (1926)

The New Klondike was a satire of two ripe-for-plucking targets: The national baseball craze and the Florida "land boom" of 1925. Thomas Meighan stars as Tom Kelly, a minor-league player who shows up in Florida for spring training, only to be promptly fired by his jealous manager Joe Cooley (J. W. Johnston). Looking for a quick source of income, Kelly agrees to act as the "celebrity endorser" for a Florida real estate firm. Before long all of his former teammates have become investors, which has a bizarre effect on their game: at one point, one of the ballplayers hits a homer, then stops cold while rounding the bases to study a map of his land holdings! Crooked land broker Morgan West (Robert Craig), conspiring with Joe Cooley, sells Kelly some worthless swamp acreage, which immediately causes our hero and his pals to lose all their money. But Kelly manages to recover their savings, whereupon he is appointed manager of the team in Cooley's place. Based on a story by sports humorist Ring Lardner and partly filmed on location in Miami, The New Klondike was successful enough to secure Tommy Meighan a new, long-term contract with Paramount Pictures. Not Rated. (N/A)

Night Game (1989)

Night Game is a sweetly irreverent, low-key comedy which is also an engaging crime thriller. Mike Seaver (Roy Scheider), an ex-ballplayer who's now a homicide detective with the Galveston police, has to solve some vicious grappling-hook murders, somehow linked to hometown-wins by the Houston Astros baseball team. Engaged to cute, young, blonde concession-owner Roxy (Karen Young), Steve must juggle his romance with Roxy while at the same time watching out for her. Roxy is just the type of woman who the murderer stalks, brutally murdering them and leaving their bodies by the boardwalk where Roxy manages her concession with her mother Alma (Carlin Glynn). While the premise of the plot is somewhat hard to believe, the entire cast turns in solid performances as colorful, offbeat characters. The script, by Spencer Eastman and Anthony Palmer is well-written and highly amusing with a level of gallows wit uncommon in a crime thriller. The climax, although obvious to all but the most unsophisticated movie-goer, doesn't spoil the fun of this unusual film which is stylishly staged and sufficiently gripping. Rated R. (DVD/VHS)

One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story (1978)

An outstanding performance by LeVar Burton makes this an above-average sports biography. Based on an adaptation of his autobiography, this is the story of Ron LeFlore, who was raised in the Detroit ghetto and became a major league baseball player for the Detroit Tigers. Made for TV. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

One Run Elmer (1935)

Dialogue only punctuates this inventive, near-silent two-reeler starring the great Buster Keaton. He plays the titular Elmer who operates a rickety gas station in the California desert. A rival station opens for business right across the road from him, and the rivalry becomes personal when the two gas jockeys compete for the attention of a lovely lady motorist (Lona Andre). Learning she will attend a local baseball game, the men join opposing teams and wage an all-out grudge match that ends with Elmer scoring the winning run. Note the uncredited outfielder: That's the legendary Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe. Not Rated. (N/A)

One Touch of Nature (1917)

Although he's certainly no actor, it's still worth noting that John W. McGraw, manager of the New York Giants in 1917, played himself in this light baseball comedy. William Vandervoor Cosgrove (John Drew Bennett) is Yale's star ball player. Sam Heegan, a scout for the Giants (Edwards Lawrence) brings manager McGraw news of Cosgrove's talent. Cosgrove, meanwhile, is busy getting involved with a vaudeville star, Madame de Montignon (Viola Cain). When he discovers that she is actually Leonora O'Brien, the daughter of a Chicago plumber, it makes no difference to him. However, his father, a wealthy pork packer (George Henry), is horrified and he and Mrs. Cosgrove (Helen Strickland) threaten to disown him. When this doesn't move their son, they try to buy off Leonora, all to no avail. McGraw signs Cosgrove up to the Giants, and after he hits the home run that wins the World Series, his parents welcome him -- and Leonora -- back into the family. Not Rated. (N/A)

Out of the West (1926)

The popular screen team of cowboy hero Tom Tyler and diminutive child athlete Frankie Darro was back in Out of the West. As much a baseball picture as a Western, the story is motivated by the rivalry between two neighboring ranchers, John O'Connor (Alfred Hewston) and Jim Rollins (L.J. O'Connor). Their mutual animosity spills over onto the baseball field, with O'Connor's star player and top cowhand, Tom Hanley (Tom Tyler), proving a formidable foe for Rollins' team. Another of O'Connor's players, Bide Goodrich (Ethan Laidlaw), has been bribed to throw the next game, and when Tom finds out about it, he and O'Connor's daughter Bernice (Bernice Welch) are kidnapped by Rollins' minions and hidden in a cave. Rescued by his young pal Frankie (Darro), Tom shows up in time to win the game. A major-league scout, who happens to catch Tom in action, offers him a contract, but our hero would rather stay on the ranch with the beautiful Bernice. Not Rated. (N/A)

Pastime (1991)

This highly rated independent production was written years before Bull Durham, and though it covers much of the same territory, it is considered worth seeing in its own right. In the story, Roy Dean Bream (William Russ) is too old to be part of his minor-league baseball team's cultural mainstream. In short, he's often ignored, derided, or treated to the worst or last of everything, like any other outcast. Tyrone (Glenn Plummer) is so young that it gives the same teammates who shun Roy the willies and reminds them that they too are getting older -- so he's an outcaste, too. What could be more natural than for these two men to seek one another out. It doesn't matter that the older man is white, the younger is black. They both love the game, and Roy has been around the block a few times and has plenty to teach Tyrone. When the time comes for Roy to be sent to retirement, everyone holds their breaths to see how he will react. It's a pity they didn't get to know him better, or they would know that this kind, generous man wishes them all well. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Past the Bleachers (1995)

