Baseball movies I have seen
by Alberto-7 | created - 17 Jan 2014 | updated - 14 May 2022 | PublicA short list of the baseball films I have seen. I have included a few documentaries.
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1. The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Sport
In the late 1930s during racial segregation, a star of the Negro League Baseball, Bingo Long, leaves his team and convinces other stars of the league to join him as free agent players touring the towns of the Midwest.
Director: John Badham | Stars: Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones, Richard Pryor, Rico Dawson
Votes: 2,164
Funny treatment of a serious subject. Billy Dee Williams is amazing in this as is Richard Pryor but James Earl Jones steals the show. The film has lush cinematography and a real feel for the 1930s. I consider this to be one of the top 3 baseball movies of all time.
2. Elmer, the Great (1933)
Not Rated | 72 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
Country bumpkin Elmer Kane joins the Chicago Cubs as the greatest hitter in baseball. His skill with a bat takes the team to the World Series, but on the way to the championship he has to deal with gamblers and crooked pitchers.
Director: Mervyn LeRoy | Stars: Joe E. Brown, Patricia Ellis, Frank McHugh, Claire Dodd
Votes: 602
Joe E. Brown is very funny but the film takes a long time to get going.
3. It Happens Every Spring (1949)
Approved | 87 min | Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
A scientist discovers a formula that makes a baseball which is repelled by wood. He promptly sets out to exploit his discovery.
Director: Lloyd Bacon | Stars: Ray Milland, Jean Peters, Paul Douglas, Ed Begley
Votes: 1,898
Silly baseball movie with a very silly premise. That being said, Ray Milland plays for laughs. The baseball sequences are good. Look fast for Alan hale Jr. as one of Milland's students.
4. The Jackie Robinson Story (1950)
Approved | 77 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Biography of Jackie Robinson, the first black major league baseball player in the 20th century. Traces his career in the negro leagues and the major leagues. Restored in original Black and White.
Director: Alfred E. Green | Stars: Jackie Robinson, Ruby Dee, Minor Watson, Louise Beavers
Votes: 1,443
Low, low budget biopic with Jackie Robinson playing himself. This is much better than expected. Well staged baseball sequences plus a natural performance by Robinson make this well worth watching, just don't expect anything resembling 42's budget. I should also point out the good work by Minor Watson as Branch Rickey and Richard Lane as the manager of the Montreal Royals. Ruby Dee as Rae Robinson doesn't get a lot to do but is fine. Worth your time.
5. The Comrades of Summer (1992 TV Movie)
R | 90 min | Comedy, Sport
To teach a team of Russian wanna-be baseball players the finer points of the all-American game is no easy task, but for a grudgingly resentful, recently fired baseball manager from the ... See full summary »
Director: Tommy Lee Wallace | Stars: Joe Mantegna, Natalya Negoda, Michael Lerner, Mark Rolston
Votes: 396
Average made-for-TV film with a funny performance from Joe Mantegna. Many, many schmaltzy moments balanced, thankfully, by quite a few funny moments.
6. Mr. Baseball (1992)
PG-13 | 108 min | Comedy, Romance, Sport
Jack Elliot, once a great baseball player, is forced to play in Japan where his brash, egotistical ways cause friction with his new teammates and friends.
Director: Fred Schepisi | Stars: Tom Selleck, Ken Takakura, Aya Takanashi, Dennis Haysbert
Votes: 12,184 | Gross: $20.88M
Tom Selleck is great and the film a lot of fun but this should have been much, much better. The baseball sequences are top notch and Selleck's nightmare at the start of the film is hilarious as is the TV commercial he makes in Japan.
7. Bull Durham (1988)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Romance, Sport
A fan who has an affair with one minor-league baseball player each season meets an up-and-coming pitcher and the experienced catcher assigned to him.
Director: Ron Shelton | Stars: Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Trey Wilson
Votes: 59,414 | Gross: $50.89M
The best baseball movie of all time with terrific performances from Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon. A funny, charming, realistic view of minor league baseball.
