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Best Baseball Movies
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Published: August 21, 2006
1. The Sandlot (1993)
Cast – Tom Guiry, Denis Leary
Plot – When Scotty Smalls (Guiry) moves to a new town, he has a hard time fitting in, until he meets some new boys playing baseball. Initially ridiculed with the embarrassment of not knowing how to play, the leader of the group, Benny, takes him under his wing and shows him the ropes, not failing to teach him about the neighbor's ball-eating dog, the Beast.
Best Scene – The chase is the defining and climactic scene of the movie. Benny has to get the ball back from the Beast. After failed attempts to use objects to get the ball, Benny realizes he has to get the ball from the Beast with his own hands. The retrieval and subsequent chase is the best scene from the best baseball movie ever made.
Why it is great – Everyone has that one summer they will never forget. This was the summer for the kids in The Sandlot, where they spent the days hanging out with their friends and just having a good time, wishing the days would not end.
2. Field of Dreams (1989)
Cast – Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta
Plot – Iowa farmer, Ray Kinsella (Costner) is in jeopardy of losing his farm. One day in his cornfield, he hears a voice telling him, If you build it, he will come. He interprets this voice to mean he should build a baseball diamond, which subsequently hosts the ghosts of baseball legends. Kinsella continues to hear obscure voices, putting the puzzle together and ending up saving his farm and making amends with his dead father.
Best Scene – At the end of the movie, Kinsella plays catch with his deceased father. After having a tumultuous relationship growing up, Kinsella puts his past away and truly appreciates spending time with his father.
Why it is Great – It is a heart-warming story that goes beyond the typical baseball movie. It is about following dreams and gaining second chances to make things right with someone you love.
3. Bull Durham (1988)
Cast – Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon
Plot – When a hot young pitcher named Nuke LaLoosh (Robbins) joins the Durham Bulls, the team also brings in veteran catcher Crash Davis (Costner) to help develop LaLoosh. However, team groupie Annie Savoy (Sarandon) gets both men to fall for her in an interesting love triangle. This baseball movie gives viewers a taste of what life is like in Minor League baseball.
Best Scene – When the Bulls are struggling, the infielders meet on the pitcher's mound with LaLoosh, Davis and the pitching coach. Instead of talking strategy, the topic of conversation goes from what makes a good wedding gift to the perks and pitfalls of sacrificing a live chicken.
Why it is great – Before every Major League star gets a chance to play in the big leagues and be in the spotlight, they have to live the small-town life playing Minor League baseball. This baseball movie makes us realize exactly what that life can be like.
4. Major League (1989)
Cast – Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, Rene Russo
Plot – When the Cleveland Indians find out their new owner wants to put together a team so terrible they will be forced to relocate, they decides to pull out all the stops and start playing winning baseball.
Best Scene – The spring training montage spanning the player introductions to the first day of practice makes the team's troubles apparent. With the likes of Jake Taylor (Berenger), a catcher with horrible knees who is unable to throw the ball as far as second base, Rick Vaughn (Sheen), who comes out of jail to pitch and is unable to find the strike zone despite his unprecedented speed and Willie Mays Hayes (Snipes), who is as fast as lightning, but has trouble getting on base and staying there.
Why it is great – Everyone loves the underdog. The Indians were supposed to be miserable and they end up winning the division. The lovable team members and the detestable team owner make for a funny, feel-good baseball movie.
5. 61* (2001)
Cast – Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane
Plot – Mickey Mantle (Jane) and Roger Maris (Pepper) went on a home-run binge in 1961 that had the whole country talking. While the teammates chase Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs, Mantle is the kid who can do no wrong and Maris is the outcast who is criticized for not being as likable as Mantle. When Mantle goes down with an injury and Maris breaks the record on the last day of the season, the commissioner, who was a good friend of Ruth's, decides to put an asterisk on Maris' 61 home runs, because he had a longer season than Mantle.
Best Scene – When Maris, Mantle and teammate Bob Cerv are walking below the grounds at Yankee Stadium, Mantle vents his frustration on the always-looming shadow of Babe Ruth. During his long tirade, Mantle reveals how he cannot stand living in the shadow of Ruth and his undying popularity.
Why it is great – In the new era of baseball in which Barry Bonds is now the record-holder with 73 home runs, and Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa also have eclipsed 61, the movie shows the original record-breaker and the lack of support Maris had from everyone, but his teammates. This baseball movie is one of the best around.
