Best Baseball Movies/Docs

[M2]

Did ya catch Amigos? Curious what others thought. Not met many who have actually seen it; it didn't get very wide distribution, I don't think.

Haven't seen it yet.

[marcshoe]

I started watching 4192, but found the period costumes and the casting of Gérard Depardieu in the lead to be so disconcerting that I turned it off.

And then I realized I had reversed a couple of the numbers.

[OGB]

Sayles is an absolute favorite of mine. In fact the best baseball movie never made would be an adaptation of Sayles' book "Pride of the Bimbos."

Well, that and the "Iowa Baseball Conferderacy," but Sayles could get Peter Dinklage an Oscar if he did "Bimbos."

Love that book

[MWM]

Surprised by all the love for Moneyball. Maybe I need to watch it again because I thought it was pretty bad.

[NebraskaRed]

Surprised by all the love for Moneyball. Maybe I need to watch it again because I thought it was pretty bad.

If you compare it to the book, it is. It's a lot better if you look at it as its own thing.

[Roy Tucker]

The Stratton Story - pretty good Jimmy Stewart movie

It Happens Every Spring - Ray Milland as a college professor that comes up with the ultimate doctored pitch.

Fear Strikes Out - Anthony Perkins is believable as a struggling Jimmy Piersall but not so much as a ballplayer.

The Rookie - Dennis Quaid in the story of Jim Morris. Well-told tale.

Field of Dreams and Bull Durham are my favorites though.

[FlightRick]

And I've wanted to see 4192. Is the soundtrack Pollard solo, or is it Guided By Voices, or both?

Pollard on his own. I think it might have been the last major thing he did before they announced the reunion. It fits really well. Pollard's skill with the lo-fi anthem combined with Pete's story and persona give the movie a pitch perfect level of Dirtbag Majesty.

If your local Kroger is anything like mine, they have a display of Reds crap somewhere in the front of the store. T-shirts, beer cozies, decks of cards, and the like.... I check it about once a month to see if there's ever anything new, cool, or deeply discounted. Can't have too many beer cozies. And every time, the same 3 copies of "4192" on DVD are sitting there. So it should be pretty easy to get, and cheap to boot (like $6 or so).


Rick

[Magdal]

I started watching 4192, but found the period costumes and the casting of Gérard Depardieu in the lead to be so disconcerting that I turned it off.

And then I realized I had reversed a couple of the numbers.

He couldn't be much worse as Rose than Columbus.

That Virginia Madsen movie mentioned earlier I believe was called "The Sluggers Wife" It's worth watching for more than Teller talk: Madsen's bare behind. Quite jaw dropping!

2 movies I loved as a kid but can't STAND now: Bendix's Babe Ruth, and Dan Dailey's "Pride of St. Louis"....both pure rubbish.

My fave would have to be Field of dreams, which is not really a sports movie at all. (not that I ever understood JD Salinger, mind you)

[jhiller21]

The Rookie - Dennis Quaid in the story of Jim Morris. Well-told tale.

I agree, good movie for the kids as well. Bull Durham is my favorite, but the language is a bit salty.

"Crash must have called him a **********"

[RedEye]

If you compare it to the book, it is. It's a lot better if you look at it as its own thing.

Which really should be the way any film adaptation is approached IMO. I was expecting Moneyball to be cringeworthy, but it is good Hollywood hokum.

[vaticanplum]

I realize this is a smaller pool of stuff and not as accessible, but has anyone ever seen or read a really great baseball play? I've always been surprised that baseball hasn't had more of a place in theater given what I see as its inherent theatricality (the movement, some of the language), but I see or read just about every play related to baseball I hear of and very little has ever struck me. Take me out is a decent play with some lovely baseball-centered monologues, but it's not really *about* baseball. August Wilson's Fences is probably the best one that I know of. That's a pretty short list.

And no, I've never seen Damn Yankees. that's one that I missed.

[_Sir_Charles_]

I started watching 4192, but found the period costumes and the casting of Gérard Depardieu in the lead to be so disconcerting that I turned it off.

And then I realized I had reversed a couple of the numbers.

Annnnnnd.....soda out the nose.

[marcshoe]

I realize this is a smaller pool of stuff and not as accessible, but has anyone ever seen or read a really great baseball play? I've always been surprised that baseball hasn't had more of a place in theater given what I see as its inherent theatricality (the movement, some of the language), but I see or read just about every play related to baseball I hear of and very little has ever struck me. Take me out is a decent play with some lovely baseball-centered monologues, but it's not really *about* baseball. August Wilson's Fences is probably the best one that I know of. That's a pretty short list.

And no, I've never seen Damn Yankees. that's one that I missed.

My father's in a production of Damn Yankees this summer (his wife's directing.) I haven't seen it, though.

[NebraskaRed]

I realize this is a smaller pool of stuff and not as accessible, but has anyone ever seen or read a really great baseball play? I've always been surprised that baseball hasn't had more of a place in theater given what I see as its inherent theatricality (the movement, some of the language), but I see or read just about every play related to baseball I hear of and very little has ever struck me. Take me out is a decent play with some lovely baseball-centered monologues, but it's not really *about* baseball. August Wilson's Fences is probably the best one that I know of. That's a pretty short list.

And no, I've never seen Damn Yankees. that's one that I missed.

This isn't going to be too much help to you, but I know I saw a play while I was in college that took place at a baseball game. Problem is I can't remember the title. I remember the set being bleachers, and 3 or 4 guys were attending the game. One of them might have had a glove.

Not much help, I know

[RedEye]

This isn't going to be too much help to you, but I know I saw a play while I was in college that took place at a baseball game. Problem is I can't remember the title. I remember the set being bleachers, and 3 or 4 guys were attending the game. One of them might have had a glove.

Not much help, I know

Sounds like it really made an impression, eh?