8. Major League (1989)
R | 107 min | Comedy, Sport
The new owner of the Cleveland Indians puts together a purposely horrible team so they'll lose and she can move the team. But when the plot is uncovered, they start winning just to spite her.
Director: David S. Ward | Stars: Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Margaret Whitton
Votes: 76,474 | Gross: $49.80M
Easily the best of the Major League trilogy with funny performances from the entire cast, especially Wesley Snipes as Willie Mays Hayes.
9. Major League II (1994)
PG | 105 min | Comedy, Sport
The Indians are now a World Series contender. But last year's hunger is now replaced with complacency, and bad decisions by the new owner threaten to tear the team apart.
Director: David S. Ward | Stars: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Corbin Bernsen, Dennis Haysbert
Votes: 28,052 | Gross: $30.63M
So-so sequel has little of the spark from the first film. The cast look like they would rather be elsewhere. The "comedy" is now reduced to cartoonish bits. Skip this one.
10. Major League: Back to the Minors (1998)
PG-13 | 100 min | Comedy, Sport
A lousy minor league baseball team full of many different personalities gets a new manager, an aging minor league pitcher.
Director: John Warren | Stars: Scott Bakula, Corbin Bernsen, Dennis Haysbert, Takaaki Ishibashi
Votes: 8,134 | Gross: $3.55M
Nothing special entry in the series that uses every cliche in the book. Still, Scott Bakula is charming and Ted McGinley silly as all hell.
11. Field of Dreams (1989)
PG | 107 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella is inspired by a voice he can't ignore to pursue a dream he can hardly believe. Supported by his wife, Ray begins the quest by turning his ordinary cornfield into a place where dreams can come true.
Director: Phil Alden Robinson | Stars: Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, Amy Madigan
Votes: 128,169 | Gross: $64.43M
Magical.
12. A League of Their Own (1992)
PG | 128 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
Two sisters join the first female professional baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amid their own growing rivalry.
Director: Penny Marshall | Stars: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna
Votes: 121,108 | Gross: $107.53M
Funny, energetic film with a great performance from Tom Hanks. Geena Davis is also terrific. Funny supporting cast.
13. Brewster's Millions (1985)
PG | 102 min | Comedy
A minor-league baseball player must spend $30 million in 30 days in order to inherit $300 million. However, he's not allowed to own any assets, destroy the money, gift it, give it to charity, or tell anyone about the deal.
Director: Walter Hill | Stars: Richard Pryor, John Candy, Lonette McKee, Stephen Collins
Votes: 43,114 | Gross: $38.80M
Silly but a lot of fun. John Candy is great as always.
14. 42 (2013)
PG-13 | 128 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
In 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and faces considerable racism in the process.
Director: Brian Helgeland | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, T.R. Knight, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie
Votes: 102,755 | Gross: $95.00M
Great biopic with some intense performances. Chadwick Boseman is simply amazing. The period detail is spot on. A terrific movie.
15. College (1927)
Not Rated | 66 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
Ronald's high-school valedictory address praises books and condemns sports. His girlfriend Mary condemns his attitude. Fearing to lose her to rival Jeff, he decides to go to college and pay more attentions to sports.
Directors: James W. Horne, Buster Keaton | Stars: Buster Keaton, Anne Cornwall, Flora Bramley, Harold Goodwin
Votes: 5,473
Buster Keaton tries every sport imaginable including baseball with hilarious results.
16. Rhubarb (1951)
Passed | 94 min | Comedy, Family, Sport
Rich, eccentric T.J. Banner adopts a feral cat who becomes an affectionate pet. Then T.J. dies, leaving to Rhubarb most of his money and a pro baseball team, the Brooklyn Loons. When the ... See full summary »
Director: Arthur Lubin | Stars: Ray Milland, Jan Sterling, Gene Lockhart, William Frawley
Votes: 846
Silly, silly film. Look fast for Leonard Nimoy as one of the baseball players.