6. The Natural (1984)
Cast – Robert Redford, Robert Duvall
Plot – Roy Hobbs (Redford) thought his promising career as a pitcher had been cut short when he was shot. However, after many years off the diamond, he comes back as a hitter to lead the New York Knights to prominence. No one knows where he came from and how he has become so good.
Best Scene – The scene when Hobbs hits a home run shattering the stadium lights might be one of the most famous scenes in baseball movie history, and it is obviously the best scene in the film. Everyone who has ever played baseball has wanted to crush a ball so hard it would dramatically smash the lights.
Why it is great – It is an all-around feel-good story. Hobbs is a player on his last legs, helping the Knights in more ways than just hitting the ball. Hobbs is the mentor every player looks up to. It is a great story turned into an exceptional baseball movie.
7. Rookie of the Year (1993)
Cast – Thomas Ian Nicholas, Gary Busey
Plot – When hapless Little Leaguer and Cubs fan, Henry Rowangartner (Nicholas) breaks his arm, he discovers he can throw the ball almost 100 mph. After catching a home run from an opposing player at Wrigley Field, Henry does the traditional routine of throwing it back. When he fires it in, however, the Cubs take notice and within weeks he is the youngest member of the Chicago Cubs. While riding his miracle broken arm, the Cubs storm into contention. After Henry's arm heals, however, he cannot throw fastballs any longer and has to figure out a way to beat the hated Mets.
Best Scene – When the pre-teen makes his first career at-bat, his mother, coaches and teammates all lose control as they worry for his safety. His strike-zone is so small he is quickly walked and, once he is on base, he antagonizes the pitcher with insults and eventually scores on a close play.
Why it is great – What Little League player does not want to play Major League baseball? This is a great baseball movie because it allows viewers to share this dream.
8. A League of Their Own (1992)
Cast – Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Rosie O'Donnell, Madonna
Plot – When World War II strikes, the Major League baseball season is canceled. Many of its players go off to fight in the war. The women, still at home, start a new professional league and former Major League superstar-turned-alcoholic Jimmy Dugan (Hanks) is the reluctant manager. The girls start off horribly, but Dugan starts to turn the corner and improves the team thanks to his star catcher, Dottie Hinson (Davis).
Best Scene – After a miscue in the outfield when a player fails to hit the cutoff, Dugan chews out his player and, when she starts crying, Dugan unleashes his famous insistence There's no crying in baseball!
Why it is great – In just about every baseball movie about team camaraderie, the team is full of men. But these girls have the same kind of fun the men have. They sneak out of hotels on the road, they play tricks on each other, they love each other and Dugan learns to love them, too.
9. Eight Men Out (1988)
Cast – John Cusack, Jace Alexander, Gordon Clapp
Plot – When the underpaid players of the Chicago White Sox make the World Series in 1919, instead of winning and getting the champions' share, they decide to go after more money and accept bribes to deliberately lose the World Series.
Best Scene – The famous line, Say it ain't so, Joe is said by a distraught little boy after the scandal is exposed. This insightful scene in a riviting baseball movie shows audiences how this scandal hurt baseball more than the players could have imagined.
Why it is great – In the most infamous episode in the history of professional sports, eight teammates purposely lost to make a few extra bucks. This is a great baseball movie because it shows the audience how morality and self-respect were bought from notable players.
10. Bad News Bears (1976)
Cast – Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal
Plot – A drunken pool man gets stuck coaching a Little League team after none of the kids' parents have time. After starting the season poorly, Coach Buttermaker (Matthau) goes out and finds his star pitcher, Amanda (O'Neal). The team is embarrassed; not only are they bad, but they now have a girl on their team. Amanda, however, proves she is no joke as she blows away hitters. The recruiting does not stop there. The Bears cannot hit either, so they go out and convince town rebel Kelly Leak to suit up for the team. The team goes on to make it to the championship.
Best Scene – In what might be considered a move to build team chemistry, Buttermaker brings the entire team to his job to clean a pool he is supposed to clean. The team cleans the pool while Buttermaker drinks beer and watches the team as the players begin to show signs of getting along.
Why it is great – Bad News Bears is a great baseball movie because chronicles the story of a bad team fighting through hard times and coming out on top. It also pokes fun at the amount of seriousness some Little League teams play with. The Bears win while having more fun than any other team in the league.