A coach develops an unlikely friendship with a member of his Little League team in this made-for-television movie. Richard Dean Anderson stars as Bill Parish, a father grieving over the loss his 11-year-old son. He is coaxed into coaching an underdog baseball team to help him work his way through his grief. While coaching, Bill takes a liking to a mysterious member of the team named Lucky Diamond (Grayson Fricke) who brings both Bill and the team out of their respective slumps. Made for TV. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Perfect Game (2000)

A group of youthful misfits learn the value of teamwork in this made-for-TV comedy-drama. Kanin (Cameron Finley) is a 11-year-old kid who loves baseball and wants to play on the local Little League team. But as much as he loves the game, Kanin isn't very good, and he figures he doesn't have much of a chance of making a place on the team coached by Bobby Geiser (Patrick Duffy), who has guided a number of league champions. Kanin is pleasantly surprised when he and a number of other less-than-stellar players make the cut, but they soon discover Geiser was forced to take them onto the team after losing a bet -- and that he'll see to it that they ride the pine all season. Kanin and his friends are outraged, and so is Diane (Tracy Nelson), Kanin's mom; with her help, Kanin and his friends oust Geiser as coach, and a retired high school baseball coach (Edward Asner) is brought in to replace him. However, the kids soon discover that their new coach needs a dose of confidence nearly as badly as they do. Perfect Game was produced for the Disney Channel, where it originally aired. Made for Cable. Not Rated. (DVD/VHS)

Pinch Hitter, The (1917)

In this light comedy, Charles Ray does a typical turn as a country bumpkin who makes good. Ray plays Joel Parker, who is sent to college by his crabby farmer father (Joseph J. Dowling) only because it was his mother's dying wish that he get an education. At college, he's immediately pegged as a chump and is constantly victimized by the other students, headed by Jimmie Slater (Jerome Storm). Only Abbie Nettleton (Sylvia Bremer), who works at the campus bakery, has any sympathy for him. Joel does become mascot of the baseball team, but only because Coach Nolan (Louis Durham) believes that such a nincompoop will bring the team luck. The ending is easily guessed -- that's right, Joel winds up being thrown into the big game at the last minute, hits a homer, and wins both the game and the girl. Ray's charisma, however, made such predictability easy to swallow. Not Rated. (N/A)

Pinch Hitter, The (1925)

Glenn Hunter was still riding high from his success with Merton of the Movies, and in just a few weeks his co-star, Constance Bennett, would achieve stardom herself with the release of Sally, Irene and Mary when they made this ordinary romantic comedy. True to type, Hunter plays Joel Martin, a gawky New Englander who goes to college and almost immediately becomes the focus of the upperclassmen's pranks. But Abbie Nettleton (Bennett) takes pity on him, and when he wants to return home, she calls him a quitter and inspires him to stay. He gets a place on the baseball team, but it's a given that he is really only the mascot. Everyone can predict the rest of the story: There's the big game, and no one is available except Joel to pinch-hit. He steps up to the plate, slams a home run, and wins the game for his alma mater -- and, of course, he wins Abbie, too. Not Rated. (N/A)

Pride of St. Louis, The (1952)

Pride of St. Louis is the story of one of baseball's most colorful characters, Jerome Herman "Dizzy" Dean. While playing amateur ball in 1928, Dizzy (Dan Dailey) is hired by the St. Louis Cardinals. He spends a year or so playing with the Cards' Texas farm team, during which time he woos and wins department-store clerk Pat Nash (Joanne Dru, who ironically was the real-life aunt of pro baseball player Pete LaCock!) Once in the majors as a pitcher, Dean is joined on the Cards lineup by his younger brother Paul (Richard Crenna), whom the press nicknames "Daffy." Through a combination of spectacular ballplaying and zany publicity stunts, Dizzy and Daffy become nationwide favorites. Their popularity really soars after they help the Cardinals win the 1934 World Series. After this triumph, things begin to go downhill for Dizzy, who endures several injuries and finally "loses" his pitching arm. Dean is rescued from a binge of self-pity by his old friend Johnny Kendall (Richard Hylton), whose dad is a brewery executive. Johnny convinces his dad to sponsor a series of St. Louis Browns radio broadcasts, and to hire Dizzy as a play-by-play announcer. Ol' Diz gets in a lot of trouble with local schoolteachers because of his eccentric grammar ("he slud into third base," etc.) but things eventually turn out A-OK. Pride of St. Louis takes any number of liberties with the facts, but the real Dizzy Dean didn't care so long as 20th Century-Fox ponied up a huge sum of money for the rights to his life story: "Jeez," he said at the time, "they're gonna give me 50,000 smackers just fer livin'!" Future NBC news commentator Chet Huntley shows up in one of the closing scenes as sportscaster Tom Weaver. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Pride of the Yankees, The (1942)

