5. The Sandlot (1993; Written by David M. Evans & Robert Gunter and Directed by David M. Evans): The film, set in 1962, follows main character Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) as he moves with his family to a new neighborhood and takes up a keen interest in baseball. The only problem is that he's not that good. But the neighborhood's best player, Benny Rodriguez (Mike Vitar), takes Scotty under his wing and he's invited to join the team. The film explores the friendships of the young baseball players as they experience together the trials and tribulations of childhood.
Memorable Quote: "Oh yeah, the Great Bambino. Of course! I thought you said the Great Bambi." Smalls, demonstrating his lack of knowledge about baseball
4. Major League (1989; Written and Directed by David S. Ward): A Las Vegas showgirl inherits ownership of the Cleveland Indians when her late husband passes, and, hating Cleveland, she seeks to move the team to the warmer climate of Miami, Florida. All she has to do is have the attendance dip below 800,000 and the lease will allow her to do so. She proceeds to assemble and field an Indians team full of awful players, including pitcher Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughan (Charlie Sheen) who, despite a 96-mile-per-hour fastball, just can't keep his pitches in the strike zone. But, despite her shady efforts, the team begins to win and the comedy ensues as she tries valiantly to make them lose.
Memorable Quote: "Remember fans, Tuesday is Die Hard Night. Free admission for anyone who was actually alive the last time the Indians won the pennant." - play-by-play announcer Harry Doyle (Bob Uecker)
3. The Natural (1984; Written by Robert Towne and Directed by Barry Levinson): Robert Redford stars as Roy Hobbs, an unknown middle-aged baseball player who seemingly arrives out of nowhere to lead the struggling New York Knights, a fictional 1930s team, to glory. Earlier in his life, his career as a pitcher was sidetracked after he was shot by a woman, but his newfound prowess at the plate - with the aid of a "magical" bat - helps him achieve baseball stardom. The film is based on Bernard Malmud's 1952 novel of the same name.
Memorable Quote: "Red, it took me sixteen years to get here. You play me, and I'll give ya the best I got." - Hobbs, to his team's assistant manager, Red Blow
2. Field of Dreams (1989; Written and Directed by Phil Alden Robinson): "If you build it, he will come" is what Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), an Iowa farmer, keeps hearing a voice say in his corn field. He imagines this voice is telling him to build a baseball diamond, which he does. It takes over a year and the introduction of several key characters before the ghosts of Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) and the other seven Chicago White Sox players banned from baseball for throwing the 1919 World Series appear to play on his field.
Memorable Quote: "I'm 36 years old, I love my family, I love baseball and I'm about to become a farmer. But until I heard the voice, I'd never done a crazy thing in my whole life." - Kinsella
1. Bull Durham (1988; Written and Directed by Ron Shelton): The film follows "Crash" Davis (Kevin Costner), a veteran minor-league catcher brought to the Durham Bulls single-A team to teach hot shot pitcher Ebby "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) about what it takes to make it to the major leagues. In addition to their battles on the diamond the two of them are also involved in a romantic triangle with baseball groupie Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon), simply adding to the tension and comedic element.
Memorable Quote: "Relax, all right? Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic." - "Crash" to "Nuke"
