Baseball is more than a sport, and, the stories told on the big screen are the best proof. Here are some of the best baseball movies of all time. Enjoy!
Bull Durham
IMDB score: 7.1, Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
Ageing, playing too long in the minor leagues, and fighting over a woman. That’s the movie, and that’s life.
“A good friend of mine used to say, "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains." Think about that for a while.”, says Calvin, and we do agree!
Moneyball
IMDB score: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Aaron Sorkin wittily wrote the true story of putting together a super team from the most unexpected players. Athletic skill is not all that’s at play here; math and charm ultimately win the game!
“How can you not get romantic about baseball?” says Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt.
Field of Dreams
IMDB score: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
A man hears voices, so he builds a baseball diamond in his own cornfield. Turns out, it’s made for much more than winning games. It’s made for winning lost dreams.
“This is my most special place in all the world, Ray. Once a place touches you like this, the wind never blows so cold again. You feel for it, like it was your child.”
Major League
IMDB score: 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes Score: 83%
Would a team ever be stacked to lose? In this movie, it is! However, the best-laid plans have a way of getting derailed, and the wicked little scheme plays out in a very different way.
The Natural
IMDB score: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%
Robert Redford is an extraordinary baseball player, with a bat cut from a tree, that was struck by lightning. A mysterious woman takes a shot at him, but he comes back to reclaim an old dream.
42
IMDB score: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
A true story about a baseball player who becomes a hero. Jackie Robinson takes on the 1940’s racism, and eventually reaches the hall of fame. It all starts with a tough team exec, played by Harrison Ford, who decides that Baseball is about sportsmanship, not colour.
“Dollars aren't black or white. They're green.”
A League of Their Own
IMDB score: 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Baseball and women generally don’t mix. Except in the 1940”s, when the men were out at war, and women played in a league of their own.
“If you want to go back to Oregon and make a hundred babies, great, I'm in no position to tell anyone how to live. But sneaking out like this, quitting, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Baseball is what gets inside you. It's what lights you up, you can't deny that.” says Jimmy Dugan, played by Tom Hanks.
Million Dollar Arm
IMDB score: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes Score: 65%
As a sports agent loses his mojo, he takes one last leap of faith. Taking inspiration from reality TV shows and cricket matches, he takes his recruitment skills to the other end of the map. It’s not just about winning matches, as winning friends turns out to be the real deal.
Trouble with the curve
IMDB score: 6.8, Rotten Tomatoes Score: 51%
Ageing is a kick in the gut to anyone, but most of all to those who run around the ballpark. Clint Eastwood plays a baseball scout way past his prime, but he can’t take it. On his last scouting trip, he gets so much more than he was hoping for. Starting with an estranged daughter.
The Fan
IMDB score: 5.9, Rotten Tomatoes Score: 37%
How far would a fan go for his favourite player and favourite team? Usually as far as cheering a game. But, in this movie, the fan goes way too far.
On a Final Note
Baseball is a major attraction on the big screen and in life. To play it well, you need stellar gear, like the bats you’d see in these iconic movies. Premier Bats has been in the baseball business since 2011.
In this past decade, they've been selling some of the best bats. Fast-pitch, slow-pitch, Major League, Little League, BBCOR, USSSA, USA. You name it, they have it.