"It's box office poison," producer Samuel Goldwyn is said to have exclaimed when he heard the idea of filming the life story of fabled first baseman Lou Gehrig. "If people want baseball, they go to the ballpark!" The story begins before World War I, when young Lou Gehrig (played as a boy by Douglas Croft) begins dreaming of becoming a professional ballplayer. Lou's immigrant parents (Elsa Jansen and Ludwig Stossel) insist that the boy attend Columbia University to become an engineer. While in college, Lou (played as a man by Gary Cooper) becomes a star athlete, and, with the help of sports journalist Sam Blake (Walter Brennan), he is signed by the New York Yankees and joins their big-league lineup in 1925; real-life Yanks Babe Ruth, Bill Dickey, Bob Meusel and Mark Koenig play themselves. He also meets and falls in love with Eleanor Twitchell (Teresa Wright) (an event that actually happened in 1933) and earns the nickname "The Iron Man of Baseball" because he never misses a game. In 1939, Lou discovers that he has a fatal neurological disease called amytrophic lateral sclerosis (now known, of course, as "Lou Gehrig's Disease"). On July 4, 1939, an emotional Lou Gehrig, a scant two years away from death, bids farewell to 62,000 of his fans and friends at Yankee Stadium. Allowing that he might have been given a bad break, he concludes his speech with "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." Deftly weaving basic facts with yards and yards of fancy, screenwriters Jo Swerling and Herman J. Mankiewicz serve up one of the most entertaining and inspiring baseball biopics. A more accurate but less dramatic adaptation of the same story, A Love Story: Eleanor and Lou Gehrig, was produced for television in 1977. Not Rated. (DVD/VHS)

Rhubarb (1951)

Rhubarb is an amusing, if not entirely faithful, adaptation of the H. Allen Smith novel of the same name. When Thaddeus J. Banner (Gene Lockhart), multimillionaire owner of the Brooklyn baseball team, passes away, he wills the team -- and his $30 million estate -- to his pugnacious pet cat Rhubarb. Banner's press agent Eric Yeagar (Ray Milland) finds this hilarious, until he discovers that he's been appointed Rhubarb's guardian and business manager. One of the crosses Yeagar has to bear is the fact that his sweetheart Polly Sickles (Jan Sterling), the daughter of Brooklyn team manager Len Sickles (William Frawley), is deathly allergic to cats. Still, Yeagar must keep Rhubarb with him at all times, especially when the cat turns out to be a good-luck charm for the perennially basement-dwelling Brooklyn ballplayers. Thanks to Rhubarb's inspiration, the team makes it to the Pennant Race, whereupon the plot really thickens. The first two-thirds of Rhubarb adheres to the original Smith novel, culminating with a zany sanity hearing brought about by Banner's disgruntled relatives to prove that the cat is mentally unfit to control the old man's money. But the final reels abandon the novel in favor of a Guys and Dolls-inspired plot strand, wherein crooked gamblers kidnap the cat to prevent a Brooklyn pennant win. As a result, H. Allen Smith's satiric barbs are somewhat blunted in the final scenes -- which, however, is not to suggest that the film is any less funny than before. One of the better baseball comedies of the era, Rhubarb maintains its merriment right to the end, which is capped by a cameo appearance by a well-known actor who happened to be married to leading lady Jan Sterling. Not Rated. (N/A)

Right Off the Bat (1915)

Right Off the Bat is historically important as the first baseball biopic ever filmed. This is the story of Mike Donlin, aka "Turkey Mike," who during his erratic but colorful career (lifetime batting average:.333) made the record books by scoring five runs (two doubles, two triples) during a single game in 1901. Cast as "himself," Donlin is shown joining the local ballclub in his home town of Winstead, Connecticut (where the film was made), much to the delight of his girl-next-door sweetheart Viola Bradley (Claire Messereau). All-purpose villain Jake Dunning (George Sullivan), failing in his attempt to bribe Donlin to throw the Big Game, has our hero kidnapped on the eve of the game. With Viola's help, Donlin escapes his abductors' clutches, scores the winning home run, and is immediately signed up with the New York Giants (where, in "real life," Turkey Mike was employed for twelve seasons). That Right Off the Bat is largely a figment of its producers' imaginations is proven by the fact that, while Donlin is given a fictional sweetheart in the picture, his actual wife Rita was cast as the heroine's best friend! As for Mike Donlin himself, after retiring from baseball he embarked on several vaudeville tours and in 1923 moved to Hollywood, where until his death ten years later he worked as a small-part actor and/or technical advisor in films ranging from Buster Keaton's The General to Joe E. Brown's Elmer the Great. Not Rated. (N/A)
 
Roogie's Bump (1954)

Poor Roogie Rigsby. He's the new boy in town and is the butt of all the local kids' jokes. The meanies won't even let him join their baseball games. But then a strange, magical thing happens when the ghost of a late, great Brooklyn Dodger descends and gives him a bump on the arm that results in Roogie's ability to pitch better than anyone in the world. With such amazing speed, strength and accuracy it isn't long before little Roogie is pitching for the Dodgers alongside such greats as Campanella, Erskine, Loes and Russ Meyer. It's a boy's dream come true, but his mother can't help but worry. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Rookie, The (2002)

The true story of a middle-aged baseball rookie comes to the screen from Finding Forrester (2000) screenwriter Mike Rich and the studio behind the previous year's equally inspirational sports drama Remember the Titans (2001). Twelve years ago, the pro baseball aspirations of Texas pitcher Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) were derailed by a severe shoulder injury. Jim became a high school science teacher and baseball coach, married his sweetheart, Lorri (Rachel Griffiths), and settled down to raise a family. After corrective surgery repairs, despite the longstanding damage to his shoulder, Jim discovers that he can pitch a ball even faster than he could before. When his team delivers a lackluster on-field performance in a losing game, coach and players agree to a wager: If they'll make it to the district championships, he'll try out for a major league ball club. When his team makes it to the championship and wins for the first time in the school's history, Jim is forced to live up to his end of the bargain. Nearly laughed off the field, he confounds the pro scouts by tossing successive fastballs that clock at nearly 100 miles per hour. It seems that Jim is about to live his dream of joining a major league team in middle age, when most players are planning their retirement. The Rookie co-stars Brian Cox, Beth Grant, and Jay Hernandez. Rated G. (DVD/VHS)

