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Baseball Tue Feb 16 2010
Top 20 Baseball Movies to Watch in the Off Season
Editor's Note: This article was submitted by freelance sportswriter John Niederkorn.
There are two seasons in Chicago: winter and baseball season -- and baseball season is right around the corner... No, really, it is! And when those pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just a few days it will mark the symbolic end of winter.
Although it may be impossible to visualize a three-run-homer racing towards a sea of shirtless, sunburned Bleacher Bums, while over a foot of leftover blizzard snow still sits on the ground... Soon the snow will be replaced with gleaming white chalk lines, emerald green grass and childlike dreams of championships.
If You List Them, They Will Watch...
February in Chicago can prove to be a little difficult as far as the weather is concerned. In order to survive the rest of the winter and get excited about the upcoming baseball season I have complied a list of quintessential baseball movies below that everyone should watch (or watch again) to chase your winter blues away and boost your morale for opening day.
There is also a list of movies that were shot at (or outside of) Wrigley Field, which are denoted by a copyright symbol -- © -- for Cubs. The list is exclusive to feature-length movies and excludes documentary films and films made before the year 1950.
This compilation represents all film genres, ranging form cornball comedies to dramatic thrillers. The versatility of baseball, as a film trope, and the power behind its storytelling capabilities is evident in each movie.
The movies are listed in order of overall relevancy, represented by each film's aesthetic presentation of the game and how baseball influences American culture. The spirit and passion found in the game is present in each of these films, making it clear why baseball will always remain this country's "national pastime."
Top 20 Baseball Movies to Watch in the Off Season:
1. The Natural
2. Field of Dreams
3. 61* (The Roger Maris Story)
4. The Sandlot
5. Frequency
6. Bull Durham
7. 8 Men Out
8. Major League
9. Cobb
10. Bad News Bears (1976)
11. Game 6
12. A League of Their Own ©
13. The Rookie
14. For the Love of the Game
15. Mr. Destiny
16. Fever Pitch
17. The Fan
18. Rookie of the Year ©
19. Taking Care of Business
20. Brewster's Millions
9 (Mostly) Non-Baseball Movies Filmed at Wrigley Field:
• Ferris Bueller's Day Off
• The Blues Brothers
• The Babe
• Mr. 3000
• Kissing a Fool
• Damn Yankees!
• The Express
• Sleepless in Seattle
• The Break-Up
If there is a film you think should be on either list, or if you have any comments or questions, please address them below.
Jason / February 16, 2010 7:27 PM
Bull Durham is not a baseball movie. And Rookie of the Year makes a mockery of baseball.