Cast – Tom Guiry, Denis Leary
Plot – When Scotty Smalls (Guiry) moves to a new town, he has a hard time fitting in, until he meets some new boys playing baseball. Initially ridiculed with the embarrassment of not knowing how to play, the leader of the group, Benny, takes him under his wing and shows him the ropes, not failing to teach him about the neighbor's ball-eating dog, the Beast.
Best Scene – The chase is the defining and climactic scene of the movie. Benny has to get the ball back from the Beast. After failed attempts to use objects to get the ball, Benny realizes he has to get the ball from the Beast with his own hands. The retrieval and subsequent chase is the best scene from the best baseball movie ever made.
Why it is great – Everyone has that one summer they will never forget. This was the summer for the kids in The Sandlot, where they spent the days hanging out with their friends and just having a good time, wishing the days would not end.
2. Field of Dreams (1989)
Cast – Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta
Plot – Iowa farmer, Ray Kinsella (Costner) is in jeopardy of losing his farm. One day in his cornfield, he hears a voice telling him, If you build it, he will come. He interprets this voice to mean he should build a baseball diamond, which subsequently hosts the ghosts of baseball legends. Kinsella continues to hear obscure voices, putting the puzzle together and ending up saving his farm and making amends with his dead father.
Best Scene – At the end of the movie, Kinsella plays catch with his deceased father. After having a tumultuous relationship growing up, Kinsella puts his past away and truly appreciates spending time with his father.
Why it is Great – It is a heart-warming story that goes beyond the typical baseball movie. It is about following dreams and gaining second chances to make things right with someone you love.
3. Bull Durham (1988)
Cast – Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon
Plot – When a hot young pitcher named Nuke LaLoosh (Robbins) joins the Durham Bulls, the team also brings in veteran catcher Crash Davis (Costner) to help develop LaLoosh. However, team groupie Annie Savoy (Sarandon) gets both men to fall for her in an interesting love triangle. This baseball movie gives viewers a taste of what life is like in Minor League baseball.
Best Scene – When the Bulls are struggling, the infielders meet on the pitcher's mound with LaLoosh, Davis and the pitching coach. Instead of talking strategy, the topic of conversation goes from what makes a good wedding gift to the perks and pitfalls of sacrificing a live chicken.
Why it is great – Before every Major League star gets a chance to play in the big leagues and be in the spotlight, they have to live the small-town life playing Minor League baseball. This baseball movie makes us realize exactly what that life can be like.
4. Major League (1989)
Cast – Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, Rene Russo
Plot – When the Cleveland Indians find out their new owner wants to put together a team so terrible they will be forced to relocate, they decides to pull out all the stops and start playing winning baseball.
Best Scene – The spring training montage spanning the player introductions to the first day of practice makes the team's troubles apparent. With the likes of Jake Taylor (Berenger), a catcher with horrible knees who is unable to throw the ball as far as second base, Rick Vaughn (Sheen), who comes out of jail to pitch and is unable to find the strike zone despite his unprecedented speed and Willie Mays Hayes (Snipes), who is as fast as lightning, but has trouble getting on base and staying there.
Why it is great – Everyone loves the underdog. The Indians were supposed to be miserable and they end up winning the division. The lovable team members and the detestable team owner make for a funny, feel-good baseball movie.
5. 61* (2001)
Cast – Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane
Plot – Mickey Mantle (Jane) and Roger Maris (Pepper) went on a home-run binge in 1961 that had the whole country talking. While the teammates chase Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs, Mantle is the kid who can do no wrong and Maris is the outcast who is criticized for not being as likable as Mantle. When Mantle goes down with an injury and Maris breaks the record on the last day of the season, the commissioner, who was a good friend of Ruth's, decides to put an asterisk on Maris' 61 home runs, because he had a longer season than Mantle.
Best Scene – When Maris, Mantle and teammate Bob Cerv are walking below the grounds at Yankee Stadium, Mantle vents his frustration on the always-looming shadow of Babe Ruth. During his long tirade, Mantle reveals how he cannot stand living in the shadow of Ruth and his undying popularity.
Why it is great – In the new era of baseball in which Barry Bonds is now the record-holder with 73 home runs, and Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa also have eclipsed 61, the movie shows the original record-breaker and the lack of support Maris had from everyone, but his teammates. This baseball movie is one of the best around.