Rookie of the Year (1993)

Rookie of the Year is a light-hearted comedy about a 12-year-old baseball fan who, despite his love for the sport, can't play the game at all. During one Little League contest, he breaks his arm. After it heals, it miraculously becomes a super-human arm that can out-pitch any player in the major leagues. The boy joins the Chicago Cubs and helps lead them to the World Series. Though the plot is silly and contrived, it's a pleasant film that is ideal for young sports fans. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Safe at Home (1962)

Released in April of 1962 to take advantage of the new baseball season and the enthusiasm surrounding some of its better-known players, this sports-oriented children's story by Walter Doniger centers around some ill-advised bragging by a young Little Leaguer. Hutch Lawton (Brian Russell) has just told his friends that he and his Dad are good buddies with all-time baseball greats Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle. This fib soon gets him in plenty of hot water as he is forced to search out his heroes at spring training in Florida and make a plea for help. Along with appearances by the Yankee's two top players are pitcher Whitey Ford and coach Ralph Houk. Also stars William Frawley. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Sandlot, The (1993)

The Sandlot is sparsely narrated by the main character (now an adult) who occasionally drops in on the action to comment on events or help move the story along. Tom Guiry plays Scotty Smalls, the shy new kid on the block who wants to join the rowdy pickup baseball team that plays every day in the neighborhood sandlot. But he doesn't know how to catch a baseball, and his stepfather (Dennis Leary) is too busy to teach him. He tries out for the sandlot gang anyway, and though he isn't very good, it turns out he's lucky: there happen to be only eight of them, and nine makes a team. The summer passes blissfully as Scotty learns to play ball under the wing of Benny Rodriguez (Mike Vitar), the oldest and best player, as well as Ham, Squints, Repeat, and the rest of the kid-eccentrics. The skies darken, however, when Benny literally knocks the stuffing out of the team's only baseball, a sign of impending doom, or worse, bad luck. Wanting to set things right, Scotty returns home and "borrows" his stepfather's ball, which he promptly uses to hit his first home run, knocking the ball clear out of the sandlot into mean old Mr. Mertle (James Earl Jones)'s junkyard, home to Mertle's legendary guard dog The Beast. Scotty admits that he took the ball without asking, and he naively explains that his stepfather will want it back since it had a woman's name written on it: some lady named Babe Ruth. Horror-stricken, the sandlot gang mobilizes to fetch the autographed ball from the clutches of The Beast, building a series of mechanical ball-retrieval machines which get progressively more complicated and preposterous as The Beast's size grows in their imaginations. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

Scout, The (1994)

After several weeks filming The Scout in the late 1970s, star Peter Falk and director Howard Zieff abandoned the project. Two decades later, writer Andrew Bergman gave his original script to Albert Brooks and Monica Johnson, who polished it as a vehicle for Brooks and director Michael Ritchie. Brooks stars as Al Percolo, a talent scout for the New York Yankees whose latest recruit (Michael Rapaport) has just vomited on the field and fled. Sent to Mexico as punishment by his boss (Lane Smith), Percolo finds phenomenal young pitcher Steve Nebraska (Brendan Fraser). Before he can get back to the Big Apple, however, Percolo gets pink-slipped by the Yankees, so he offers Nebraska as a free agent. After a stellar tryout, Nebraska is signed for millions. Soon after, he starts to exhibit odd behaviors that may be linked to psychological problems. A psychiatrist (Dianne Wiest) hired by the ball club wants Nebraska in daily therapy, so Percolo ends up babysitting a mentally unstable pitcher. Brooks' normally winning mix of laughs with psychological insights didn't add up to box office or critical success, despite cameos from real-life sports figures such as George Steinbrenner and Steve Garvey. Rated PG-13. (DVD/VHS)

Slide, Kelly, Slide (1927)

One of the most popular baseball films ever made, Slide, Kelly, Slide also solidified the stardom of MGM leading man William Haines. In his usual brash, cocky manner, Haines is cast as Jim Kelly, a self-styled baseball whiz who talks himself into a job with the New York Yankees. Though his boundless braggadocio is backed up by his talent on the baseball field, Kelly soon alienates himself from the rest of his teammates, who can't stand his arrogant behavior. Veteran Yankee catcher Tom Munson (Harry Carey) -- also the father of Kelly's sweetheart Mary (Sally O'Neil) -- tries to set the young upstart straight, but Kelly isn't interested. Upset because he feels the team isn't on his side, Kelly gets drunk on the eve of an important game in Chicago. Mary doesn't want him to get fired, so she hides him in her hotel room. When Tom shows up he tries to talk some sense into Kelly, but the hot-headed young player unleashes his invective on Tom, calling the aging player an old has-been in full earshot of the entire team. This shameful display thoroughly disillusions Yankee batboy Mickey (Junior Coghlan) who, up to that moment, worshipped Kelly. After quitting the team, Kelly makes himself scarce during the deciding World Series game. When the team runs out of pitchers, little Mickey decides to seek out Kelly and beg him to return -- only to be struck down by a truck. Realizing that Mickey will recover only if he redeems himself, Kelly returns to the Yankee roster and scores the winning run without resorting to his usual show-off tactics. As the recovered Mickey is wheeled into Yankee Stadium, Kelly reverts to his old boastful self, but by now, everyone -- including Mary -- realizes that our hero is truly a reformed man. Filmed on location at the Yankee's spring training camp in Florida and at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field (one of the best minor-league stadiums in America), Slide, Kelly, Slide boasts cameo appearances from such real-life baseball luminaries as Mike Donlin, Irish Meusel, Bob Meusel, Tony "Poosh-em-Up" Lazzeri, and umpire John "Beans" Reardon. As a bonus, football-star-turned-actor Johnny Mack Brown makes his film debut in a one-scene bit part. Not Rated. (N/A)

