Play Ball! The 35 Best Baseball Movies of All Time Are Sure To Hit a Home Run
The flicks include Kevin Costner hits and baseball movies for kids.
Spring is upon us, which for many fans signals Opening Day for baseball season. To some, however, it signals baseball movie season. If cheering on your favorite team from the stands isn't in the cards this season, you can still enjoy the game at home, watching a movie about America’s pastime with the help of our list of the 35 best baseball movies of all time, in no particular order.
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Best Baseball Movies
Moneyball (2011)
Aaron Sorkin provides the script for this true retelling of analytics taking over baseball. Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) hires Ivy League graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) to put together a roster based on on-base percentages. It was nominated for six Oscars, but took home none.
Game 6 (2005)
An anxious playwright skips an opening night to watch his Boston Red Sox play the New York Mets in a 1986 World Series game. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, the dramatic comedy stars movie and TV notables Michael Keaton, Robert Downey, Jr., Catherine O’Hara and Bebe Neuwirth.
42 (2013)
The story of the man who broke baseball’s color barrier is told through Chadwick Boseman playing Jackie Robinson as he joins the Brooklyn Dodgers, signed by manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford). Fun fact: Spike Lee was originally intended to write and produce a film based on Robinson’s life starring Denzel Washington, but that project ultimately fell through.
The Sandlot (1993)
“You’re killing me, Smalls!” An instant classic and a source of nostalgia for many ‘90s kids, this film continues to this day to be many people’s favorite childhood sports film. The quest to retrieve a Babe Ruth-signed baseball from the yard of a gigantic, fearsome canine is a source of fantasy and intrigue for many young baseball players. Plus, James Earl Jones!
The Natural (1984)
Overcoming an earlier accident that took a promising career from him, middle-aged baseball player Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) manages to carry a 1930s losing team to victory. A true testament to both love and baseball, the film also stars Robert Duvall as the reporter chasing Hobbs to try and uncover his mysterious past, and Glenn Close as the love he left behind.
The Rookie (2002)
Dennis Quaid plays a high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach who gets a second chance at achieving his Major League Baseball dreams when he tries out for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, his second attempt at going pro after being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers years earlier (and forced to retire due to a shoulder injury). It’s a heartwarming film that won the 2002 Best Sports Movie ESPY Award.
Mr. 3000 (2004)
When a selfish would-be-Hall of Famer who retires mid-playoffs after earning his 3,000th hit learns a clerical error miscounted him three hits shy of being “Mr. 3,000, ”Stan Ross (Bernie Mac) joins the league again to fix the error, curb his selfish ways and relearn his love for baseball. With Angela Bassett alongside him, this film is Mac at his funniest.
The Babe (1992)
This biopic traces the career of legendary New York Yankees outfielder George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr. (John Goodman). Ruth’s career spanned 22 seasons and broke baseball’s most illustrious slugging records, but his home life was often precarious and plagued with sadness.
Rookie of the Year (1993)
After an accident graces a Little League player with professional skills, he manages to make his way to the Cubs roster in this kid-centric comedy. Even though it boasts only a 35 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it's a tale many baseball fans of all ages love and enjoy.
Chasing 3000 (2010)
This baseball drama follows two brothers on their cross-country quest to see legendary right fielder Roberto Clemente get his 3000th hit. Clemente, a Puerto Rican-born Pittsburgh Pirate who later died in a plane crash, was the favorite player of the two brothers whose move across the country doesn’t deter them from their desire to see the rare milestone occur.
Major League (1989)
Starring Charlie Sheen as Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn and Tom Berenger as injury-prone catcher Jake Taylor, the Cleveland Indians team of misfits comes together to make a playoff run in this ‘80s comedy. Fun fact: Though it follows the Cleveland Indians, it was mostly filmed in Milwaukee.
Hardball (2001)
Starring Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane, Hardball finds a young man (Reeves) agreeing to coach a Little League team from the Chicago projects in exchange for a loan he needs to pay off his gambling debts.
Field of Dreams (1989)
After hearing voices and receiving visits from ghosts of baseball past, Ray (Kevin Costner) builds a baseball diamond in his Iowa cornfield. Written and directed by Phil Alden Robinson, it was nominated for three Oscars: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Music Score and Best Picture.
