Baseball Movies to Get You Through the Off-Season

List creator: ruzich Created on: October 16, 2003 - 11:28 AM PDT Description: The best baseball movies ever made, plus one to avoid.

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	movie title	related list	average rating	MPAA rating	watch	rent	buy
	Bull Durham (Special Edition) (1988)
Perfectly captures the spirit of the minor leagues and what baseball is all about. Plus, the only time Kevin Costner has actually been sexy.
	Eight Men Out (1988)
John Sayles doesn't apologize for what the White Sox did in 1919, but in adapting WP Kinsella's mythic novel he at least explains it to us.
	Major League (1989)
Not every baseball movie has to be dour and portentious. This one is stupid, goofy, and tons of fun.
	The Bad News Bears (1976)
I loved this movie when I was 8 and I still love it now. How many movies can you say that about?
	The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1999)
Not as good as it could have been, but a fine look at a fascinating ballplayer who was playing for much more than just himself.
	Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns - Nine Inning Set (Disc 1 of 10) (1994)			Not Rated
It's long, nothing seems to happen for long periods of time, and it focuses too much on New York and Boston. Then, suddenly, you see something sublime, or something that amazes you, or something you've never seen before. It's a lot like a baseball game!
	A League of Their Own (1992)
It's true -- there is no crying in baseball
	Frequency (2000)
Baseball is a pivotal plot point, used in an interesting way, in this underrated time-travel movie. Even though it's about the Mets, I still like it.
	Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)
Watch it with 'Brian's Song' for the all-time tough guy tearjerker twosome. DeNiro is good, but Michael Moriarty is better.
	Field of Dreams (1989)
The first time I saw this movie, I cried like a little baby. By the third time, I was angry for allowing myself to be so easily manipulated. I suggest watching it once.
	The Natural (1984)
#1 on the don't-watch list. The changes Levinson makes to Bernard Malmud's classic novel turn it from a commentary on American society to a by-the-numbers feel-good story. You're better off just listening to the great soundtrack.