BallparkBob’s Best Baseball Movies
Everybody has their own opinions when it comes to best baseball movies, but there are a few that seem to stand out on almost everybody’s list: Field of Dreams; The Natural; Bull Durham. These are certainly some of my personal favorites too.
But, when you think of baseball movies (or any movies for, that matter), the thing that comes to mind for me is memorable lines: “There’s no crying in baseball” or “If you build it, they will come.” Or, memorable elements that remind you of the movie: Chico’s Bail Bonds or Wonderboy.
Bull Durham
- Field of Dreams
- Bull Durham
- A League of Their Own
- The Natural
- Bad News Bears
- Major League
- Summer Catch
- Eight Men Out
- The Rookie
- For the Love of the Game
- The Babe
- Baseball: A Film by KenBurns
- 61
- Cobb
- Life and Times of Hank Greenberg
- The Sandlot
- Fever Pitch
- Bang the Drum Slowly
- Hustle
- Angels in the Outfield
- The Pride of the Yankees
- When it Was a Game
- Mr. Baseball
- The Bronx is Burning
- Bingo Long’s Traveling All Stars & Motor King
- The Jackie Robinson Story
- The Fan
- Mr. 3000
- The Babe Ruth Story
- Fear Strikes Out
- Damn Yankees
- Stealing Home
- Hardball
- The Final Season
- Benchwarmers
- Little Big League
- The Scout
- Rookie of the Year
- Still We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie
- Don’t Look Back: The Life of Satchel Paige
- The Pride of St. Louis
- Tiger Town
- Talent for the Game
- Soul of the Game
- A Winner Never Quits
- Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch
- Pitcher and the Pinup
- Comrades of Summer
- Headin’ Home
- Ed
Due out in 2011 is Moneyball. My guess is that this movie will break into the top 20 of most baseball fans.
November 30th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
little big league twice? summer catch over the sandlot? is this a joke?
November 30th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Only 49. Little Big League is on there twice
November 30th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Awww…good list but Bull Durham is numero uno!
November 30th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Apparently you really liked Little Big League as it is in your list at 36 and 48.
November 30th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
You have little big league on there twice at 36 and 48. Which is it?
November 30th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Summer Catch that high? Wow is all I can say. I disagree with about 75% of this list anyway.
December 1st, 2010 at 5:04 am
Ed???
Come on, that movie can not be in any list with "Best" in its title….
December 1st, 2010 at 7:14 am
Little Big League is at #36 and #48.
December 1st, 2010 at 8:05 am
Don't forget "It Happens Every Spring" 1949 starring Ray Miland
December 1st, 2010 at 8:24 am
"Little Big League", the movie so nice he listed it twice? Wow, you've managed to squeeze many a crappy movie into this list. Why not a top 25 or top 10 list instead? As is, this seems to be more of a list of 50 baseball movies than a list of the best baseball movies. In other words, I would place this list in my best 5 billion best lists…somewhere near the bottom.
December 1st, 2010 at 9:52 am
How did you leave out "Long Gone" with William Petersen, Virginia Madsen, and Dermot Mulroney?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093433/
December 1st, 2010 at 10:09 am
Little Big League is on there twice at 36 and 48.
December 1st, 2010 at 10:17 am
I was happy to see that you didn't include "The Slugger's Wife". I'm sure there are others whose non-appearance delights, too.
Maybe the standard for "should it be on the list?" should be "Would I watch it again?" I think the Ken Burns movie is worthwhile; because I am a long-time Tribe fan (and loved Jimmy Piersol as a kid), "Fear Strikes Out" rates higher for me: Karl Mulden was fantastic, and Anthony Perkins was very good.
December 1st, 2010 at 11:08 am
got little big league twice killa
December 1st, 2010 at 11:21 am
Check out the overlooked "It Happens Every Spring" for a worthy addition to the list.
December 1st, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Little Big League appears twice (36 and 48).
Definitely with you on the top three.
December 1st, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Bingo Long belongs MUCH higher, and The Winning Team (a crummy movie, but Ronald Reagan as Grover Cleveland Alexander!) should crack the top 50.
December 1st, 2010 at 1:11 pm
You forgot the HBO movie "Long Gone," which is great.