Slugger's Wife, The (1985)

This routine film should have been called the "rock singer's husband" because it is about the life of a baseball player affected by his love for a singer. Darryl Palmer (Michael O'Keefe) plays for the Atlanta Braves, and when he walks into a nightclub and sees an attractive woman singing (Rebecca DeMornay), he pulls up to home plate and is anxious to meet her. From then on, his persistence in courting her is unstoppable in spite of several unhappy setbacks, and finally their romance makes it to first base when she realizes she loves him too, and they are married. From that point onward, his career starts to soar, while her career begins to slide in the opposite direction. In fact, she has given up her job to go live with him on his home turf, and the sacrifice, in the end, proves to be too much. A separation is inevitable, and while he still has his teammates (Randy Quaid, Cleavant Derricks), he would rather have his wife back. Rated PG-13. (DVD/VHS)

Somewhere in Georgia (1916)

Widely regarded as the greatest baseball player who ever lived, Ty Cobb made his only starring movie appearance in the low-budget six-reeler Somewhere in Georgia. Based on a story by legendary sports columnist Grantland Rice, the film casts Cobb as "himself," a small-town Georgian bank clerk with a talent for baseball. When he's signed to play with the Detroit Tigers, Cobb is forced to leave his sweetheart (Elsie McLeod) behind, whereupon a crooked bank cashier sets his sights on the girl. Upon learning that Cobb has briefly returned home to play an exhibition game with his old team, the cashier arranges for Our Hero to be kidnapped. Breaking loose from his bonds, Cobb beats up each and every one of his captors and shows up at the ballfield just in time to win the game for the home team. Somewhere in Georgia was produced by actor Vaughan Glaser, who like Ty Cobb was Georgian born-and-bred (as was screenwriter Rice). Actually filmed somewhere in New York, this unambitious but likeable star vehicle did far better in "regional" theaters than in big-city movie palaces. Despite the $10,000 "up front" money that he received for his participation in the film (which was produced while the star was in trouble with the Tigers for "barnstorming" in violation of his contract), Ty Cobb would not step before the cameras again until 1929, a year after his retirement. Not rated. (N/A)
 
Soul of the Game (1996)

This original HBO production documents, in dramatic form, the rivalry between Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson to see who would be the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. Paige (played by Delroy Lindo) and Gibson (Mykelti Williamson) are more aggressive about seizing the opportunity that arose in the mid-'40s with the death of baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who had publicly avowed that the color line in baseball would never be broken. Branch Rickey (Edward Herrmann), the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is the first to seize that opportunity, sending his scouts to check out all the stars of the Negro Leagues. He narrows his choice down to Robinson, in part because of Paige's age (he was around 40) and Gibson's health (he behaved erratically in public, though it rarely affected his game). Rickey was looking for a player with the talent to compete in the big leagues and the character not to allow the inevitable harassment that would come his way to get to him. Robinson was signed in October 1945 and made his big-league debut in April 1947. Paige made it to the big leagues in 1948; Gibson died at the age of 36 in 1947 of a brain tumor. Made for Cable. Rated PG-13. (DVD/VHS)

Squeeze Play (1981)

The estimable New Jersey-based Troma Films, the same firm that brought you such imperishable classics as Toxic Avenger and Chopper Chicks in Zombietown, was responsible for the raunchy baseball farce Squeeze Play. Rather than offer a litany of its highlights (such as they are), we feel that the tenor of the film is implicit in its bare-bones plotline. In the small town of Springborn (its principal industry is a mattress factory), the local all-male baseball team, The Beavers, celebrates each victory by bedding their wives, sweethearts and casual dates. Tired of this chauvinistic treatment, rebellious Samantha (Jenni Hetrick) organizes an all-girl team, the Beaverettes. She forces a battle of the sexes on the baseball diamond, pitting her buxom teammates against the dirty-playing Beavers. Rather enjoyable in its own sleazy way, Squeeze Play occasionally interrupts its R-rated sniggering to offer a parade of shameless product-placement plugs, and halfway through stops dead in its tracks for an interminable wet T-shirt contest. Rated R. (DVD/VHS)

Stealing Home (1988)

