Baseball is the most popular sports, and has slowly grown to become a major sport internationally. It’s also one of the few sports that can be played equally well by people of all ages, genders, and physical abilities. Furthermore, it has a rich history that goes back almost 200 years. A majority of movies about baseball have been made.
Movies about Baseball
1. Field of Dreams
This movie is one of the best baseball movies ever made and has a truly inspiring message. It tells the story of a man who hears a voice in his head telling him to build a baseball field in his cornfield. The voice says that if he does this, Shoeless Joe Jackson will show up with all the players from his ghostwritten book, “Shoeless Joe”. That’s not the only famous player that shows up. This movie is so popular and beloved that there is even a monument in Dyersville, Iowa, where the movie was filmed.
2. The Natural
This movie stars Robert Redford as a man named Roy Hobbs who seems to have everything going for him in his baseball career, including a beautiful girlfriend and future stardom, when tragedy strikes and he loses it all. He finds himself longing for the game of baseball and sets out to return to glory. Along the way, he meets a young girl named Iris who becomes his inspiration and love interest.
3. Bull Durham
This movie is about a veteran catcher named Crash Davis who has been assigned to spend the season with prospects Ronny Dawson and Nuke LaLoosh. The latter has a golden arm that everyone in the organization wants to cash in on, but the former has the knowledge and wisdom of experience. An unlikely friendship forms between them and they learn from each other as the season progresses. This is an excellent movie that shows what goes on behind the scenes of professional baseball.
4. A League of Their Own
This movie is inspired by a book of the same name written by a woman named Kelly Candaele. It tells of the true story of how women were recruited to play baseball during World War II when so many men were off fighting in the war.
5. The Bad News Bears
This movie tells the story of a group of misfit kids who come together as a baseball team in an adult league. Walter Matthau plays the role of Morris Buttermaker, and he’s joined by Tatum O’Neal as Amanda Whurlitzer, and Greg Morris as Jack Taylor. There is a lot of action in this movie, and the kids are certainly interesting characters. It’s a fun movie that’s both entertaining and engaging.
6. Eight Men Out
This movie is about the Chicago White Sox team during the 1919 World Series. It focuses on how they conspired to fix the series against the Cincinnati Reds for money, as well as about their own personal failings as individuals.
7. Pride of the Yankees
This movie stars James Cagney and Janet Gaynor as Joe DiMaggio and Gloria Grahame, respectively. They are a couple who meet during their baseball careers and marry after they retire and have children. In the midst of World War II, Gloria’s brother is sent to fight in Japan and comes back severely injured. He takes his own life, leaving her alone and devastated with their newborn child. Joe is concerned about his wife and their new baby, and so he travels to the Northeast to visit her.
8. Bang the Drum Slowly
This is the true story of a man named Bruce Pearson, played by Michael Moriarty, who was a star catcher on his baseball team. However, he learns that he’s dying of Hodgkin’s disease. He is so aware of his condition that he forbids his teammates from telling anyone else about it. He wants to keep playing in spite of this information and wants to go out on top with a winning season before he dies. It’s a touching story that’s full of emotion and great performances.
9. The Sandlot
This movie stars a group of children around the age of 10 who start playing baseball in a sandlot near their neighborhood. The bulk of this movie takes place during the summer, and revolves around them growing up and finding themselves in different situations over the course of the season.
10. Fear Strikes Out
This is another movie about a group of children who play baseball in the sandlot nearby their neighborhood. They are all looking for the same thing, and it’s to be the best at what they do. It stars Kirk Douglas, William Shatner, and Howard Keel, among others.
Conclusion
These are some of the best movies about baseball. Whether you love the sport of baseball or are a fan of one of these characters, these movies are a great way to watch sports in a movie form. Even if you’re a die-hard fan and want to see everything about your favorite team, these movies will be sure to entertain.