Curveball: 15 best baseball movies

How baseball originated is almost impossible to trace. Disputes about the origin go on to this day. For a long time, the author of the rules was considered to be American Ebner Doubleday. But then historians found out that such a person did not exist in nature. The founder of modern baseball is called New Yorker Alexander Cartwright. Sports historians assure that it was he who invented the positions of the players and a set of rules. As a confirmation – the historical fact that in 1846 the first baseball match according to Cartwright’s rules took place.

For the United States, baseball is an important and almost the main national sport. Players earn fabulous fees, stadiums are packed with thousands of stands, and fans cheer for their favorite clubs for decades. The game is also very popular in Cuba, as well as in China, Japan and South Korea. The Russian national team made its international debut in 1993.

“The Man Who Changed Everything”, USA, 2011

Genre: Drama

Director: Bennett Miller

Main actors: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt, Robin Wright.

Age Limit: 18+

The movie is based on the book by Michael M. Lewis – “MoneyBall. How Math Changed the World’s Most Popular Sports League”. Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics baseball team paired with Yale graduate and brilliant mathematician Peter Brand to develop a unique scheme for evaluating player utility. Their method was to evaluate the personal game statistics of each team member.

Following this principle, Billy Beane removed the most expensive players from the team, whose salaries took up the largest part of the team’s budget, and took some mediocre but ambitious athletes. For example, in place of one baseball star, he added three players – injured but strong catcher Scott Hatteberg (Chris Pratt), former star David Justice and starting pitcher Chad Bradford. Subsequent games showed that Brand and Beane’s scheme really works!

“Curveball”, USA, 2012

Genre: Drama

Director: Robert Lorenz

Main Actors: Clint Eastwood, Justin Timberlake, Amy Adams, John Goodman, Bob Gunton

Age Limit: 16+

Gus Lobel (Clint Eastwood) is a once successful baseball scout. He exposed the sports world to many star baseball players. In his declining years, a sports agent who is losing his eyesight decides to embark on his latest journey to find new players. By the way, Justin Timberlake, to embody the image of a baseball player, more than half a year of training on the field and honed his skills.

“42”, USA, 2013

Genre: Biographical drama

Director: Brian Helgeland

Main Actors: Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Bahari

Age Limit: 16+

The movie tells the story of Jackie Robinson, the first black player in Major League Baseball. Until 1947, African Americans were only eligible to play in the Negro Leagues, but Robinson became the first to destroy segregation in baseball. Thanks to Coach Branch, Ricky Jackie signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers club. Here he had to face nags, prejudice and distrust from teammates and sports fans. But over time, Robinson had a dizzying career in baseball. In his honor, Major League Baseball holds a holiday every year – Jackie Robinson Day, when all players in the league take the field under the number 42.

“Nugget”, USA, 1984.

Genre: Drama

Director: Barry Levinson

Main actors: Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger.

Age Limit: 16+

Roy Hobbs has never practiced, but has an innate talent for the brilliant game of baseball. The 19-year-old becomes a star and almost makes it to the professional baseball league. But an accident makes Roy forget about his career for 15 years. Years later, he decides to try his luck again and joins one of the worst teams in the country. Almost single-handedly he pulls the club from the bottom of the championship. However, the competitors are not slumbering – seeing the “nugget’s” desire to win, they send him a seductive beauty Paris (Kim Basinger), hoping that Roy will be distracted from the game.

“Field of Miracles”, USA, 1989.

Genre: Drama, Family

Director: Phil Alden Robinson

Main actors: Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, Gaby Hoffmann, Ray Liotta.

Age Limits: 6+

Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is a simple farmer from Iowa. As a child, his father told him about his favorite team and its best player, Shoeless Joe (Ray Liotta). The latter got his nickname because he played on the field in only socks for comfort. The club was successful and leading in the championship, until all the players were accused of collusion and taking bribes to drain the game.

After the death of his father, Ray inherits a field. One day the farmer hears a mysterious voice calling – “If you build this, they will come.” Ray prepares the field for a baseball game, and the ghost of Barefoot Joe and his teammates do appear on it. Only Ray himself, his wife and daughter can see them. And the ghostly team can’t leave the field.

By the way, the picture was nominated for an Oscar and included in the National Film Registry of the United States.

“Durham Bull”, USA, 1988

Genre: comedy

Director: Ron Shelton

Main actors: Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Trey Wilson.

