Philadelphia Phillies: Comparing Phillies' Players to Baseball Movie Characters

The 2012 Philadelphia Phillies are the favorites to win the National League East division and even make a World Series run. Spring Training is right around the corner, and Phils fans a like couldn't be happier.

But before the season gets into full swing, let's have some for a little bit. 

Have you ever watched a baseball movie and thought what it would be like to have a particular character on your team? Do you ever wish some of these hot shot characters were on the Phillies?

Well here is a list of current members of the Phillies comparing them to baseball movie characters that you either love or hate. 

Enjoy.

Ryan Howard = Pedro Cerrano

First on the list is Ryan Howard and Pedro Cerrano. 

Both are very similar in that they are big power hitters who either hit the ball a mile, or make a fool of themselves by striking out.

Although Cerrano is a bit strange and practices some voo-doo like religion, he certainly made everyone laugh in Major League. Howard has showed signs of comic relief from time to time.

Cerrano comes up with a clutch home run in Major League with the game on the line. Howard has ended the Phillies last two seasons with pretty un-clutch performances.

Maybe Ryan needs to watch Major League and take a few notes from Pedro.

Placido Polanco = Benny the Jet Rodriguez

While Polanco never gathered all the kids in the neighborhood to play at the local sandlot or became famous by stealing home, he shares many similarities to the star of The Sandlot, Benny the Jet Rodriguez.

Benny was the star of the show, while all the other kids played baseball for fun, Benny always had hopes of making it to the bigs some day.

Benny also plays very fundamentally sound. He knows how to hit, throw, field and run all with excellence, just like Placido Polanco.

Watch how Polanco fields and throws. Almost every ball is fielded with no trouble and thrown right to Ryan Howard's chest.

If there is something these two have in common, it's the way they play the game with such class and dignity.  

Carlos Ruiz = Mickey Dominguez

How does a Spanish speaking college ball player in the Cape Cod league compare to arguably one of the best catchers in Phillies history?

Well have you ever heard Carlos Ruiz speak during an interview? Click here and you will see why Ruiz and Mickey Dominguez from Summer Catch are similar. 

I'm not sure if Ruiz shares the same love for Beverly D'Angelo as Dominguez, but if he does, there is another similarity.

Hunter Pence = Dottie Hinson

No I am not calling Hunter Pence a girl in any shape or form. He is as blue collar as it gets and is a terrific asset to the Phils.

However, the catcher from A League of Their Own and the Phillies right-fielder do share some similarities.

They both can be a tad quirky at times, but that doesn't mean they aren't loved by fans. If you recall, it was Dottie who saved the league by making acrobatic plays in the field. It was Hunter who gave the Phillies a boost in the second half of the 2011 season. 

From day one, Pence was loved in Philadelphia and is respected throughout the MLB just like Dottie was respected in her league.

Also, they play the game the right way. In a steroid stricken era, Pence has proved to be as successful as he is through hard work. Dottie played with 100 percent effort game in and game out also.

These two are the perfect match.

Shane Victorino = Kenny DeNunez

There's one glaring similarity these two have and that's swagger.

Kenny DeNunez had that funky pitching motion and brought a little bit of attitude to his crew in The Sandlot.

Victorino does the same thing for the Phillies. He plays hard but also has fun. On a relatively quiet team, Shane is the one who provides the jokes and keeps the mood in the clubhouse light.

While they both are ridiculously talented, their main similarity is their overall joy for the game. 

Cole Hamels = Ryan Dunne

These two are the perfect match.

They are young lefty pitchers with a ton of talent, oh yeah and one has a trophy wife and the other has a trophy girlfriend.

Dunne is the local guy from Cape Cod who is trying to make it to the Big Leagues. He spends his summer cutting grass for Jessica Biel's family and pitching in the Cape League at night.

Cole is from California and married Survivor contestant, Heidi Strobel. If you aren't familiar with her, click here, and get familiar with her.

Dunne and Hamels present a happy-go-lucky attitude and seem to be extremely similar.

Also, in Summer Catch, Dunne is drafted by the Phillies, just like Hamels.

Jonathan Papelbon = Rick Vaughn

If their haircuts alone aren't enough to make them similar than here are some more common interests. 

They are closers, throw very hard and have bad boy attitudes.

Rick Vaughn earned his nickname Wildthing in Major League because he never knew where the ball was going.

While Papelbon has a little better control than Vaughn, he also knows how to win. After signing a big contract this off-season with the Phils, he is under a lot of pressure to replace Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson as the closer.

Papelbon has taken some heat from the way he acts on and off the field but let's hope he doesn't change his cut throat attitude like Vaughn did in Major League II, where he ditched the funky glasses and mohawk for a suit and tie. He would get lit up and lost his mojo that made him so special and fearful. 

Papelbon was signed to do one thing and one thing only, close out baseball games, if he can do that, he will be a fan favorite, just like Vaughn was.

Phillies' fans care about one thing, duh winning!

Roy Halladay = Billy Chapel

While For Love of the Game was really more of a love story than a baseball story, Billy Chapel (played by Kevin Costner) shows some resemblance to Roy Halladay.

Chapel is 40 years-old and Halladay is 34, both which are not that young in terms of baseball years. 

Their main similarity is probably that they both threw a perfect game.

Most likely Doc didn't run to the airport after throwing his no-no to win back the love of his life, but that certainly would have been another unique similarity nonetheless. 

Jimmy Rollins = Willie Mays Hayes

Here is the tale of two, fun loving, flashy ball players. 

Both have dynamite speed and can change the game at any moment, just as Hayes did by stealing all bases in Major League II, including home.

While J-Roll hasn't been a self proclaimed star in any action movies, he does have a tendency to try to hit home runs, just like Hayes after his successful stint in Major League.

Their number one main similarity is their swagger. They define the modern day super-star athlete.

Maybe Rollins needs to get a catchy slogan like Hayes, "The American Express card: Don't steal home without it." 

Chase Utley = Roy Hobbs

From arguably one of the best baseball movies ever made, The Natural, to arguably one of the best players in Phillies history, Chase Utley, we find the ultimate match.

Roy Hobbs is to Chase Utley as peanut butter is to jelly.

They are carbon copies of each other.

Although Chase doesn't make his own bats out of trees in his yard, he is a phenomenal hitter, just like Hobbs.

There isn't really any glitz or glam when it comes to the way these guys play, they play hard and get the job done.

Chase is still a great hitter, but pre-injuries he was the best the Phillies had (he may even still be the best on hitter on the roster).

Maybe Chase should start wearing a lightening bolt on his uniform just like Hobbs did, that will certainly drive Bud Selig up a wall.