6. The Natural (1984)
Cast – Robert Redford, Robert Duvall
Plot – Roy Hobbs (Redford) thought his promising career as a pitcher had been cut short when he was shot. However, after many years off the diamond, he comes back as a hitter to lead the New York Knights to prominence. No one knows where he came from and how he has become so good.
Best Scene – The scene when Hobbs hits a home run shattering the stadium lights might be one of the most famous scenes in baseball movie history, and it is obviously the best scene in the film. Everyone who has ever played baseball has wanted to crush a ball so hard it would dramatically smash the lights.
Why it is great – It is an all-around feel-good story. Hobbs is a player on his last legs, helping the Knights in more ways than just hitting the ball. Hobbs is the mentor every player looks up to. It is a great story turned into an exceptional baseball movie.
7. Rookie of the Year (1993)
Cast – Thomas Ian Nicholas, Gary Busey
Plot – When hapless Little Leaguer and Cubs fan, Henry Rowangartner (Nicholas) breaks his arm, he discovers he can throw the ball almost 100 mph. After catching a home run from an opposing player at Wrigley Field, Henry does the traditional routine of throwing it back. When he fires it in, however, the Cubs take notice and within weeks he is the youngest member of the Chicago Cubs. While riding his miracle broken arm, the Cubs storm into contention. After Henry's arm heals, however, he cannot throw fastballs any longer and has to figure out a way to beat the hated Mets.
Best Scene – When the pre-teen makes his first career at-bat, his mother, coaches and teammates all lose control as they worry for his safety. His strike-zone is so small he is quickly walked and, once he is on base, he antagonizes the pitcher with insults and eventually scores on a close play.
Why it is great – What Little League player does not want to play Major League baseball? This is a great baseball movie because it allows viewers to share this dream.
8. A League of Their Own (1992)
Cast – Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Rosie O'Donnell, Madonna
Plot – When World War II strikes, the Major League baseball season is canceled. Many of its players go off to fight in the war. The women, still at home, start a new professional league and former Major League superstar-turned-alcoholic Jimmy Dugan (Hanks) is the reluctant manager. The girls start off horribly, but Dugan starts to turn the corner and improves the team thanks to his star catcher, Dottie Hinson (Davis).
Best Scene – After a miscue in the outfield when a player fails to hit the cutoff, Dugan chews out his player and, when she starts crying, Dugan unleashes his famous insistence There's no crying in baseball!
Why it is great – In just about every baseball movie about team camaraderie, the team is full of men. But these girls have the same kind of fun the men have. They sneak out of hotels on the road, they play tricks on each other, they love each other and Dugan learns to love them, too.
9. Eight Men Out (1988)
Cast – John Cusack, Jace Alexander, Gordon Clapp
Plot – When the underpaid players of the Chicago White Sox make the World Series in 1919, instead of winning and getting the champions' share, they decide to go after more money and accept bribes to deliberately lose the World Series.
Best Scene – The famous line, Say it ain't so, Joe is said by a distraught little boy after the scandal is exposed. This insightful scene in a riviting baseball movie shows audiences how this scandal hurt baseball more than the players could have imagined.
Why it is great – In the most infamous episode in the history of professional sports, eight teammates purposely lost to make a few extra bucks. This is a great baseball movie because it shows the audience how morality and self-respect were bought from notable players.
10. Bad News Bears (1976)
Cast – Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal
Plot – A drunken pool man gets stuck coaching a Little League team after none of the kids' parents have time. After starting the season poorly, Coach Buttermaker (Matthau) goes out and finds his star pitcher, Amanda (O'Neal). The team is embarrassed; not only are they bad, but they now have a girl on their team. Amanda, however, proves she is no joke as she blows away hitters. The recruiting does not stop there. The Bears cannot hit either, so they go out and convince town rebel Kelly Leak to suit up for the team. The team goes on to make it to the championship.
Best Scene – In what might be considered a move to build team chemistry, Buttermaker brings the entire team to his job to clean a pool he is supposed to clean. The team cleans the pool while Buttermaker drinks beer and watches the team as the players begin to show signs of getting along.
Why it is great – Bad News Bears is a great baseball movie because chronicles the story of a bad team fighting through hard times and coming out on top. It also pokes fun at the amount of seriousness some Little League teams play with. The Bears win while having more fun than any other team in the league.
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