December 1st, 2010 at 4:50 pm
"Sugar" should definitely be on there
December 1st, 2010 at 8:00 pm
why the hell is pride and prejudice on there
December 1st, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Thanks for all of your comments readers. The great thing about opinions is that everybody has one. Thanks for catching my bonehead move of putting Little Big League on there twice (I couldn't read my own writing). Plus, it wasn't Pride and Prejudice, but The Pride of St. Louis that I wanted. I'm firing my secretary tomorrow. — BallparkBob
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Summer Catch is better than Eight Men Out? The Babe is better than Ken Burns’ Baseball? A League of Their Own is better than The Natural?
There is no way.
December 3rd, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Like the man says, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. Personally, I think A Winner Never Quits was crap, but taken into various contexts, I can see it being "inspirational." I had never heard of Pitcher and the Pinup, which is listed on IMDB by as The Road Home (although the illustration says 'Pitcher and the PLAYMATE').But some of the other choices, I respectfully disagree with: Ed? Hardball? Air Bud? And what's 'Hustle?' It seems the creator of this list was struggling to fill out 50 titles.
December 6th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
I gotta say putting Summer Catch in at 7 really undermines the credibility of this list as a whole. And Sandlot should have cracked the top 10. Also, I believe Ed and Air Bud should be switched as their crappiness is equal but a chimp playing baseball is a lot cooler than a dog. I really gotta question Air Bud's commitment to the game seeing as how he seems to play just about every sport out there. Ed was dedicated. And a chimp.
December 11th, 2010 at 10:55 am
Haha PHL. I caught a lot of flack for that one. But, please hold your opinion until Tuesday, December 14, 2010 when we debut BallparkBob's Top 100 Sports Movies. There will be a clip there that may change your mind about Summer Catch.
December 11th, 2010 at 10:56 am
Adam, most of the "experts" go with Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, or The Natural. Bull Durham is certainly a good choice, but Field of Dreams put a lump in my throat so I gave it the nod.
December 11th, 2010 at 10:56 am
Dan, please give us your list and we'll be glad to publish it as well.
December 11th, 2010 at 10:57 am
Haha, I'll agree Ed was not a cinematic genuis, but you gotta love any movie where there's a monkey playing baseball.
December 11th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Yes, "It Happens Every Spring" has been mentioned to me several times and it looks like one of the older flicks that I simply haven't seen. I'll put that on my Christmas list to watch.
December 11th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Matt, if I only did a Top 10 Movie List, you wouldn't have had anything to write about. –BallparkBob
December 11th, 2010 at 11:01 am
I will take a look and review it for the 2011 list. Thanks for the tip Tim.
December 11th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Rick, it's winter in the North, I'll watch anything that shows baseball in it again.
December 11th, 2010 at 11:02 am
Good suggestion DRW. "It Happens Every Spring" is the movie most people said I missed out on.
December 11th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Yes, there aren't a lot of baseball movies with a president in them so maybe that should have been considered.
December 11th, 2010 at 11:04 am
"Sugar" is the second most popular suggested omission. I'll definitely consider it for the 2011 Top 50 List.
December 11th, 2010 at 11:07 am
Ron, "Hustle" was a made for TV movie from 2004 about Pete Rose. Since Rose was my boyhood idol (along with a lot cleaner Brooks Robinson), I had to list it. Tom Sizemore played Rose in the movie. Check it out here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405980/
December 11th, 2010 at 11:08 am
Brett, I got a lot of flack on Summer Catch, but I'm sticking to my guns. On Tuesday, December 14, we will release BallparkBob's Top 100 Sports Movies of all time. Please take a look and be sure to watch the video at the end of the post. I think it may change your mind about Summer Catch.
December 12th, 2010 at 11:27 am
Nice Job Baseball Bob. Hey everyone else, get over the doublew listing of little Big League and offer some better ideas.
December 17th, 2010 at 2:37 am
I like the choices some suprises in there as well. I run a site titled MovieMavericks.com. We have a list of our choices for the 10 best Baseball movies of all time. Each with an infomative look at the film and it's impact with sports fans. Check it out, any feedback is welcomed. Did we get it right?.. http://moviemavericks.com/2010/04/top-10-baseball-movies/