It's Opening Day! Here is a Baseball Movie for All 30 Major League Teams
NL East
Atlanta Braves: The Slugger's Wife (1985)
Unfortunately, this movie isn't very good. If nothing else, though, it does answer the question, "Hey, what happened to Michael O'Keefe after Caddyshack?" (It was nice to see good ol' Danny in Michael Clayton two decades later.)
Washington Nationals: How Do You Know (2010)
Owen Wilson's character in this movie plays for the Nationals. So, congrats, Nationals fans; you now have a movie that is just as bad as your team.
New York Mets: Men in Black (1997)
Bernard Gilkey sees a UFO over Shea Stadium and misses a routine fly ball. I can only assume that there have been a lot of UFOs following around the Mets over the last few years in an effort to explain their play.
Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillie Phanatic Goes Hollywood (2006)
I think the title pretty much sums it up.
Florida Marlins: Back to the Future Part II (1989)
OK, not technically the Marlins (yes, the mascot more resembled a gator) -- but it is a team out of Miami that loses to the Cubs (ha!) in the 2015 World Series. So, it is possible that the Marlins will change their logo and switch leagues before then.
NL Central
Chicago Cubs: Rookie of the Year (1993)
I've always wondered why "injury leads to super-human ability" has yet to ever happen in real life. Then again, this is a team that hasn't won a World Series in 103 years, so it's fun to ponder things that will never happen in real life.
St. Louis Cardinals: The Pride of St. Louis (1952)
Since the Cardinals are my favorite team, I wanted to include something really great. Unfortunately, the Cardinals do not have a really great movie. So here's this biopic about Dizzy Dean, unfortunately. (Oh, how I almost used the entire series run of Who's the Boss? featuring former Cardinals second baseman turned house-cleaner Tony Micelli.)
Milwaukee Brewers: Mr. 3000 (2004)
Thank you, Milwaukee Brewers and Mr. 3000; you've made me feel better about including The Pride of St. Louis as the Cardinals entry onto this list. (No offense to the late Mr. Mac.)
Pittsburgh Pirates: Angels in the Outfield (1951)
The original Angels in the Outfield featured the Pirates. Sadly, it did not feature Tony Danza.
Houston Astros: Night Game (1989)
The only horror/suspense movie on the list! Roy Scheider plays a police officer investigating a series of murders that occur when an Astros pitcher named Silvio Baretto wins a home night game. Spooky!
Cincinnati Reds: Hustle (2004)
Tom Sizemore played Pete Rose in this 2004 film. Credit has to be given for finding an actor who has more personal problems than even Pete Rose.
NL West
San Diego Padres: The Kid From Left Field (1979)
Gary Coleman plays the manager of the San Diego Padres, making decisions based on his father's (Robert Guillaume) instructions. I used to love this movie as a little kid, and can remember how upsetting it was to not see Arnold Jackson or Benson Dubois sitting in the dugout the first time I watched the Padres play on television.
Arizona Diamondbacks: General Hospital (2009)
Other than the brilliant Nine Innings at Ground Zero (remember, no documentaries), the D-Backs don't really have a notable appearance in film. So, yes, we improvised. Behold, current Oakland A's outfielder Conor Jackson who -- as a member of the Diamondbacks -- appeared on an episode of General Hospital in 2009.
Los Angeles Dodgers: The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)
What makes this film interesting is that it's a scripted film about Robinson's life, but Robinson plays himself. This would be like Mark Zuckerberg playing himself in The Social Network.
San Francisco Giants: The Fan (1996)
I can still hear Robert De Niro shouting "Bob-bay!" This movie contains one of the worst baseball scenes ever depicted -- something that resembles a hurricane hits the San Fransisco Bay area, yet the game isn't delayed. Sure. But, hey, the World Series champion Giants!
Colorado Rockies: The Scout (1994)
By far the biggest stretch on this list. Sorry, Rockies fans, but there really aren't any films depicting your team. If there is, please share! For now, you get The Scout. Why? Because when Steve Nebraska is given a workout, he does so in front of a representative every Major League team -- which, in 1994, included the Rockies.
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Comments
Go Dodgers!
Yankees should watch The Sandlot, and remember what baseball was like before the big money stadium and sell out and merch... oh who am I kidding? The Yankees never knew any of that.