17. The Bad News Bears (1976)
PG | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
An aging, down-on-his-luck ex-minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league.
Director: Michael Ritchie | Stars: Walter Matthau, Tatum O'Neal, Vic Morrow, Joyce Van Patten
Votes: 25,034 | Gross: $42.35M
I saw this 35 years ago and don't remember much, which isn't a good sign.
18. The Pinch Hitter (1917)
48 min | Comedy, Sport
Shy Joel Parker seems bound for nowhere, until Abbie Nettleton enters his life. With her prodding, Joel goes from timid nobody to a baseball star with bravura.
Director: Victor Schertzinger | Stars: Charles Ray, Sylvia Breamer, Joseph J. Dowling, Jerome Storm
Votes: 22
Typical, hokey, silent melodrama is overacted to the maximum. Still, it contains a great (but predictable) ending. The baseball sequences are OK for the era and Charles Ray is fine in the lead role but this is not a great baseball movie by any stretch of the imagination. Sylvia Bremer as the love interest is also OK.
19. Fear Strikes Out (1957)
Approved | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
True story of the life of Jimmy Piersall, who battled mental illness to achieve stardom in major league baseball.
Director: Robert Mulligan | Stars: Anthony Perkins, Karl Malden, Norma Moore, Adam Williams
Votes: 2,160
Intense, gut-wrenching film about a baseball player who has a mental breakdown because of the pressure. Anthony Perkins is very good in portraying a tormented soul but he is poor in the baseball scenes. Karl Malden as the father who pushes his son to the edge by heaping ridiculous pressure on him, is also very good. This is a rare 1950s film that talks about mental illness and it doesn't talk down to the audience. Overall a real solid film. If only Perkins was a little better in the baseball scenes it would be that much better.
20. Safe at Home! (1962)
Not Rated | 84 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Legendary Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle stars with his Yankee teammate Roger Maris in this good-natured story of dreams that really do come true.
Director: Walter Doniger | Stars: Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, William Frawley, Patricia Barry
Votes: 366
Cute kid's movie about a young boy who boasts he knows Mickey Mantle and Roger Marris and then has to travel to Ft. Lauderdale during Spring training to see if he can meet them and convince them to come visit his team. Harmless little film with Marris and Mantle appearing as themselves. They are both less stiff than you would think. William Frawley steals the show as a grumpy Yankees coach. The film also has gorgeous black and white photography and terrific Florida locations. A fun little film.
21. Kill the Umpire (1950)
Approved | 78 min | Comedy, Sport
An umpire-hating ex-baseball player loses many jobs because of his passion for watching ball games during working hours, but he decides to combine business with pleasure by becoming an umpire himself.
Director: Lloyd Bacon | Stars: William Bendix, Una Merkel, Ray Collins, Gloria Henry
Votes: 632
Hilarious comedy with William Bendix as a hothead who becomes an umpire despite himself. Written by Frank Tashlin who later directed many Jerry Lewis films. This one plays like a Warner Brothers cartoon which isn't surprising since Tashlin got his start in those cartoons. The final chase sequence is appropriately frantic. Alan Hale Jr. has a very small role in this. William Frawley is a standout as the head of the umpire school.
22. Baseball Bugs (1946)
Approved | 7 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Bugs plays every defensive position against the Gashouse Gorillas.
Director: Friz Freleng | Stars: Mel Blanc, Bea Benaderet, Frank Graham, Tedd Pierce
Votes: 2,280
Ok, I realize this is only a short but how could I leave it out? Bugs plays every single position in a game against the Gashouse Gorillas. A classic Looney Tunes cartoon with the greatest cartoon character of all time. Brilliant !!