Age Limit: 18+

Kevin Costner again in a movie about baseball. The actor himself was a professional baseball player in his youth, a Little League player and a player on the baseball team at Villa Park High School in Orange County, California. Alas, during his studies at UCLA Costner was not taken in the team, considering him not strong enough. Kevin was not particularly upset about this – dropped out of university, enrolled in acting classes and stormed the castings. Subsequently, all unrealized dreams of professional sports, he embodied as many as three movies about baseball!

Experienced player Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) is invited to the Durham Bulls team. He must not only help the club keep the leadership in the league, but also take custody of the young star – Abby LaLouche (Tim Robbins). Abby is a brilliant player, but is poorly tested by fame and popularity, often getting into scandalous situations. Crash and Abby have a hard time finding common ground. Especially since near all the time there is a charming fan of the team Annie, in which both players fall in love. By the way, on the set of this movie met Susan Sarandon (she just and plays Annie) and Tim Robbins. Together they lived more than 20 years and raised two sons.

“For the Love of the Game”, USA, 1999.

Genre: Drama

Director: Sam Raimi

Main Actors: Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston, John C. Reilly, Jena Malone

Age Limit: 12+

Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner again!) is a baseball superstar who has sacrificed a lot for the game. But as the years go by, Bill isn’t as good as he used to be, and a long-standing shoulder injury takes its toll. One day he learns two unpleasant news – he is sold to another team, and he is forced to leave his favorite club, and his favorite woman makes an unexpected decision to part with Billy. At his last game, Billy recalls his whole life, evaluates fateful mistakes and wants to make the right choice. Love or a game?

“Their Own League”, USA, 1992.

Genre: comedy, melodrama

Director: Penny Marshall

Main actors: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty.

Age Limit: 18+

During World War II, all men are mobilized, including baseball players. Jimmy Dugan, a former athlete and now a drunken coach, receives an offer to lead the Rockford Peaches, a team that is part of the newly organized Women’s Baseball League. Jimmy is skeptical and ignores his responsibilities at first. Then the girls, led by the active Dottie (Geena Davis) take matters into their own hands. However, Jimmy can’t stand by when he sees Dottie giving the wrong commands to the players. Gradually, the pessimistic coach realizes he was wrong about the potential of the desperate Peaches. The girls are raring to win, without fear of injury.

All the actresses before filming had a training master class. And Rosie O’Donnell showed the best result and perfectly played baseball. The worst was the performer of the main role of Geena Davis. The actress subsequently asked and did not torture her at all, and replace in game moments understudy. And too perfect physical form Madonna played a cruel joke with her – the producers asked the star to reduce the volume of muscle mass. Her biceps looked too impressive!

“The Rookie”, USA, 2002.

Genre: Biographical drama

Director: John Lee Hancock

Main Actors: Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez

Age Limit: 12+

The film is based on the true story of professional baseball player Jim Morris. In his youth he dreamed of playing baseball, but life happened in such a way that the athlete had to forget about his dreams. A serious shoulder injury, underwent surgeries, moving to a new city – all this crossed out Jim’s dreams. Years later, Jim is married, he has three children, he works as a chemistry teacher and part-time coach of the school baseball team.

One day Morris gets a chance to fulfill his dream after all. At the age of 35, he receives an offer to sign with a minor league club and take the field as a pitcher. Despite his short career in sports, Jim Morris achieved excellent results. The athlete released his autobiography, “The Oldest Rookie,” and now serves as a motivational speaker. According to Jim, you should never stop dreaming and believing in yourself.

“Major League”, USA, 1989.

Genre: comedy

Director: David S. Ward

Main actors: Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen.

Age Limit: 16+

Rachel Phelps, the new owner of the Cleveland Indians baseball team, wants to get rid of a problem that has fallen on her head. Her plan is for the team to lose, then she can sell the club to another city. Rachel recruits the worst players, hoping that they will fail the championship. Indeed, the athletes do not inspire confidence at all. One of them is always in jail, another without glasses can’t see further than his nose, the third is obsessed with his own appearance, the fourth does not know the rules of the game, but runs fast. It is impossible to imagine a worse team! But, to the surprise of the club owner, the losers unite and show a great game. However, Rachel does not intend to give up her scheme and builds various intrigues to her wards.

“Hand on a Million”, USA, India, UK, 2014

Genre: biographical drama

Director: Craig Gillespie

Main Actors: Jon Hamm, Pitobash Tripathi, Suraj Sharma

Age Limit: 12+

This drama tells the true story of India’s first baseball player, Rinku Singh. He grew up in the remote Indian village of Gopiganj, in a very poor family and was one of nine children. There was no electricity in Rinku’s house, and sometimes the family starved for weeks. Young Singh could not even think of becoming a global baseball star with a multi-million dollar bank account.

