Baseball at the Movies – My Top 5 Favorites
I asked my Twitter friends to share their favorite baseball movie. Here’s just a small sampling of their great responses.
https://twitter.com/raygozabruin/status/757980684627636224
*“Angels in the Outfield” is a terrific remake of a 1951 version of the same name. I recommend checking out the original as well, it’s wonderful.
I love the rookie with Dennis Quaid of about never giving up on your dreams
— andy ~ in my defense i have none (@andylanechapman) July 26, 2016
The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Season of Justin TurnerBull Durham – for the comedy aspect but also for the realistic portrayal of minor league baseball.
— ?? Scott Veatch ?? (@scott_veatch) July 26, 2016
@BleednblueJohn The Natural. Wonderful story set in rhe golden age of baseball. Needed the Dodgers in it tho…
— Rob (@IlliniDodgers) July 26, 2016
"The Fan." While I love baseball, I don't care for how soapily it is portrayed in Hollywood.I also wanted Darth Vader to kill ewoks
— Dean Bburg (@PunkAss) July 26, 2016
*I’ve never seen “The Fan” so it’s going on my list.
There were many other great movies listed, “The Natural”, “Major League 1 & 2”, “A League of Their Own”, “Eight Men Out”, “Moneyball” and “42” to name a few. All great choices.
I think the overwhelming consensus is everyone loves “The Sandlot” and, of course, Wendy Peffercorn.
The charm and staying power of this movie is simply that it’s a spot-on glimpse into many of our childhoods. If you haven’t seen it, all I can say is…
“You’re killing me, Smalls!“
Because you’ve never seen it, you won’t get the reference. We can’t be friends until you see it.
So, on the next off day or during the rapidly approaching off-season (Late October Dodger fans!) you can re-watch an old favorite or check out something new. You can find a whole checklist of baseball movies at Baseball Almanac. I’m a classic movie buff and I highly recommend you check out some of the films made in the 1940’s and 1950’s. One of my personal favorites, “Pride of the Yankees”, the Lou Gehrig story, which made my list, is a good place to start.
To sum up, you need never be without baseball when there are so many great baseball movies out there to enjoy.
A Julio Urias Trade Puts Legacy, Tradition, and History at Stake“Man, this is baseball, you gotta stop thinking! Just have fun.” ~ Benny Rodriquez, The Sandlot (1993)
The Natural, too!