Ah, spring … the time when the Boys of Summer take their last swings before the season begins.
If there’s a better part of the year I can’t think of one.
So to honor baseball’s rebirth, and the dawn of Yankee Stadium 2.0, here are WWTW’s picks for the best baseball movies.
- “The Bad News Bears” (1976) – Sure, it’s not professional ball, but it’s the perfect combination of baseball and pure movie magic. Still can’t believe they let Walter Matthau get away with what he gets away with in this unadulterated gem.
- “Bull Durham” – It gets better with age. Smart, sassy, romantic and melancholy in just the right doses.
- “Eight Men Out” – The dark side of baseball – before The Steroid Era broke.
- “Major League” – The best pure baseball comedy, period. Forget the sequels.
- “The Naked Gun” – Yes, it’s not a baseball movie, but the “one-two-three strikes, yer out” call by Leslie Nielsen may be the funniest baseball moment committed to celluloid.
(Photo: Walter Matthau, right, holds court with a drink in his hands in the baseball classic “The Bad News Bears.”)
No related posts.
on 
on 
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
“The Natural”.
Perhaps more about dreams, homeland, fate or karma it’s still a great baseball movie.
The Natural and Field of Dreams just … didn’t do it for me, although I’m in the minority.
I’d put The Sandlot up there..it never gets old.
“Bang the Drum Slowly.” Michael Moriarty is great, and he’s a perfectly convincing pitcher. Great early performance by Robert DeNiro. And they keep the great closing line. “From this point on, I rag nobody.”
“From here on in, I rag nobody.” Sorry, didn’t sound quite right in memory, so I checked IMDB.
Where would we be without IMDB, Carlos? Good choice!
You put one right in my wheelhouse…I would recommend
It Happens Every Spring
The Rookie
and I second the recommendation on “The Sandlot”, “The Natural” and “Field of Dreams”.
I used to play catch with my Dad all the time and that scene at the end of Field of Dreams gets me everytime.
“The Sandlot” … I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never seen it (although Mrs. WWTW swears by it … and she never does that). I’m off to the used DVD store momentarily to buy some disks … will see if they have that in stock.
Overall Field of Dreams is nonstop baby-boomer garbage, but the “Hey dad, want to have a catch?” gets me every time.
For Love of the Game.
When John C.Reilly character Gus tells Chapel “The boys are all here for you. We’re gonna be awesome for you right now!”
Just great.
The Natural, Angels in the Outfield with Paul Douglas and The Kid from Left Field with Dan Daley. And I’ve hated baseball all my life, but I love baseball movies.
To include “Naked Gun” and not “Bang the Drum Slowly” strikes this list out looking.
And we happened to watch “Damn Yankees” just yesterday on DVD. That one belong on the list too. A fan sells his soul to take the pennant from the Yankees and “What Lola Wants Lola Gets”? C’maaaaan. You’re blind, ump.
The Natural and Field of Dreams deserve to be in the top 5.
“Here in Cleveland? I didn’t know we still had a team!”
“Yeah, it’s really great; we got uniforms and everything.”
Major Leauge is one of my favorite movies of all time for sure. Cleveland native here; love my Tribe to pieces.
Agree with you on the “Major League” call, just love that movie. Another one that I always enjoy in “A League of Their Own.” Sure it is sappy, and kind of crappy, but I always laugh and enjoy it when I watch it.
What about these classics
Pride of the Yankees -Gary Cooper as Lou Gerhig, Babe Ruth as Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth Story-William Bendix as Babe Ruth
“Bull Durham,” I saw that movie. I loved it. I saw the actors, Costner, Robbins and Sarandan and said to myself, “wow, they’re great. I like them. I’m going to go see their movies.” And those bastards have been punishing me for that decision.
“Bull Durham” should be burned. Charles Krauthammer could do a better wind up than Tim Robbins.