In 2008, down on his luck, he takes part in an unusual reality show “Million Dollar Arm” organized by American sports agents J.B. Bernstein and his partners Ash Vasudevan and Will Chang. The Americans wanted access to the Indian market of athletes, but casting among one of the most populous countries was physically impossible. According to the terms of the show, the candidate who would throw the fastest and most accurate pitch would receive a prize of $100,000 and a contract with one of the clubs. In the end, Rink beat 37 thousand candidates and pitched the ball at a speed of 87 miles per hour!

“Baseball Fever”, USA, Germany, 2005.

Genre: melodrama, comedy

Director: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Main Actors: Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, Jason Spivak

Age Limit: 12+

Beautiful businesswoman Lindsay Meeks falls in love with Ben, a simple teacher. Everything is going great for the couple, Lindsay realizes that she has met the man she wants to build a family with. But baseball season begins, and the girl faces a serious rival – the Boston Red Sox team. Ben is a desperate fan of the club and it’s still unknown who he loves more – baseball or Lindzi.

By the way, the ending of the movie had to be re-shot in a rush. “Boston Red Sox” became famous for the fact that for 84 years the team was haunted by the so-called “Curse of the Bambino”. For all these years, Bostonians suffered defeats and could not defeat their worst enemies – the New York Yankees team. Fans believe that the series of failures began with the sale of the famous baseball player Babe Ruth, nicknamed Bambino. He was a brilliant player of the Boston Red Sox, but was famous for his feisty and wayward character.

The club owners frankly disliked him. When Babe demanded to raise his salary, the bosses not only refused him, but also decided to trade a valuable player. As a result, in 1919 Babe was sold for a record in those years $ 125 thousand dollars to the club “New York Yankees”. And since that time, the luck has left the Bostonians. And New Yorkers thanks to the brilliant game of Ruth (who, incidentally, recognized as one of the best baseball players of all time) became champions four times in a row.

The curse was broken only in 2004, when the Red Sox defeated their longtime foes, the New York Yankees, and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the finals. The movie ended with the team’s defeat – the comedy makers had no doubt that the Bostonians would lose. But then suddenly the Red Sox won!

“Angels at the Edge of the Field”, USA, 1994.

Genre: Family comedy

Director: William Dear

Main Actors: Danny Glover, Brenda Fricker, Tony Danza

Age Limit: 12+

Little Roger is abandoned by his father as he flees from a police pursuit. Before leaving, when asked by his son “when are you coming back?” the man sadly replies “when your ‘Angels’ win.” “The Angels” are a beloved baseball team that keeps losing and hanging out at the bottom of the league. Roger prays every day and asks God to help his team win. A real angel (Christopher Lloyd) responds to the boy’s request and comes down from heaven. He wants to fulfill Roger’s dream, but it turns out to be very difficult. “Angels”, as well as their coach, have long lost faith in themselves.

“Fan”, USA, 1996

Genre: thriller

Director: Tony Scott

Main actors: Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin.

Age Limit: 16+

Tony Scott refused to make this movie for a long time. It turned out that he simply did not like baseball as a sport. The director only agreed when he learned that Robert De Niro himself had given the go-ahead to make the movie. Although he could also not be in the movie. On the role of a crazy fan first considered Jack Nicholson. But he admitted that he is already tired of the role of lunatics. Then his candidacy offered Brad Pitt, but here refused him. Producers considered him too smarmy for the role of sociopath. Wesley Snipes also wanted to embody the image of the villain, but he was given the main role – baseball player Bobby Rayburn, whose life abnormal fan turns into hell. Snipes was preparing for filming under the guidance of baseball player Cal Ripken Jr. However, after the release of the film, Wesley’s game was criticized by other baseball players – and the bat he holds incorrectly, and the technique is lame. The thriller itself hit the lists of the best films, and De Niro was nominated for “Best Villain of the Year”.

“Mr. Baseball”, USA, Japan, 1992.

Genre: comedy

Director: Fred Schepisi

Main Actors: Tom Selleck, Ken Takakura, Aya Takanashi

Age Limit: 0+

Jack Elliott, a former baseball star at the end of his glory days, is unexpectedly bought by a Japanese club. An American to the core must somehow adapt to traditions that are alien to him. And Jack also falls in love with the beautiful Hiroko, who is the daughter of the new coach. And this does not add to his pluses either.