23. Big Leaguer (1953)
Passed | 71 min | Drama, Family, Sport
John Lobert runs a training camp in Florida for the New York Giants. Every year, he evaluates the hopefuls to pick the best for a minor league contract. They all have dreams and talent, but... See full summary »
Director: Robert Aldrich | Stars: Edward G. Robinson, Vera-Ellen, Jeff Richards, Richard Jaeckel
Votes: 493
Corny, clichéd look at the New York Giants training camp for baseball hopefuls. Silly movie with next to no plot and two-dimensional characters but it still has an innocent energy that you find in movies of that era. Edward G. Robinson does what he can with the corny script but even he can't inject much into this. Only for baseball film diehards and fans of Robinson.
24. Long Gone (1987 TV Movie)
110 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Story of the Tampico Stogies, a low minor-league baseball team, and its star player and manager, Stud' Cantrell, as they battle for the league championship amidst the corruption and racism of the American south.
Director: Martin Davidson | Stars: William Petersen, Virginia Madsen, Dermot Mulroney, Larry Riley
Votes: 1,200
Cute but cliche-ridden film gets by on its charm, and boy is it charming. Terrific cast that includes William Petersen, Virginia Madsen, Dermot Mulroney and Teller (of Penn and Teller fame). Winning performances, a fun and sassy script and terrific period detail make this a winner. Joel Murray has a small role as one of the baseball players.
25. One Run Elmer (1935)
Passed | 19 min | Short, Action, Comedy
Elmer owns a gas station out in the California desert. Soon he has a business rival in Jim, who opens up another station, and is also trying to steal Elmer's girlfriend. She plays both ... See full summary »
Director: Charles Lamont | Stars: Buster Keaton, Lona Andre, Dewey Robinson, Harold Goodwin
Votes: 208
Hilarious Buster Keaton two-reeler plays like a Bugs Bunny cartoon. It has terrific gags including Buster getting revenge on a nasty umpire in his own unique way.
26. Soul of the Game (1996 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 94 min | Drama, History, Sport
Black baseball greats, Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, vie to be the first afro-American major leaguer, only to see the outspoken rookie, Jackie Robinson, be chosen.
Director: Kevin Rodney Sullivan | Stars: Delroy Lindo, Mykelti Williamson, Edward Herrmann, Blair Underwood
Votes: 1,071
Well made TV movie about Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson contains a terrific performance by Delroy Lindo as Paige and a nuanced one by Blair Underwood as Robinson. The film has a very nice feel for the 1940s and is quite well done. Edward Hermann is also good as a pragmatic Branch Rickey. Definitely worth seeing.
27. Dealin' with Idiots (2013)
Not Rated | 88 min | Comedy
After experiencing the insanity of the adults connected to his son's baseball team, a comedian researches for a comedy movie about them.
Director: Jeff Garlin | Stars: Jeff Garlin, Steve Agee, Gina Gershon, Jami Gertz
Votes: 1,489 | Gross: $0.02M
Very lightweight film dealing with how ridiculous parents, coaches and officials get when their kids are involved in Little League baseball. The film runs out of steam midway through. Most of the characters are simply caricatures and the ending is trite. Jeff Garlin is ok as the main character as is Jamie Gertz as an annoying baseball parent. The rest of the cast does what it can with the thin script. Don't bother with this one.
28. Girls Can Play (1937)
Passed | 59 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Foy Harris (John Gallaudet) is a bootlegger selling illegal booze and also running a girl's professional softball team and is romancing the team's catcher Sue Collins (Rita Hayworth). The ... See full summary »
Director: Lambert Hillyer | Stars: Julie Bishop, Charles Quigley, Rita Hayworth, John Gallaudet
Votes: 157
This little B picture is so much fun. The performances are great, the dialogue is snappy and the baseball angle works well. You can categorize it as a murder-mystery-sports-comedy-romance(a heck of a mix but it works). The bonus is seeing a very young Rita Hayworth as the gangster's girlfriend. Julie Bishop is just as good as the female lead and Charles Quigley quite charming as the male lead(newspaper reporter). Boy, they don't make films like this anymore. Well worth your time.
