Top 5 baseball movies??

[CrazyDiamond]

1. 61*
2. The natural
3. Eight men out
4. A league of their own
5. The babe

What's yours?

[TUM301]

Bang the Drum Slowly, 42 have to be in this list. IMO

[ooo-ribay]

In no particular order:

The Sandlot
Field of Dreams
61
Bang the Drum Slowly
The Fan

maybe this should be a top 10. I could easily name 5 more...

[bn2cardz]

The Sandlot
Rookie of the Year
The Natural
Field Of Dreams
61*

[barrysloate]

Pride of the Yankees seems to be out of favor these days. And 61* appears to be on everyone's list, mine included. Maybe my all-time favorite.

[bn2cardz]

List 2:

8 Men out
Hardball
Major League
A League of Their Own
The Rookie

[bn2cardz]

List 3:
Angels in the Outfield
Pride of the Yankees
Bad News Bears (1976)
Fever Pitch
The Benchwarmers

[sycks22]

Major League 1
Sandlot
Bull Durham
61
Sugar

[MyGuyTy]

My top 5, no particular order:

61
Sandlot
The Natural
Cobb (gross exaggeration but very entertaining)
Eight Men Out

*edit to add, just watched "42" for the first time the other night, very good movie, probably moved up into 6th place (just outside of my top 5).

[baseballfan]

no order except #1

#1 bull durham
original bad news bears
a league of their own
field of dreams
sandlot

[ooo-ribay]

Originally Posted by sycks22

Major League 1
Sandlot
Bull Durham
61
Sugar

Forgot about Major League

Didn't see Sugar, but I think I need to!

[itjclarke]

1) Bull Durham

2) The Natural

3) Field of Dreams

4) Pride of the Yankees

5) Major League

Honorable mention: 42, 8 Men Out, 61

[AMBST95]

Field of Dreams
The Sandlot
Bull Durham
Bad News Bears (Original)
A League of Their Own


Honorable Mention:

'Why Not?' The 1989 Baltimore Orioles VHS Yearbook. (I wore my copy out as a kid)

[RTK]

42 - Great CGI of Ebbetts, Polo Grounds and Forbes. It made you feel as if you were in the park.

61 - Very well done, captured the era and characters well.

The Sandlot - reminds of my childhood playing endless games of sandlot ball every day all summer long on a filed we made, without an adult in site.

Eight Men Out - Great story, Shoeless Joe and Cusack is wonderful in the movie

(Tie) Bull Durham, The Natural & Field of Dreams - It's too hard to choose. They're about the love of the game and hope.

[novakjr]

This topic seems to come up every once in a while here....

My choices..

Costner makes my list 3 times, James Earl Jones twice...In order...

1)For Love of the Game
2)Major League(can't help it, I love my Tribe)
3)The Sandlot
4)Field of Dreams
5)Bull Durham

So damn close-The Natural and Fever Pitch(the movie is funny as hell, BUT it's direct tie to the '04 Red Sox season really gives this movie a little something extra that NO other sports movie will EVER be able to replicate). Haven't seen 42 yet. Probably will tonight though, I noticed it's on the HBO-OD

[ooo-ribay]

Can't believe I'm the only one with "The Fan" on my list

So bad but also so blatantly the Barry Bonds story.

[barrysloate]

Anybody see "Trouble with the Curve", with Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams? Not a top 5 by any means, but I found it entertaining.

"Moneyball" is another good film that deserves some praise.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

"Moneyball" is another good film that deserves some praise.

Oh yeah, Moneyball.. Definitely in my revised top 5. I bump my #4 (Pride of the Yanks) simply because I can't bring myself to bump Major League. Too many good memories. I saw both Major League and Field of Dreams in my little league uniform directly following games.

[RTK]

Trouble with the Curve was really good.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Fear Strikes Out.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay

Can't believe I'm the only one with "The Fan" on my list

So bad but also so blatantly the Barry Bonds story.

DeNiro was quite good actually, as was Wesley Snipes as Barry.

[Writehooks]

1. Bang The Drum Slowly
2. '61
3. Field of Dreams
4. Pride of the Yankees
5. The Stratton Story

HM: League Of Their Own; Fear Strikes Out; 42.

[novakjr]

Originally Posted by novakjr

This topic seems to come up every once in a while here....

My choices..

