Top 10 Baseball Movies and the Little Ball of Hate has not gone soft

Little Ball of Hate’s Top 11 Baseball Movies

My list goes to 11, why not 10? 11 is one better.

1. The Natural

Why? Every summer, we would go up to Minnesota. My dad’s Army buddy lived in Minneapolis, so we’d visit him and catch a Twins series.

In 1984, it was pouring down rain, and my dad said, “Gerry, you want to go to a movie?” Of course, I said yes.

Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs—maybe from Nebraska? He wins the game with a home run.

Later, I wrote a paper about the final scene and got an A in Mr. Hall’s English class. Still my favorite baseball movie.

2. Field of Dreams

Why? Come on, the story is amazing. Costner is tied with Redford as one of the best actors to ever play a baseball player. Costner went to Cal State Fullerton and famously tried out for the baseball team. Redford received a partial baseball scholarship to Colorado.

And, of course, there’s the final scene—the son and father playing catch.

My brother Adam took his kids to the field where the movie was filmed a few weeks ago. Seeing him and his sons tossing the ball around on that field was special.

3. Bull Durham

Why? Another Costner movie. This is the classic minor-league baseball movie.

“You need a rainout? I bet you $100 I can make that happen.”

“Can you believe this? He’s throwing a shutout and he’s shaking me off? A curveball? And when you speak of me, speak well.”

Enough said.

4. A League of Their Own

Why? “There’s no crying in baseball!”

One of the best lines in any baseball movie.

Two things stand out to me about this movie.

First, I think Tom Hanks enjoyed playing a villain for much of the movie. Throughout his career, he has mostly played likable characters, and Hanks has talked about how much fun he had playing the crude, thoroughly uncharming Jimmy Dugan.

And the baseball is good.

As he’s getting tossed from a game, he says to the umpire, “Anyone ever tell you that you look like a penis with a little hat on?”

How many managers would have loved to say that?

The other great quote comes when Dottie is leaving for Oregon. Dugan asks if she’s having trouble with the bears. Dottie says, “It just got too hard.”

Dugan responds: “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it.”

To me, that line says everything. Growing up playing baseball, I was tiny.

The hard is what makes it good.

5. Major League

Why? I think this is the best baseball comedy ever, and the story is perfect.

The Indians—and yes, I’m using it. A bunch of misfits are thrown together on a team that is supposed to lose, and somehow they gel.

“It is very bad to steal Jobu’s rum.”

And Harry Doyle AKA Bob Ucker as the radio announcer is genius. “Post game is sponsored by….I can’t find it. To hell with it.

Great actors, too. I love Tom Berenger as an actor, but his baseball skills? Not so much.

Charlie Sheen, though, could throw the ball as the Wild Thing. Evidently, he could hit 89 on the gun.

6. The Sandlot

Why? This is the childhood baseball movie.

We’ve all been there. An outcast finds a group of friends and finally feels like he belongs.

Squints is my favorite character. Every boy had a Wendy Peffercorn growing up.

And James Earl Jones at the end?

Amazing.

7. The Bad News Bears (Original)

Why? This is about a drunk who has to coach a team he doesn’t even want to coach.

Walter Matthau is amazing. You also has his relationship with Amanda and, of course, Kelly Leak.

Every kid remembers that kid growing up—the rebel who also happened to be a great athlete.

8. Eight Men Out

Why? This movie tries to be historically accurate, and I think it does a great job.

Comiskey, the owner of the White Sox, is so cheap that when they win the pennant, he gives them flat champagne to celebrate. The players are pissed.

My friend Ed, a huge Red Sox fan and a walking baseball encyclopedia, once told me something as we were walking to Fenway Park. He pointed to a hotel and said, “That’s the hotel where the deal went down to throw the Series.”

And this goes back to Field of Dreams: Shoeless Joe Jackson gets thrown out of baseball even though, while he took the money, he never threw a game.

9. 61*

Why? I hate the Yankees.

Hate, hate, hate.

