Top 10 Baseball Movies All-Time

Sports movies are like fine wine, they seem to get better with age. For every sport, there is at least one or two movies that any fan can name as classics instinctively. Baseball is no different and may have the best Hollywood history compared to any other sport. Lets take a look at our top 10 baseball movies ranked.

10. Angels In The Outfield

This movie just adds to the history of superstitions and baseball mystique where anything can happen. Tony Danza playing the role of “Mel Clark” and Danny Glover as “George Knox” are performances worth watching. Highlight of the movie is Danza pitching in the championship, where he throws 159 pitches, looking like a guy who has an ash tray and a bottle of Jack in the dugout for between innings. A farfetched movie, but still a classic that makes the list.

9. Summer Catch

Any former or current baseball player would kill to be Freddie Prinze Jr. in this movie. A highly touted prospect, pitching for the Chatham A’s in the Cape Cod League, which is also is hometown. The combination of summer baseball and the image of Jessica Biel strutting around in a bikini are enough to silence any critics. Plus there were multiple cameos from MLB players such as Ken Griffey Jr.

8. Hardball

When you think of a coach, who struggles with a gambling addiction, paying off bookies, and a healthy booze habit, you think Keanu Reeves. After being given the chance to coach an inner city team where Reeves is offered $500 a week to pay off his gambling debts,  he becomes engulfed with the team and the kids. A series of sketchy bets, high stress, and team camaraderie make this movie a classic.

7. Rookie of the Year

“Rosenbager!”. Kid breaks his arm, it heals, and is suddenly a weapon. Enough of a storyline for little leaguers to be sold on the possibility at the time. Amongst other things, this may have been the last movie that Gary Busey was mentally stable for, which in itself makes it a classic. Also this set the standard for throwing a home run ball back. Gotta air it out and pray for a contract, you never know.

6. Beer League

Softball, baseball whatever. This movie wasn’t as mainstream as the rest, but the cult following is there. Artie Lange chugging a pint before his at bats. The real italian guy who is nothing more than a giant meathead. Jimmy Palumbo getting hammered at the wedding to use the speech as an oppurtunitity to recall his historic batting average. Mix in the Karate Kid with a crew of degenerates and you have a rec league softball team people can relate to.

5. Bull Durham

Hint: this isn’t the last time Kevin Costner makes the list. Seriously though, has anyone been in more sports movies than Kevin Costner? Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, For the love of the Game, Draft Day, Tin Cup. With Tim Robbins as the crazy pitcher, and Susanne Sarandon in her prime this movie is well deserving of its spot.

4. The Natural

Many people consider this the best baseball movie of all-time. Fittingly, it has the hardware to prove it with multiple Academy Award nominations. The acting of Robert Redford as “Roy Hobbs” was unrivaled and made it seem like he actually could have played in the bigs. But the storyline of him being donned “The Natural” from a young age, growing into a phenom, mixed with a sketchy mistress, and the display of his career from youth to middle aged veteran is captivating.

3. Sandlot

What kid didn’t grow up wishing they had this situation. This movie had its classic scenes that people will still recall to this day, which make it arguably a top choice. Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez putting on his PF Flyers to steal the baseball from the beast, then cutting to him playing for the Dodgers and stealing home with his buddy as the announcer. Wendy Peffercorn, a name every kid born in the 1990’s should know. Simply put, this movie depicted baseball and growing up with a group of friends to a tee.

2. Field of Dreams

Cue the “If you build it, they will come” quote. There’s no other sports movie that exemplifies the sport any better than Field of Dreams. Baseball is a simple game that is handed down from generation to generation with old historical importance. Building a field in your backyard is awesome and even better is that the actual field still stands today. If you haven’t watched this movie, do yourself a favor and take the time.

1. Major League

From top to bottom no baseball movie displays Cleveland as a city of misfits better than Major League. Between the A-list actors involved and the believable play on the field, it all adds up to make this a great film. Charlie Sheen even took steroids for his role so he could get his fastball velocity up to 86mph. Then there is Jake Taylor, the broken down veteran catcher, calling his shot and instead executes a suicide squeeze to win the pennant all while blowing out his knee.