Costner makes my list 3 times, James Earl Jones twice...In order...

1)For Love of the Game
2)Major League(can't help it, I love my Tribe)
3)The Sandlot
4)Field of Dreams
5)Bull Durham

So damn close-The Natural and Fever Pitch(the movie is funny as hell, BUT it's direct tie to the '04 Red Sox season really gives this movie a little something extra that NO other sports movie will EVER be able to replicate). Haven't seen 42 yet. Probably will tonight though, I noticed it's on the HBO-OD

Realized that I forgot League of their own on my "so damn closes". Watched 42 earlier tonight. Beautiful film, near perfection, but not necessarily one that would get me pumped up for baseball season. It also makes my so damn close list..

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by novakjr

... Fever Pitch(the movie is funny as hell, BUT it's direct tie to the '04 Red Sox season really gives this movie a little something extra that NO other sports movie will EVER be able to replicate).

Being in St. Louis a lot of people I know hate this movie for the very reason you love it. I love it for the same reason. I am (always have been) a baseball fan and don't have an allegiance to any logo or colors so much that I can't appreciate the history that took place that year. I like the fact that they had to edit the movie because the Red Sox won, which they did not expect to happen.

[the 'stache]

My list changes occasionally. And let me say that having to narrow it down to five is really, really hard, because I'm a real sucker for baseball movies. But here's where I'd have it right now:

1. The Natural
2. Moneyball
3. Eight Men Out
4. 61*
5. Field of Dreams

I loved 42, and at some point, I'm sure it will creep into this list. Right now, though, I just have no clue which movie I'd swap it for. This is like being asked "what's your favorite 5 Beatles albums?"

After Field of Dreams, 42, Cobb, Chasing 3,000, Trouble With the Curve and Fever Pitch would be my next five right now.

I kept an open mind going into "Fever", and ended up really liking it. I wasn't going to hate it, because I have a thing for Drew Barrymore. But I totally identified with Ben's Red Sox obsession (I'm the same way about my Milwaukee teams). I liked Trouble With the Curve a lot, too.

Let me say that I love how many great baseball films there are!

[novakjr]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

Being in St. Louis a lot of people I know hate this movie for the very reason you love it. I love it for the same reason. I am (always have been) a baseball fan and don't have an allegiance to any logo or colors so much that I can't appreciate the history that took place that year. I like the fact that they had to edit the movie because the Red Sox won, which they did not expect to happen.

The timing of everything, and the fact that the results forced them to edit the ending of the movie is exactly what I was talking about..

[jiw98]

Narrowing it down to 5 is tough, so I'll go with
1) Eight Men Out
2) Trouble With The Curve
3) Field Of Dreams
4) Pride Of The Yankees
5) Bull Durham

[Big Six]

1. Major League
2. Eight Men Out
3. Sandlot
4. Field Of Dreams
5. The Natural

I could easily watch these movies over and over...it pained me to leave Bull Durham off the list, though.

[ooo-ribay]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

Being in St. Louis a lot of people I know hate this movie for the very reason you love it. I love it for the same reason. I am (always have been) a baseball fan and don't have an allegiance to any logo or colors so much that I can't appreciate the history that took place that year. I like the fact that they had to edit the movie because the Red Sox won, which they did not expect to happen.

nothing like the original Nick Hornby book about soccer

[ooo-ribay]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

DeNiro was quite good actually, as was Wesley Snipes as Barry.

"Do you care now?!?"

The inaccuracies from a baseball standpoint were so numerous it makes me wonder if they were perhaps intentional.

[novakjr]

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay

nothing like the original Nick Hornby book about soccer

Or the original movie. Again, back to what makes it special, is that the Red Sox weren't supposed to win. In real life, or the film. That was what was going to make this re-make different from the original, which is one of the reasons that they picked the Red Sox... But by divine fate, the Red Sox delivered the exact same ending as the original film, and book...

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay

"Do you care now?!?"

The inaccuracies from a baseball standpoint were so numerous it makes me wonder if they were perhaps intentional.

I think the filmmaker was European and had never been to a baseball game. Need to check imdb when I get home. I personally couldn't stand the movie, but did love it at the end when there's some sort of emotional reunion (was it Snipes and his son), and everyone's happy.. While their teammate Kruk is lying dead, face down in the mud while none of his teammates or even emergency personnel tend to him. So classic!!