Frequency is a far better choice for a Mets movie than Men in Black.
The Astros movie HAS to be 'The Bad News Bears 2, Breaking Training". "Let them play! Let them play! Let them play!" And didn't Marley run out on the field during a Marlins' game in 'Marley and Me'? That should nudge it ahead of BTTF2 for the Fish.
American Express.... don't steal home without it!!!
Best. Post. Ever.
But Marley and Me makes me cry!
But c'mon, so did 'The Rookie'. Right? Right!? It can't just be me, can it. Dennis Quaid finally makes The Show and his little boy is there to see it. If you welled up at 'Toy Story 3', that HAD to get you...
(Spoiler Alert!) No dogs perished at the end of The Rookie.
My husband loves this time of season for baseball. One of his favorite movies is Major League. Working at DISH Network I got my husband the Google TV. He is going to have such a great time twitter all the Highlights of the Rockies and checking out all the other teams’ scores while he is watching the game. He won't have to even get up from the couch. That is every man's wish come true. I know he can't wait until tomorrow.
I didn't see Sugar, but doesn't the title character spend a good chunk of time as a Royals minor leaguer? thus making it much less of a stretch?
"For Love Of The Game" is a great movie by a great director (Sam Raimi) with a narration by legendary Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully. A friend practically forced me to watch it & I'm glad he did. Who'd thought that Kevin Costner could go the the (movie) plate 3 times & hit it out of the park each time?
Hey, Saint Louis - check out "It Happens Every Spring" - one great baseball comedy
I can't blame The Jackie Robinson Story for the Dodgers, but I was totally expecting that movie to be The Sandlot because of the great ending to the story and The Jet stealing home as a Dodger.
And the Cubs have been in many movies, but Ferris Bueller has a timeline that proves they filmed that part of the movie around an actual game and used the stats from that game as part of the dialog.
The “injury leads to super-human ability” phenomenon has actually happened at least once before in MLB.
During his youth, Mordecai Brown suffered a tragic farming accident that severed his index finger and damaged all of the others. After the injury, he discovered that his pitches now had an unusual amount of spin and gave serious movement to everything he threw. Today, Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown is in the MLB Hall of Fame and still has the lowest career ERA of any pitcher with more than 200 wins.
Now THAT would be a great movie for the Cubs, if Hollywood would get around to making it.
Frequency is a very good choice, but I favor "The Odd Couple".
In Bull Durham, when Nuke is in the Show and being interviewed, it is at old Arlington Stadium. That should be the Rangers choice. Plus, until last year, the whole "minor league" tag mostly applied (and i am actually a big fan).
How about Field of Dreams? Joe Jackson (White Sox), M00nlight Graham (NY Giant), Fenway Park. This is the absolute best ever in my book!
This is a long, forgotten flick, but it was a great one! Thanks for the memory. Go BoSox!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ummm, Big Daddy and The Jays maybe? The whole story revolves around Jon Stewart getting a girl pregnant during the World Series in Toronto.
A St. Louis Cardinals fan and yet you forgot Strategic Air Command starring James Stewart as Cardinal third baseman Dutch Holland? Shame on you. Sure, made in 1955, it was well before any of us were born, but it was one of those rare movies that combined jets AND baseball...two of my favorite story lines...and it appeared all the time on local TV late night movies!
Check it out --> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048667/
It's a winner! Plus, it features Stewart's favorite female lead June Allyson.
Great list! Thanks for doing the leg work to put it together!
The top Astros movie should be Brewster McCloud. It may be quirky, but it's directed by Robert Altman and it's set in the Astrodome. It's way better than Night Game. I don't want to leave Roy Scheider out of the mix by removing Night Game, so how about replacing For The Love Of The Game for the Detroit Tigers and replacing it with a made-for-TV classic starring Scheider: Tiger Town. That movie just oozes Tigers baseball and beloved Tiger Stadium (RIP).
@Jab - "For Love Of The Game" is a great movie by a great director (Sam Raimi) with a narration by legendary Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully. A friend practically forced me to watch it & I'm glad he did. Who'd thought that Kevin Costner could go the the (movie) plate 3 times & hit it out of the park each time? ===> I LIKE THIS!!!