But Billy Crystal directed this movie, and he is a baseball purist. The story is amazing. Roger Maris was one of my dad’s favorite players, right there with Killebrew—of course.

The acting is phenomenal, and the baseball scenes are spot-on.

10. Little Big League

Why? Okay, yes, it’s the Twins, and any movie that features one of my teams is going to get some extra love.

But the relationship between Billy Heywood and his Grandfather the owner of the Twins is awesome.

Nothing is better than when Billy wants to become the manager. The GM starts quizzing Billy. Billy answers the question perfectly, and the pitching coach says, “Why do you need me?”

11. The Rookie

Why? A great underdog story. Come on.

This guy is a high school science teacher coaching a baseball team that is struggling.

During batting practice, he starts throwing harder than he ever has before.

So he makes a bet with his team: If they make the playoffs, he’ll try out.

Miraculously, they make it, so he lives up to his end of the bet. He goes to the tryout and throws 98 MPH. A Rays scout is there to see it, and they sign him.

He struggles in the minors, especially with being away from his family. He’s ready to give up when he gets called up to pitch against the Rangers—and the whole town is at the game.

Oh yeah, and he and his dad have a terrible relationship.

He comes into the game, strikes out the only batter he faces, and later gives the ball to his dad.

But when he gets the call that they’re bringing him up, he has to give the news personally to his son.

That scene? Dust in the eyes.

And if you’re worried that the Little Ball of Hate has gotten soft...

Not true.

American League Baseball Is Garbage

Okay, the Orioles. Well, hell—the American League is garbage!

The fact that the O’s and Twins are still in the Wild Card race is atrocious.

Orioles pitcher Shane Baz goes out and throws a decent game: 6 1/3 innings, three runs against the Yankees. And he gets one god damn run (you can’t print that. Don’t worry nobody is reading it anyway). That’s the run support?

The Orioles are playing at a .484 winning pace. If they keep that pace, they would finish 79–83.

And yet they could make the playoffs.

Ridiculous.

The bullpen is garbage. No one can get a hit in the clutch. Everyone except Alonso gets hot and cold like when you leave your burrito in the microwave and forget about it.

And Now, the Twins

This team, much like the O’s, enjoys giving you hope and then sticking a knife in your heart.

Buxton and Ryan can’t stay on the field. The bullpen is terrible.

I think Larnach is solid. Clemens is serviceable.

If the Twins have any hope, they desperately need Buxton, Lewis, and Ryan to lead them.

As for College Football...

I always get excited for college football, regardless of what might happen with the Huskers.

But I swear, with NIL money, the transfer rules, and the ridiculousness of the Brendan Sorsby story, it makes me sick.

Luckily, he got shut out of the NCAA. But the whole saga was ludicrous.

Quarterback Brendan Sorsby became the center of a massive college sports scandal after an NCAA investigation revealed that he had placed thousands of sports wagers totaling $90,000, including at least 40 bets involving his own team while at Indiana.

After a brief legal battle and an initial court injunction, he withdrew from college football to pursue the NFL.

The surprising part came on June 8, when Judge Ken Curry granted Sorsby a temporary injunction. That meant that while the lawsuit proceeded, the NCAA couldn't enforce the ruling that made him ineligible. The judge concluded that Sorsby faced probable, imminent, and irreparable injury if he were prevented from practicing and playing during what would have been his final college season.

Not shocking in Texas.

Glad to see he applied for the NFL supplemental draft and the NFL turned him down. And the NCAA didn’t want him back.

Tough luck, Sorsby.

Kansas Basketball and Football

KU football could have an interesting season.

But yes, I’m already looking toward basketball season.

Maybe Trea White is back. Could be fun. But again, there’s NIL money and the transfer portal.

I’m actually surprised Bill Self came back in this environment. He’s a Hall of Fame coach. He has nothing left to prove and no reason to stick around unless he wants to.

It’s pretty clear he loves KU.

I’m not complaining.

So, yes, hopes are high.