29. The Babe Ruth Story (1948)
Passed | 106 min | Biography, Drama, Family
William Bendix suits up in Yankee flannels as the renowned pitcher-turned-outfielder Babe Ruth in a sports biopic that mixes facts with fiction.
Director: Roy Del Ruth | Stars: William Bendix, Claire Trevor, Charles Bickford, Sam Levene
Votes: 1,142
Oy! Overly schmaltzy movie with more drama than a soap opera. Bendix is Ok in an impossible role. Some of the situations the film puts him in are ridiculously contrived. I don't know the real story of Babe Ruth but I am sure this film made up 85% of what is shown. Seriously, don't bother.
30. 61* (2001 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 129 min | Biography, Drama, History
Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle race to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record.
Director: Billy Crystal | Stars: Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane, Anthony Michael Hall, Richard Masur
Votes: 17,651
Well made biopic focusing on Roger Maris chasing Babe Ruth's home run record. The period detail is quite good and the cast solid. Barry Pepper holds his own as Maris and is ably backed up by the supporting cast. 7 baseball bats out of 10.
31. King of the Hill (1974)
57 min | Documentary, Sport
A look into the Chicago Cubs National League baseball team during the 1972-1973 seasons.
Directors: Donald Brittain, William Canning | Stars: Donald Brittain, Jack Brickhouse, Ernie Banks, Leo Durocher
Votes: 35
A superb documentary focusing on Canadian pitcher Ferguson Jenkins during his time with the Chicago Cubs. Very funny and filled with terrific moments.
32. Baseball Girls (1995)
82 min | Documentary, Sport
From 7-year-olds playing baseball, learning the rules of the game, to 60-year-olds playing slo-pitch softball, "Baseball Girls" explores the private and professional lives of women obsessed... See full summary »
Director: Lois Siegel | Stars: Jackie Autry, Faye Dancer, Phyllis Gello, Michele Granger
Votes: 23
A great documentary on women's baseball with some terrific interviews (including Bill "the Spaceman" Lee). Well worth seeing.
33. Holy Land Hardball (2009)
Not Rated | 84 min | Documentary
Other than players, fields, and fans..they had everything.
Directors: Erik Kesten, Brett Rapkin | Stars: Marty Appel, Larry Baras, Dave Bean, Dan Duquette
Votes: 23
Very much a fish-out-of-water documentary focusing on the creation of the Israel Baseball League in 2007. How do you start a professional baseball league in a country that has a very limited knowledge of baseball? It certainly isn't easy and is doomed to fail. Some great characters are highlighted including some dedicated baseball players and executives. A great moment in the film is when a 75 year-old man tries out for the league at a tryout in Florida! Very enjoyable film.
34. The Babe (1992)
PG | 115 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Babe Ruth becomes a baseball legend but is unheroic to those who know him.
Director: Arthur Hiller | Stars: John Goodman, Kelly McGillis, Trini Alvarado, Bruce Boxleitner
Votes: 11,519 | Gross: $17.53M
Average film that focuses a great deal on Ruth's faults and plays fast and loose with the facts. An improvement on the Babe Ruth Story (1948) but still pretty phony most of the time. John Goodman is ok as is most of the cast but nobody stands out. Ok but should have been a great deal better. The fake newsreels are dreadful.
35. Alibi Ike (1935)
Approved | 72 min | Comedy, Family, Romance
Idiosyncratic new recruit Francis "Ike" Farrell tries to help the Cubs to the pennant with his pitching and hitting.
Director: Ray Enright | Stars: Joe E. Brown, Olivia de Havilland, Ruth Donnelly, Roscoe Karns
Votes: 720
Extremely silly Joe E. Brown farce. This plays like a cartoon but it has a great deal of charm. Brown plays it like he always does: silly to the extreme. William Frawley plays the grumpy manager (has he ever played anything else?) and Olivia de Havilland is the sweet girl who falls for Ike. Perfectly fine if you put your brain on idle.
