Review of It Happens Every Spring

. . . but this yarn concerning a college chemistry instructor who pitches 1.000 (38-0 with one no-hitter for the Cards, plus 3-0 against the Yankees in the World Series) is such a stretch that MLB required the producers of IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING to make all the teams and stadiums "generic" (at least to Martians). This story asks the question, "What if there were some magical chemical hormone that could make a geezer in the twilight of his career--say, Roger Clemens or Barry Bonds--suddenly perform better than ever before: Would such a geriatric has-been risk The Game's Integrity and his own Legacy by cheating, and could be get away with it?" Obviously, young Roger and Barry saw IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING many times growing up, and noticed that clever cheaters such as Vernon, a.k.a. "King" Kelly, not only get away with transgressing--they're given a hero's welcome complete with marching bands when they return home. In movie life, Vernon breaks his pitching hand catching a line drive to end the World series (as well as his career). It's a safe bet MLB wishes that Roger had permanently thrown his elbow out winning Game #299, or that Barry had suffered a career-ending knee injury rounding first on home run #754, but Real Life doesn't work so neatly. Sadly for this film, Ray Milan (Vernon) and his girl Debbie (Jean Peters) have NO chemistry together (which is more than you can say for Roger and Barry).