Pre-War Character Movie Ideas...
 

So one of my favorite things to do when I am bored in my office or on the road is looking through threads here on this site and look for names of players I have never heard of, or know little about. When I see a name, I then love to Wikipedia them or google some of that players life story and learn. I love it. Last night I read about Tommy Leach and Bill Sunday after seeing their names in the "Favorite Card Thread".

A lot of these old time players led AMAZING lives, and did AMAZING things. It leads me to this question...wouldn't it be great to have a high budget Hollywood film about some of these legendary players?

Who would be your choice, and why, to make a movie about?


My first thought would be someone like Nap Lajoie and center it around the Chalmers batting title race and Nap's life. But there are SO many others...

I would make one about Christy Mathewson, Fred Merkle, and the 1908 National League pennant race.

And throw in Mike Donlin and the life that he led.

Moe Berg and it's not even close.

+1

Spitball pitcher Urban Shocker.

Moe Berg definitely
Satchel Paige
Ted Williams concentrating equally on his baseball career and his military experiences in both wars.

Dude
 

Dude Esterbrook

??

Cool, time to hit google. I've honestly not heard of him...


Edit to add - I have heard of him, and did read all about him when I was putting together a Goudey set. Just forgot his name...and yes...that would be a heck of a movie.

Absolutely!

Now, let's have some fun...let's cast him!

Any Ideas?

.

So wow...if you read the update to Moe Berg's Wikipedia page you get this -

In April 2016, it was announced that American actor Paul Rudd will portray Berg in an upcoming biographical drama film called The Catcher Was a Spy, based on the book of the same name. The film will be directed by Ben Lewin and is likely to be released in 2017.


Here is the link to the IMDB page-

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4602066/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

I like Paul Rudd, it will be interesting to see how they portray him as Rudd isn't the most serious actor. I'd more excited if say, Tom Hardy was playing him or someone like that. Either way, can't wait to see it.

Way back when I first heard his story I wanted to cast Bill Murray. Back then people thought I was nuts, now he gets a ton of respect as a serious actor. Plus he has a huge love affair with Baseball being part owner of a couple minor league teams. I guess you can figure out that I've been dying to see this movie made for rather a long time.

Eddie Gaedel...focusing on not only his one AB but also his fall from fame and his struggles with alcohol.

Larry McLean's story would make for a rowdy tale.

Ray Chapman!

How about the flip side of Ray Chapman? Carl Mays was an interesting player who had his share of demons.

For your next interesting player that few people know about, your assignment is Dan Litwhiler. He is the subject of a very good episode of the Eephus Podcast, which I guarantee is right up your alley and will be a fun diversion for you.

And for Moe Berg I like Adam Sandler. Actually the Eephus Podcast has a good episode on Moe Berg also.

Eddie Grant.

Be a bit of a sad story obviously but he was the Pat Tillman of his era.

Louis Sockalexis' story has everything. He even died dramatically clutching newspaper accounts of his glory days. The twists and turns of his life and ultimate tragedy would be turned down by a Hollywood studio as too much fantasy if it wasn't all true. His homer off Amos Rusie who was jeering his minority status while real life indians gave war chants from the crowd is one of the greatest moments in baseball history. This and his descending from the chief of his tribe are not even in the top ten of the coolest things in his life. I have been a student of the game for three decades and his story is so fantastic that it is still hard for me to believe he was a real person sometimes!

How about a true tragic story. Marty Bergen

His story is the reason why I hate when someone (ahem, lawsuit in Canada settled the other day) protests the name "Indians." Not only is it not a derogatory term like Redskins, but the team was renamed from the Spiders in Sockalexis' honor. So people are protesting something that was done in honor of one of the people for which they are busy being offended!

Down that vein though how about the first African Americans In the Majors, Moses and Welday Walker?

A movie about Grover Cleveland Alexander would be equally parts fascinating and sad.

An ESPN short film on Rube Waddell would be pretty interesting, too.

The Winning Team.

One of Ronald Reagan's most famous roles was Alexander

Must have missed that one. Will have to check it out.

A tragedy about the life and death of Rube Waddell. Try to avoid all the fallacies told about him (that he chased fire trucks) and more about his real life. The booze, the crazy, his childhood and being forced out of the league regardless of his performance because of his inability to keep it together.

The Black Prince of Baseball
Hal Chase - plenty of drama with one of the era's top players, being banned for life.

The Black Prince of Baseball
Hal Chase - plenty of drama with one of the era's top players, being banned for life.

He didn't die. He is just a little worse for wear. :D

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One of my ideas would be around addie joss from the view of his son and it would start right before he had gotten sick till after the death and first all star game. Another idea would be john mcgraw and focus on the 1904 season or another would be around the 1868-69 redlegs building of the team all the the way till the defeat by brooklyn.

Julius Solters is an interesting guy too. Pretty damn good hitter, was hit in the head by a pregame throw and knocked out cold and was never the same. Gradually went blind but still managed to support his wife and 5 kids, never took a hand out. just missed qualifying for the first pension but was never bitter. Very uplifting story.

As SABR put it, "The only ballplayer named for a sitting United States president and portrayed on film by a future one (Ronald Reagan in The Winning Team)."

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Satch:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082277/

I know he's not a well-known baseball player but Hobey Baker would make a great movie. ( You can't count Great Gatsby!) Hockey and college football Hall of Famer, as well as a fighter pilot in WW1 and his untimely death. (Suicide??)

wasn't there one too where Satch was played by Billy Dee Williams? (or was it just a fictionalized account of the negro leagues where he played a "Satchel Paige" type character?)

Must be thinking of Bingo Long and His Traveling All-Stars. Not sure if it's a fictionalized account of Paige, or just fiction'

I would do one of Shoeless Joe Jackson!

How about a story about Ray Chapman and Carl Mays and how their lives intersected on that terrible day.

Sean,

As a Cubs fans, this would be relevant to my interests.