The Five Greatest Baseball Films of All Time

It's the middle of baseball season, which had me thinking about the greatest baseball movies ever to grace their presence on the silver screen. We now live in the remake era of cinema. It is very rare to see an original movie these days, and even rarer to see an original sports movie.

It now seems that every sports movie, baseball in particular, are remakes of old classics. When I was a young kid (in the early 90's) I was watching original films about my favorite game like The Sandlot and Rookie of the Year.

Original doesn't necessarily mean great; such is the case with Rookie of the Year, but in the case of The Sandlot, it was brilliant.

While I was that same "impressionable" child, my Dad introduced me to the old classics as well. The one given was that if it was about baseball;  I had to see it.

(This list is made up from my opinions)

Honorable Mention

Honorable Mention No. 2. Bang the Drum Slowly

While this is a brilliantly made and acted film, it only makes the honorable mention because of the subject matter. When I originally saw this, Robert De Niro's cancer went over my head. It was too sad to be a baseball film. As I have grown older, I have learned to love this film.

Bang the Drum Slowly is the story of Bruce Pearson (De Niro) and Author Wiggen (Michael Moriarty) attempting to overcome the illness that is killing Pearson. It isn't a story of overcoming the illness in terms of health but rather in helping a team win.

Pearson's final season is his best as a professional. He has Author looking over his shoulder the whole way through the season to help.

Pearson's illness brings the team together and leads to winning games. IMDb has rated this film with 6.7 stars.

Honorable Mention No. 1. A League of Their Own

This film boasts a star-studded cast led by Tom Hanks and Geena Davis. This film didn't make the top five for two reasons. The first being that on first viewing it failed to keep my attention at times, and the second being if "there is no crying in baseball" there certainly isn't any singing in baseball. The film isn't a musical, but the girls do sing on occasion.

This film is the story of the women's professional baseball league that popped up during World War II while the men were at war. The film's main focus is on the sister duo of Dottie Henson and Kit Keller. The sisters are battery mates as Henson is a catcher while Kit is a pitcher.

Throughout the film Dottie is the main focus of the team and the league, while her little sister Kit is largely ignored. Kit develops a resentment for what is going on as well as a resentment towards her sister. The drama leads to a split of the sisters.

IMDb has this film rated at an even 7.0 stars.

Other honorable mentions: The Bad News Bears, Field of Dreams

5. Eight Men Out

Eight Men Out is the story of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. The star-studded cast is led by Charlie Sheen and John Cusack. When I first saw this film I had no knowledge of what happened in that World Series and I hadn't heard of Shoeless Joe Jackson.

So on first viewing, the film went over my head, but I did enjoy all of the baseball scenes in the film.

I now have a great appreciation for the movie. It focuses on baseball, but it also focuses on the finances of the game as well the politics involved.

The film shows how the owner Charles Comiskey did everything he could to avoid paying the players, and this tactic brings the audience to the players side. It gives the audience an understanding of why a player would do such a thing as throw a World Series.

One thing is for sure, every time you watch this movie, you are that little kid saying "Say it ain't so, Joe."

IMDb has this film rated with 7.2 stars

4. Major League

If you want to see how crazy baseball can be, you need look no further then the 1989 classic Major League. Like Eight Men Out (No. 5), the cast is led by Charlie Sheen. The film also stars Wesley Snipes and Tom Berenger. The film came out when I was less than a year old, so I didn't see it until after it was already considered a baseball classic.

The movie is about the Cleveland Indians and the owner who wants to move the team to Miami (before the Florida Marlins existed).

In order to get out of a contract with the city of Cleveland, the owner decides to bring together an old and untalented group of players to lose enough games that the attendance will fall to the point that she can move the team.

If you like rally caps, hijinks and voodoo Gods then this is the movie for you. Sheen plays Wild Thing, an ex-con pitcher (perfect casting) in the center of the entire film.

Berenger plays Jake Taylor, an over the hill catcher who is in love with his ex, and Snipes plays Willie Hayes Mays "I hit like Mays, and run like Hayes." Together, these three try to ruin the owners' plan and keep the team in Cleveland.

This film should be on any best baseball films list and is rated as a 6.9 on IMDb.

3. The Natural

This isn't just a baseball classic, it's a classic film and a classic novel. Unlike the rest of the films on this list, it is a fantasy story. While the film changed the ending that the novel put in place, it was great. In fact, the ending made it better. Who wants to see Roy Hobbs strike out at the end.

Robert Redford plays Roy Hobbs in the film. Hobbs is a "middle-aged rookie" that turns out to be the greatest hitter ever. Hobbs path to the majors as a young man was stopped by a woman attempting to kill him.

This film focuses on Hobbs, baseball, corruption, and a love triangle with his childhood girlfriend Iris (Glenn Close) and the young gold digger Memo Paris (Kim Basinger).

This film may have the most spectacular score of any sports film ever made. It is used whenever a Texas Rangers player hits a home run at home. The final scene makes the film worthwhile. A mammoth home-run followed by sparks falling from the stadium lights.

This film is truly great and boasts a score of 7.4 on IMDb.

2. The Sandlot

This pick may be a cheat because it is one that is full of nostalgia. This was my favorite film as a kid and continues to be one of my favorites today. The adult portion of the cast has three big name stars in Karen Allen, Dennis Leary and James Earl Jones, but the adults don't matter in this film; it is all about the kids.

The story focuses on Scott Smalls, a loner whose family has moved around a lot. He loves baseball but doesn't have any friends until Benny Rodriguez takes him under his wing. Smalls suddenly has eight friends with the greatest nicknames of all time (like Yeah-Yeah and Hams).

Scott then puts the team in a pickle by hitting his first home run into the lair of the Beast. The problem is that the baseball was his step-father's (Leary) and it was signed by Babe Ruth. That's right, "The Great Bambino."

The rest of the film is an attempt to get the ball back, and as in most baseball movies (especially with kids) hijinks ensue. If you like movies with kids cussing, fighting, chewing tobacco, and having a good time, then you will love this movie.

The film is rated with 7.5 stars on IMDb. Only 7.5? "You're killing me, Smalls!"

1. Bull Durham

If you want the most realistic movie on this list (in terms of baseball) then you will find it at No. 1. Bull Durham is a classic baseball movie. It stars Kevin Costner, Susan Surandon, and Tim Robbins.

Costner plays seasoned minor league veteran Crash Davis. Crash is sent down to Double-A Durham to help coach up the big league club's new hot arm in Ebby Calvin 'Nuke' Laloosh (Robbins). Surandon plays Annie Savoy, who is the love interest of both Crash and Nuke.

While the story is meant to focus on the love triangle, there is still a lot of great baseball in the flick. The film focuses on everything from winning streaks, to baseball superstitions and so much in between.

When Ron Shelton wrote and directed this movie, he outdid himself. His experience as a minor league ball player definitely helped with how he shot the baseball scenes.

Crash is simply the tragic hero in this whole story. He ends up hitting the most minor league home runs ever, but was never good enough for "the show." If you love baseball and haven't seen this movie, I suggest you drop everything and watch it.

IMDb rates this film as an even 7.0, but for those like me that are "members of the church of baseball," then this film will rate a lot higher.