[RTK]

I forgot about the movie "Cobb". It was pretty good as well.

[glynparson]

Eight men out
Moneyball
Bad news bears
Major league
Benchwarmers

[33rd Street]

Bad news bears (1976)
Long Gone (HBO)
61*
Eight Men Out
Bingo longs traveling all stars

[alanu]

The Pride of the Yankees
The Natural
The Sandlot
Chasing 3000
Major League

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

(1) Field of Dreams - This movie transcended the game
(2) Bull Durham - "Women get wooly"
(3) *61
(4) Major League - Apparently you are in good hands with Jobu
(5) Bad News Bears

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Originally Posted by novakjr

1)For Love of the Game
2)Major League(can't help it, I love my Tribe)
3)The Sandlot
4)Field of Dreams
5)Bull Durham

I almost put For Love of the Game on my list. It was a good one.

[Runscott]

For me, the top 2 are way in front of the others

1. The Natural
2. 61*
3. 8 Men Out
4. Field of Dreams
5. 42

[bbcard1]

I would go:

Bull Durham
Field of Dreams
Bingo Long Traveling All Stars and Motor Kings
Original Bad News Bears
and probably Angels in the Outfield, though once you get past #4 there are a lot of movies I enjoy watching like Major League, 61*, 42, that would be in the running depending on my mood.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

I am surprised Field of Dreams and Major League didn't make it higher on many lists.

[Runscott]

I'm always surprised that 'Bull Durham' makes anyone's list, and that 'The Natural' isn't agreed-upon by everyone, as the best ever. Personal Opinion can be a weird, inexplicable thing.

[SikSyko]

Eight Men Out
Major League (turn you brain off and have fun movie)
Field of Dreams
Bull Durham (because I use to hang out in the same pub some of the AAA players who use to play here and saw a lot of the same off field things going on)
Bad News Bears

Not sure of a 5th one.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I'm always surprised that 'Bull Durham' makes anyone's list, and that 'The Natural' isn't agreed-upon by everyone, as the best ever. Personal Opinion can be a weird, inexplicable thing.

After reading The Natural I don't view the movie the same way.

[mets41]

my top 5 are:

bang the drum slowly
natural
angels in the outfield (original) & it happens every spring (both star Paul Douglas, one of my favorites)
stratton story

elsa jenssen is a bum but her husband, ludwig stossel, is ok

[Bigdaddy]

In particular order (1-5):

Bull Durham - and not only because I was an extra in it, sooo many quotable lines

Field of Dreams - ghosts, corn and baseball - what more could you ask

A League of Their Own - It's supposed to be hard! If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great!

The Sandlot

The Natural

No further discussion required

[bosoxfan]

The Natural
Fever Pitch
Eight Men Out
Field of Dreams
Moneyball

[MooseDog]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I'm always surprised that 'Bull Durham' makes anyone's list, and that 'The Natural' isn't agreed-upon by everyone, as the best ever. Personal Opinion can be a weird, inexplicable thing.

Both are great, great movies that play on baseball mythology in different ways.

Both are certainly in my top 5. In regards to The Natural, and despite the differences from the novel, every boy who ever played baseball has at one time dreamed of being Roy Hobbs and the movie was brilliantly executed.

Bull Durham was so well written I find myself still enjoying it after dozens of viewings.

My top 5

Eight Men Out
Bull Durham
The Natural
Field of Dreams
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings

Full disclosure, my anti-Yankee bias precludes the inclusion of Pride of the Yankees, the Babe Ruth Store, Safe at Home, 61, or even Bang the Drum Slowly - all fine flicks.

Nice to see Bingo Long on several lists. It's a great movie loosely based on the Indianapolis Clowns.

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Anybody see "Trouble with the Curve", with Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams? Not a top 5 by any means, but I found it entertaining.

"Moneyball" is another good film that deserves some praise.

I just watched Trouble with the Curve this weekend and it was OK, but not enough baseball in the movie to consider it a baseball movie. Their jobs are centered around it but most of the movie is off the field and has little to do with the game.

[the 'stache]

I'm watching A League of Their Own right now. I completely forgot about this line from Ernie Capadino (Jon Lovitz):

"Yeah, I'm just going home to grab a shower and shave, give the wife a little pickle tickle, and I'm on my way."