36. A Winner Never Quits (1986 TV Movie)
PG | 105 min | Biography, Drama, Family
Fact-based story of a young boy who lost his right arm in a childhood accident, but went on to fulfill his dreams of playing major-league baseball. Pete Gray had to overcome the early ... See full summary »
Director: Mel Damski | Stars: Keith Carradine, Mare Winningham, G.W. Bailey, Charles Hallahan
Votes: 221
Surprisingly well made TV-movie based on the life of Pete Gray who played baseball with just one arm. Keith Carradine is excellent as Gray as is Mare Winningham as his girlfriend. This could have been very schmaltzy but it isn't thanks to some honest performances and very good baseball sequences. Definitely worth seeing
37. It Happened in Flatbush (1942)
Passed | 80 min | Comedy, Romance, Sport
A washed up baseball player (Lloyd Nolan) returns to Brooklyn to manage his old team but ends up clashing with the beautiful new owner (Carole Landis)
Director: Ray McCarey | Stars: Lloyd Nolan, Carole Landis, Sara Allgood, William Frawley
Votes: 359
Cute B movie that is pretty much paint by the numbers. Lloyd Nolan is pretty good as is Carol Landis. William Frawley, once gain, appears in a baseball film as his usual grumpy self. Definitely worth seeing if you just want to relax and enjoy a fun film.
38. The Emerald Diamond (2006)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
The story of Irish baseball, from County Cork to Fenway Park.
Director: John J. Fitzgerald | Star: Chris Foy
Votes: 21
Very entertaining documentary on baseball in Ireland focusing a lot on the early days of the Irish national team competing in the European Baseball Championships (B-pool). Charming and engaging.
39. Benchwarmers 2: Breaking Balls (2019)
PG-13 | 91 min | Comedy, Sport
After a freak accident ruins a guy's chances at playing professional baseball, he joins a competitive softball league for lawyers.
Director: Jonathan A. Rosenbaum | Stars: Chris Klein, Jon Lovitz, Chelsey Reist, Lochlyn Munro
Votes: 1,075
By the numbers stupid comedy. Nothing to see here but very bad jokes and cardboard characters.
40. The Benchwarmers (2006)
PG-13 | 85 min | Comedy, Sport
A trio of guys try and make up for missed opportunities in childhood by forming a three-player baseball team to compete against standard children's Little League squads.
Director: Dennis Dugan | Stars: David Spade, Jon Heder, Rob Schneider, Jon Lovitz
Votes: 54,939 | Gross: $59.84M
Absolutely by-the-numbers stupid comedy. You can guess everything that is going to happen well before it does. At least it is better than its sequel. Watch only if you can put your brain on "stupid."
41. Death on the Diamond (1934)
Passed | 71 min | Drama, Mystery, Sport
Pop Clark is about to lose his baseball team, unless they can win the pennant so he can pay off debts. He hires ace player Larry Evans to ensure the victory. As well as rival teams, ... See full summary »
Director: Edward Sedgwick | Stars: Robert Young, Madge Evans, Nat Pendleton, Ted Healy
Votes: 338
Well made murder mystery has some ok baseball scenes. Unfortunately, there are too many backscreen projection shots during the baseball sequences. The plot is interesting and you will probably not guess the killer's identity before the big reveal. All the actors are fine including Robert Young who has the right amount of cockiness required. Madge Evans holds her own and is excellent in her scenes with Young. A good film overall.
42. The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014)
80 min | Documentary, Sport
In 1973, Hollywood actor Bing Russell starts an independent minor league baseball team in Portland consisting of outcasts and misfits, and turns them into unlikely overnight success.
Directors: Chapman Way, Maclain Way | Stars: Lou Russell, Kurt Russell, Ken Wheeler, Todd Field
Votes: 4,584
Terrific, upbeat documentary on an independent minor-league team started by Hollywood actor Bing Russel. This was a ragtag team full of misfits who were loved by their fans. A must see. Kurt Russel, Bing's son, was one of the players and he is interviewed throughout.
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