Set in the 1960s, this movie featuires fifth-grader Scotty Smalls, teased for being a dork when he moves to a new town. Not knowing how to even throw a baseball, Scotty is recruited by a neighborhood gang leader to play on a nearby sandlot field. The story follows nine boys as they embark on a magical summer of baseball, adventures, first kisses and confrontations with a deadly beast.
"Damn Yankees" (1958)
The film version of the classic musical follows Washington Senators fan Joe Boyd (Robert Shafer), who sells his soul to the devil to become Joe Hardy, a young baseball star (played by Tab Hunter), and help the Senators win the pennant - but one of the conditions is he has to leave his wife. When he misses her and wants to return to his old life, the devil sends Lola (Gwen Verdon) to seduce him and convince him to stay.
"The Bad News Bears" (1976)
Former minor leaguer Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau), a lazy alcoholic pool cleaner, accepts a job to coach the Bears. A little league team in Southern California, the Bears is filled with misfits with little to no talent. Buttermaker brings in two girls, pitcher Amanda Whurlizer (Tatum O'Neal) and Kelly Leak. The Bears gain confidence and look to win the championship game against their rival team.
"The Natural" (1984)
Robert Redford stars as Roy Hobbs, who won't stop attempting to fulfill his dream of baseball superstardom. The story follows Hobbs from age 14 when he carves a powerful bat out of a fallen tree. He soon impresses scouts and sports writer Max Mercy. His dreams are shattered by a mysterious woman, but years later he resurfaces on a New York team. Despite physical pain, Hobbs and his bat finally fulfill his dream.
"Eight Men Out" (1988)
This film, starring John Cusak, Christopher Lloyd and David Strathairn, is based on the true story of the 1919 Chicago White Sox scandal. A gambling syndicate offers eight of the Sox players money to throw the World Series. But when the Sox lose to the Cincinnati Reds, a couple of sports writers sense the series was not on the level and a national scandal explodes.
"Bull Durham" (1988)
This baseball classic stars Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon. Crash Davis (Costner), a veteran minor league catcher, is assigned to handle the star rookie pitcher "Nuke" LaLoosh (Robbins) of the Durham Bulls. Both become involved with groupie Annie Savoy (Sarandon), causing a troubled love triangle.
"Field of Dreams" (1989)
"If you build it, he will come," is the famous line from this Kevin Costner film. The actor plays a novice farmer who hears those mysterious words and is inspired to build a baseball diamond in his corn field. Once he does, spirits from baseball's past arrive to play.
"Major League" (1989)
When a former Las Vegas showgirl inherits the Cleveland Indians from her deceased husband, she tries to ensure they'll have a losing season so she can move the team down to Miami. She puts together the worst team possible, including players like Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) and Willie Mays Hays (Wesley Snipes). When the players uncover her plot, the team starts winning just to spite her.
"A League of Their Own" (1992)
This film's star-studded cast includes Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell. When World War II threatens to shut down Major League Baseball, a women's professional league is formed. The Rockford Peaches, managed by a former baseball great-turned-drunkard (Hanks), play against the other teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and make it to the World Series.
"Mr. Baseball" (1992)
Tom Selleck stars as Jack Elliot, an aging Yankee who gets traded to Japan's Chunichi Dragons and is not too happy about it. Cultures clash and Elliot's arrogance alienates everyone, but through friendship with a new teammate, he somehow finds a way to fit in.
"Rookie of the Year" (1993)
Henry Rowengartner (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is a Little Leaguer who dreams of playing in the majors. He gets his shot when he suffers an arm injury that, when healed, makes him a fantastic pitcher. He gets signed to the Chicago Cubs, who need a miracle to save their poor-performing team. The Cubs start winning and Henry's major league career takes off, but his friendships suffer in the process.
"Little Big League" (1994)
When the owner of the hopeless Minnesota Twins dies and leaves the team to his 12-year-old grandson (Luke Edwards), the boy decides to manage the team himself. Once he gains the confidence of the players, he has them playing like kids again -- for the fun of it, instead of for the money. Real baseball stars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Paul O'Neil also appear in the film.
"Angels in the Outfield" (1994)
The California Angels, a last-place team, finds its luck turning around after a group of angels, lead by Christopher Lloyd, start helping the team win their games. No one can see the angels except for a young boy named Roger (Joseph Gordon Levitt), who prayed for the team to win the pennant. Tony Danza and Danny Glover also star, playing an Angels pitcher and the team's manager, respectively.
"For Love of the Game" (1999)
Kevin Costner stars as a famous pitcher nearing the end of his career, who is playing the most important game of his life. As he strives to throw a perfect game, he gets lost in thoughts about his career and his longtime girlfriend (Kelly Preston), who is leaving him. The game is his last chance to prove who he is, what he is capable of and to win back his girlfriend's heart.
"Hardball" (2001)
Keanu Reeves stars as an aimless young man stuck in a rut of debts. Connor O'Neill (Reeves), a gambling addict with a problem of betting on losing teams, agrees to coach a little league team in the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago.
"Summer Catch" (2001)
Jessica Biel plays a rich girl whose family summers on Cape Cod. While there, she sparks up a romance with a local boy, played by Freddie Prinze Jr. He dreams of becoming a major league baseball player, but is haunted by fear of failure and the recent loss of his mother. Matthew Lillard, Brittany Murphy and Brian Dennehy also star.
"61*" (2001)
Directed by Billy Crystal, this film made for HBO follows the 1961 quest of Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane) and Roger Maris (Barry Pepper) to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record of 60 set in 1927. Despite the differences between family man Maris and hard-living Mantle, they form a friendship amid the media and fan frenzy.
"The Rookie" (2002)
Based on the true story of Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid), it features a high school coach who once had a shot at playing pro ball, but threw out his shoulder. Now coach of a losing team, Morris makes a bet if they become district champs he will try out for the majors. By a twist of fate, his team goes on to be first. Still throwing a 98 mph fastball, Morris begins the journey to becoming the oldest rookie in MLB history.
"Fever Pitch" (2005)
Finding romance is about as likely as the Red Sox winning the World Series - at least, that was the original premise of this film starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon. Super-fan Ben Wrightman (Fallon) gets a beautiful new girlfriend (Barrymore), and suddenly anything's possible. Originally intended to be bittersweet, the movie was reworked after the Red Sox won the World Series, ending their 86-year curse.
"The Bronx is Burning" (2007)
This television series from ESPN takes place in the summer of 1977, against a backdrop of New York City in crisis from the Son of Sam killer, a bitter mayor's race and rampant arson and looting following a city-wide blackout. The Yankees are also in a state of warfare, with tensions high between owner George Steinbrenner (Oliver Platt), manager Billy Martin (John Turturro) and superstar Reggie Jackson (Daniel Sunjata).