The storytelling device of the flashback gets an intense workout in this tragic coming of age drama. Mark Harmon stars as washed-up baseball player Billy Wyatt, who is shocked when he receives news that his childhood sweetheart and friend Katie Chandler (Jodie Foster) has committed suicide and left the disposal of her ashes to his judgment. Although Billy and Katie have not kept in touch through the years, he has always carried a torch for her, his first love. On his way home, Billy recalls his past associations with the free-spirited Katie: their first meeting, the time they made love, and conversations they had, mostly during summers at the New Jersey shore. Billy also remembers the adolescent mischief he got into with his best friend Alan Appleby (played by Jonathan Silverman in the flashbacks, Harold Ramis in the present-day), like when each of them ended up sleeping with other's prom date. Billy finally decides to cast Katie's ashes to the wind in the place where they were happiest, by the seashore. Stealing Home was reportedly based on the real-life experiences of its writers, former Second City troupe members and WKRP in Cincinnati writers Steven Kampmann and Will Aldis. Rated PG-13. (DVD/VHS)

Stratton Story, The (1949)

Both Van Johnson and Gregory Peck were considered for the role of baseball star Monty Stratton in the 1949 biopic The Stratton Story before settling upon the real Stratton's own first choice, James Stewart. The film covers several years in the 1930s, as Texas farm boy Stratton rises from the minors to the Chicago White Sox. Along the way, Monty marries an Omaha gal named Ethel (June Allyson), who gives him a son. In November 1938, Monty accidentally shoots himself in the leg while on a hunting excursion. When the leg has to be amputated, it looks as though Stratton's pitching career is over. He broods over his bad luck for months before snapping out of his self-pity and learning to walk with his new prosthesis. To prove to himself that he's overcome his handicap, Monty takes a job pitching with the Southern All-Stars. His return to baseball is rough sledding (the other team persistently bunts balls out of his reach), but Monty Stratton is finally able to make a successful comeback. Only occasionally playing fast and loose with the facts (the time-frame of Stratton's real-life return to baseball is telescoped by several years), The Stratton Story was one of the best and most profitable baseball pictures ever turned out by Hollywood. Fans of the game will get an extra kick from the presence in the cast of big-leaguers Bill Dickey and Jimmy Dykes. Not Rated. (VHS Only)

Summer Catch (2001)

This blend of sports and youthful romantic comedy is from director Michael Tollin, who previously produced the sports drama Varsity Blues (1999). Freddie Prinze Jr. stars as Ryan Dunne, a ballplayer who's spending the summer as a pitcher for the famed, highly prestigious Cape Cod League, a non-professional farm team that has turned out numerous baseball legends. Ryan's under special pressure on a number of fronts. He's the first local boy to earn a slot in the league in years, and his blue-collar status earns him the enmity of a hot-shot college teammate, Eric Van Leemer (Corey Pearson). Although he's backed up by his best friend and team catcher Billy Brubaker (Matthew Lillard), Ryan adds more stress to his life by embarking on an affair with a beautiful, wealthy young Vassar graduate, Tenley Parrish (Jessica Biel), who's spending the summer on the Cape with her parents. Tenley is facing her own crisis as her father (Bruce Davison) pressures her to move to San Francisco and work with her uncle, though she'd rather remain in the East and become an architect. Summer Catch is the third onscreen teaming of Prinze and Lillard, and also stars Brian Dennehy, Wilmer Valderrama, Jason Gedrick, Fred Ward, and Brittany Murphy. Rated PG-13. (DVD/VHS)

Swell-Head (1935)

Wallace Ford plays Terry McCall, a small-town baseball star with a monumental ego. Terry's gift for self-aggrandizement alienates him from everyone in town, including his waitress sweetheart May Malone (Barbara Kent). After suffering a concussion during a baseball game, Terry goes blind, whereupon he bitterly retreats from the world. Fortunately, May's kid brother Billy (Dickie Moore), who has always idolized Terry, helps the now-humbled ballplayer to find a reason for living. That Swell-Head was obviously filmed several years before its 1935 release is proven by the presence in the cast of former baseball pro "Turkey" Mike Donlin, who'd been dead since 1933. Not Rated. (N/A)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)

So baseball pictures never make money, eh? Try telling that to MGM, which raked in a box office gross of $4 million on their 1949 baseball musical Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Set in 1906, the film concerns the adventures and misadventures of The Wolves, a champion ball club. The team's success is contingent upon the double-play combination of "O'Brien to Ryan to Goldberg." But while Goldberg (Jules Munshin) lives to play baseball, O'Brien (Gene Kelly) and Ryan (Frank Sinatra) would rather pursue their off-season vaudeville career. Both erstwhile song-and-dance men decide to stick around on the baseball diamond when they mutually fall in love with the Wolves' new owner, the lovely K.C. Higgins (Esther Williams). Though O'Brien wins K.C. for himself, Ryan is compensated with the aggressively affectionate Shirley Delwyn (Betty Garrett). Gambler Joe Lorgan (Edward Arnold), who has bet heavily against the Wolves in an upcoming Big Game, woos O'Brien away from the team with promises of a big role in an upcoming musical comedy. Having let down K.C. and the rest of the team, O'Brien vows to redeem himself by playing in the crucial game. Lorgan gets wind of this, and orders his henchmen to do away with O'Brien. Hoping to shield his buddy from harm, Ryan beans O'Brien with a pitched ball, thereby incapacitating the prodigal player. The crooks are vanquished, and K.C. forgives O'Brien. But upon learning that Ryan had knocked him out, O'Brien charges onto the diamond, thirsting for revenge. Believe it or not, this action results in no fewer than two winning home runs! We offer you this detailed synopsis because it's likely that you'll be too entertained by the film's musical numbers to pay any attention to the story. Outside of the title number and Gene Kelly's solo "The Hat My Father Wore on St. Patrick's Day," the picture's best songs are contributed by Betty Comden, Adolf Green and Roger Edens. Take Me Out to the Ball Game is so delightful as it stands that one can only wonder what the film would have looked like had MGM's first choice Kathryn Grayson--or the studio's second choice, Judy Garland--played the Esther Williams role (In a similar vein, the Frank Sinatra character was originally to have been played by real-life Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher!) Not Rated. (DVD/VHS)

