Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Tom Berenger | ... | Jake Taylor | |
Charlie Sheen | ... | Ricky Vaughn | |
Corbin Bernsen | ... | Roger Dorn | |
Margaret Whitton | ... | Rachel Phelps | |
James Gammon | ... | Lou Brown | |
Rene Russo | ... | Lynn Wells | |
Wesley Snipes | ... | Willie Mays Hayes | |
Charles Cyphers | ... | Charlie Donovan | |
Chelcie Ross | ... | Eddie Harris | |
Dennis Haysbert | ... | Pedro Cerrano | |
Andy Romano | ... | Pepper Leach | |
Bob Uecker | ... | Harry Doyle | |
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Steve Yeager | ... | Duke Temple |
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Peter Vuckovich | ... | Haywood |
Stacy Carroll | ... | Suzanne Dorn |
Rachel Phelps is the new owner of the Cleveland Indians baseball team. However, her plans for the team are rather nefarious. She wants to move the team to Miami for the warmer climate and a new stadium. To justify the move, the team has to lose, and lose badly. So she assembles the worst possible team she can. Among these are a past-his-prime catcher with bad knees, a shrewd but past-his-prime pitcher, a young tearaway pitcher (and felon) with a 100 mph fastball but absolutely no control, a third baseman who is too wealthy and precious to dive, a voodoo-loving slugger who can't hit a curve ball and an energetic-but-naive lead off hitter and base-stealer who can't keep the ball on the ground. Against the odds, and after the inevitable initial failures, they iron out some of their faults and start to win, much to Ms Phelps' consternation. Written by grantss
This is one of the cleverest predictable movies of all time, and for my taste the best baseball movie. A great cast, an underdog plot, and one memorable choice after another by the writers and director make this a valentine to the foot soldiers of our national pastime. (Remember, this was 15 years ago.)
The fabulous scoreboard, the hysterical radio play-by-play of Bob Uecker, even the motley occupants of Cleveland sports bars are irresistible hooks to reel us in, after we've been hooked by the motley team of colorful has-beens and never-were's. If this is a formula, it's the right one. I deeply love this movie, and regret not having seen it in its theatrical run. (I've seen it a dozen times since.) I'm sure the audience went wild during that climactic Yankees game! How about that Dorn making a bunch of clutch plays! Didn't you love Cerrano carrying his bat around the bases with him? Jake not dusting off, and pointing, twice...man, I wish I'd been there.
Then there's the little insert, early in the story, about Jake's fantasy of hitting the winning run out of the park. What happened instead when the chips were really down?
Okay, it isn't "poetry" -- it's more of a limerick, know what I mean? Just start with three words: "There once was...." and finish it yourself! I bet you'll finish with a big smile on your face!