User Reviews

"The Strike-Out King" is an interesting precursor to "The Bad News Bears," and even features one cast member from the 1976 feature and both its sequels, Jackie Earle Haley. As Danny's aspirations to be more grown up have him annoying his older siblings, Reuben decides he should join a little league baseball team coached by Darby Willis (Herb Edelman). Much like Tatum O'Neal, Danny becomes an expert pitcher, becoming insufferable as a result. Even worse, the coach is looking for bigger things ahead, his youthful players suffering under his hard driving tutelage. Also appearing as equally hard driving parents are Dick Balduzzi (last of three) and Gordon Jump (sixth of seven). The featured song is the unreleased "I Wanna Be with You," composed by Wes Farrell and Gerry Goffin (later heard in "Pin It on Danny"), not to be confused with the 1973 hit from The Raspberries, written by lead singer Eric Carmen.