Talent for the Game (1991)

Sammy Bodean is the newest, most promising recruit according to the advertisement of the California Angels--and has to prove it come game time. Following the team's sale to young business whiz Gil Lawrence (Terry Kinney), ex-player Virgil Sweet (Edward James Olmos) has to prove himself as the team's talent scout to keep his job. Via a car break-down near a small farm-town in Idaho, Virgil stumbles across young Sammy Bodean (Jeff Corbett) who performs mean pitching skills in a rural sandlot. After bringing Sammy to LA where he pitches out the team's best, owner Gil begins a massive media campaign in which he appears in a press conference and not only brags of the boy's talent but of his intention to feature him--without warm-up or orientation--in the big game the following week. Virgil, though promoted to assistant manager, is upset at Gil's exploitative measures to save the slagging Angels at the expense of Sammy. Game day arrives and the pressure is on to keep the other team swinging, which causes young Sammy to choke. Or not. Talent for the Game is an upbeat, all-American baseball story for the family, though it contains a touch of profanity. Rated PG. (DVD/VHS)

They Learned About Women (1930)

Based loosely on Waite Hoyt and Mickey Cochrane, major league baseball players moonlighting as vaudeville entertainers, this early musical comedy starred Gus Van and Joe Schenck, genuine vaudeville headliners famous for their humorous ethnic ballads. On their way to winter practice, Jack Glennon (Schenck) and Jerry Burke (Van) dally with Daisy (Mary Doran), a vamp misrepresenting herself as a naive girl. The gold digger manages not only to ruin Jack's relationship with longtime girlfriend Mary (Bessie Love) but also causes a breakup with Jerry, his vaudeville partner. When Daisy inevitably leaves for greener pastures, Jack discovers that Mary has pledged herself to Jerry. The latter's team, the Blue Sox, is in the World Series but their pitcher keeps striking out. Jack gets a second chance, but because of his damaged relationship with both Daisy and Jerry, he too proves a bust. When all hope seems lost, Jerry courageously steps aside and Jack, reunited with Mary, leads the Blue Sox to victory. In between the baseball footage, Van & Schenck perform some of their vaudeville routines, including "Harlem Madness," a lavish production number featuring African-American charmer Nina Mae McKinney, and "Ten Sweet Mamas," pure camp performed in the Blue Sox locker room. Not Rated. (N/A)

Tiger Town (1983)

Originally telecast October 9, 1983, Tiger Town was the first feature film made specifically for the Disney Channel cable service. Roy Scheider stars as a veteran Detroit Tigers right fielder, whose chances of getting into at least one World Series before retirement diminishes with each Tigers loss. Scheider's biggest fan is preteener Justin Henry, so devoted to baseball that his mother wakes him up each morning by playing "The Star Spangled Banner." Recalling the words of his late father--"If you really believe deep in your heart, there's always hope and you can make it happen"--Henry closes his eyes and "wills" Scheider to hit a winning home runs. Wham! It works! Thereafter, Henry shows up at every game, convinced that the Tigers will lose if he doesn't "will" a few homers from the bleachers (indeed, whenever Henry is absent, the Tigers tank). A crisis develops when it appears as though Henry will not be on hand for the deciding pennant game between the Tigers and the Orioles. Beautifully acted and directed for the most part (the scene in which Henry learns of his father's death is particularly well-handled), Tiger Town falls apart about ten minutes before the ending, when it degenerates into a standard "Disney movie," complete with a destructive slapstick chase. Otherwise, Tiger Town, the maiden directorial effort of Alan Shapiro, is a first-rate baseball picture, one of the best of the genre. Watch for cameo appearances by ex- "Supreme" Mary Wilson, Tigers manager Sparky Anderson, and sportscasters Ernie Harwell, Ray Lane and Al Ackerman. Made for TV. Not Rated. (DVD/VHS)

Trading Hearts (1988)

Sportswriter Frank Deford wrote the screenplay to this romantic melodrama about a washed-up baseball pitcher and a second-rate lounge singer. Vinnie (Raul Julia) is the veteran hurler who has just been cut in spring training by the Boston Red Sox. He stops off at a hotel where Donna (Beverly D'Angelo) is singing in the lounge. Donna's baseball-loving daughter Yvonne (Jenny Lewis) recognizes Vinnie from her baseball card collection and is convinced he should be her new daddy. After an initial misunderstanding, Donna and Vinnie resolve their differences, but Yvonne's wealthy grandfather Robert (Parris Buckner) threatens to gain custody of the little girl. Vinnie and Donna leave with Yvonne, who forges a $10,000 check of her grandfather's so the trio can escape. Vinnie again makes the rounds in Florida in hopes of making one last comeback in the majors. Rated PG. (VHS Only)

Trifling with Honor (1923)

Bat Shugrue (Rockcliffe Fellows) is a star home-run slugger for the Pacific Coast League's Los Angeles Angels. He was formerly known by the criminal justice system as the "gas pipe kid" and served time in San Quinten. Released on parole, he escapes from his hearing at night court and within five years becomes a star ballplayer. His girlfriend Ida Malone (Fritzi Ridgeway) is treated coolly by Bat when he is paroled. After hitting the winning pinch-hit homer to win a crucial game, he turns himself in and faces the judge. Ida's kid brother Jimmy (Buddy Messinger) and a legion of fans wait for judgment to be passed on their home-run hero in this sports drama. Not Rated. (N/A)

Warming Up (1928)

Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer, Warming Up is an early baseball film starring Richard Dix and Jean Arthur. After pitcher Bert Tolliver (Dix) is heckled by the members of a major-league team he's trying out for, he comes to believe that one of the players has hexed him. Luckily, a pretty girl named Mary (Arthur), who happens to be the daughter of the man who owns the Green Sox, discovers Bert at the local park, where he's amazing concession stand customers with his pitching accuracy. When it's time for the Green Sox to play the last game of the series, the team manager is forced by unforseen circumstances to let Bert pitch. As he faces the batter, Mary signals her love for him, in doing so giving Bert the inspiration he needed to end the jinx. Warming Up also features Claude King, Philo McCullough, and Billy Kent. Not Rated. (N/A) 

Winner Never Quits, A (1986)

Made for television, A Winner Never Quits is the true story of one-armed baseball player Pete Gray. Having lost his arm in a childhood accident, Pete (played by Steve Rees as a child, Keith Carradine as an adult) still insists upon pursuing an athletic career in emulation of his older brother Whitey (Ed O'Neill). When Whitey suffers permanent brain damage in a boxing match, Pete takes up the cudgel and enters the world of professional sports. Hired in 1943 as a "freak attraction" and wartime morale-booster by the Memphis Chicks, Class-A minor league ball club, Gray attains a batting average of .333 and a stolen-base record of 63; as a result, he is appointed his league's MVP. Though a success, Pete maintains a tough, defensive veneer, which is softened only by the love of his wife Annie (Mare Winningham) and the adulation of baseball fan Nelson Gary Jr. (Huckleberry Fox), who has also lost an arm (and who would, in real life, become a top minor-league ballplayer himself). With the war depleting big-league baseball's manpower in 1945, Pete Gray finally achieves his goal of entering the Majors when he is hired by the St. Louis Browns. Dennis Weaver and Fionnulla Flanagan costar as Pete's immigrant parents. Burt Prelutsky's screenplay wisely avoids pathos and sentiment throughout; though humanized by his relationships with friends and family, Pete Gray is accurately portrayed as a brusque, temperamental soul, who neither asks for nor tolerates sympathy from anyone. A Winner Never Quits first aired in April of 1986. Made for TV. Rated PG. (VHS Only)

Winning Season, The (2004)

Based on the book Honus & Me, The Winning Season is about a boy who, while cleaning out the garage of an elderly neighbor, finds a very valuable baseball card, a Honus Wagner American Tobacco Company T-206 series card, that turns out to be a portal to take him from 1985, back in time to 1909 during the World Series where he meets Honus Wagner. If he can get Wagner to sign the card, it's worth will go from around $400,000 to $600,000 (note- one of these cards sold on ebay for $1.245 million in 2000). The 12-year-old boy, Joe Soshack (Shawn Hatosy) shows up in 1909 as an adult (never explained why) and immediately meets and befriends Wagner's fiancé Mandy Henton (what are the odds). He gets that signature but unlike Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, he is unable to just click his heals together and travel back to Pittsburgh. There must be a reason he is there. From the point of view of a fan of great acting there isn't a lot to swoon over either, Matthew Modine (And the Band Played On) is nothing special in the lead as Honus Wagner and Kristin Davis seems to be playing a 1909 version of her Sex in the City character Charlotte. Made for Cable. Not Rated. (N/A)

Winning Team, The (1952)

Ronald Reagan delivers one of his best screen performances as baseball great Grover Cleveland Alexander in The Winning Team. The title refers to the mutually supportive relationship between Alexander and his loving wife Aimee (top-billed Doris Day); with this in mind, is it any surprise that the real Aimee Alexander served as the film's technical advisor. While the basic milestones of Alexander's career are adhered to, the film is a typical Hollywood blend of fact and fancy-plenty of fancy. While playing in the minors, Alexander is is hit on the heat by a batted ball, resulting in the dizziness and double vision that would ever after plague him. After toting up a record of 28 wins with the Philadelphia Phillies, Alex is traded to the Cubs, but World War 1 intervenes. On the battlefield, Alex suffers a recurrence of his double vision; and when he plays his first postwar game with the Cubs, he collapses on the field. Warned that his seizures will persist if he doesn't retire, Alex swears the doctor to secrecy. When the dizzy spells continue, Alex turns to drink. Branded an "alky", he descends to the depths of a House of David-style team, thence to the humiliation of carnival side shows. With the help and support of both Aimee and his old pal Rogers Hornsby (Frank Lovejoy), Alex stages a spectacular comeback, striking out Yankee Tony Lazzeri during the 1926 World Series and leading his team to victory. The script rearranges the chronology of Alexander's life, suggests incorrectly that the Lazzeri strikeout was the last play in the deciding Series game, and-most amusingly-depicts the unloveable Rogers Hornsby as a 100 % sweetheart. Otherwise, The Winning Team provides an excellent showcase for Ronald Reagan-though in later years he expressed some reservations about the script, noting that, by adhering to Warner Bros' insistence that the word "epilepsy" never be spoken, the picture confused audiences as to the true nature of Alexander's affliction. Not Rated. (VHS Only)