The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
Lou Gehrig’s legacy is shared through this film, directed by Sam Wood and starring Gary Cooper, as he is recruited by the New York Yankees, becomes a star, marries his wife Eleanor (Teresa Wright) and is diagnosed with ALS. It was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing.
The Stratton Story (1949)
Directed by Sam Wood (The Pride of the Yankees), this biopic tells the true story of Monty Stratton, the famous Chicago White sox pitcher who lost his leg in a hunting accident and made a return to the minor leagues with a prosthetic. It won the Academy Award for Best Story, an award that was given until 1956.
No No: A Dockumentary (2014)
Dock Ellis played 12 years in the MLB as a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He helped bring both division and league titles and even a World Series win to the team, all while under the influence of drugs. He is best known for pitching a no-hitter in 1970 while high on LSD, an unknown fact at the time. This documentary explores his career and later life helping others overcome their addictions.
Bull Durham (1988)
The steamiest, sexiest romantic movie on this list, Bull Durham fogs up the screen with performances from groupie Susan Sarandon, rookie pitcher Tim Robbins and been-around-the-block catcher Kevin Costner. A love story told through the sport of baseball, it's a classic that still boasts a 97 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
A League of Their Own (1992)
This Penny Marshall-directed flick celebrates the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during WWII. Starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Rosie O'Donnell and Madonna, this heroic and nostalgic flick is as enjoyable as they come.
The Benchwarmers (2006)
This sports comedy brings together three men bullied as children for a chance to overcome the shadow of their childhood. David Spade, Jon Heder and Rob Schneider become the three-man team that takes on the toughest Little League teams around.
The Bad News Bears (1976)
This potty-mouth comedy starring Walter Matthau as a boozy Little League coach and Tatum O’Neal as his female secret weapon on-the-mound boasts a 97 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating and inspired a 2005 remake starring Billy Bob Thornton and Sammi Kane Kraft. Though the remake didn’t hold up to the original, Matthau’s take has stayed fresh to this day.
Related: 10 Reasons Why We Love Little League Baseball!
Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949)
Baseball and showtunes combine in this postwar flick starring the songs and dances of Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Esther Williams and Betty Garrett. The music was composed by Academy Award-winner Adolph Deutsch, who wrote the scores for a variety of films including Little Women (1949), Father of the Bride (1950) and The Apartment (1960).
Damn Yankees! (1958)
Based on the 1955 Broadway musical of the same name as well as Faust, the German legend, the George Abbot and Stanley Donen-directed film version stars Ray Walston and Tab Hunter as the duo who lead the Washington Senators to the pennant via a deal for a soul.
Angels in the Outfield (1994)
This holy baseball movie stars a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a foster kid who asks God to help his favorite team, the Anaheim Angels, win the World Series. Managed by a disbelieving coach played by Danny Glover, they receive a visit from a real-life angel (Christopher Lloyd) and make a surprising playoff run.
61* (2001)
Thomas Jane and Barry Pepper go head-to-head as Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, two New York Yankees looking to break Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in one season. Directed by Billy Crystal for HBO, it won a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie or Special and another Emmy for Sound Editing.
Fever Pitch (2005)
One of the few films Jimmy Fallon starred in during his acting career before becoming a late-night host, in Fever Pitch he plays a teacher so obsessed with the Red Sox that it interferes with his relationship with his girlfriend (Drew Barrymore). It is a remake of the 1997 British film of the same name starring Colin Firth, the only difference being the British version is about football (soccer). Both films are based on Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch: A Fan's Life.
For Love of the Game (1999)
True to form, Kevin Costner stars in yet another baseball movie that finds him nearing the end of his career as Billy Chapel, a 19-year veteran pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, who must decide if he’s ready to give up the game he loves or follow the love of his life (Kelly Preston) on a new adventure.
Bang the Drum Slowly (1973)
Watch Robert De Niro early in his career as a New York Yankees catcher who hides his cancer diagnosis from the rest of his team, except for popular pitcher Henry Wiggen (Michael Moriarty), whom he befriends. Vincent Gardenia, who played manager Dutch Schnell, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Ballplayer: Pelotero (2011)
John Leguizamo narrates this documentary that follows Jean Carlos Batista and Miguel Angel Sano on their journey to the big leagues. These two top prospects encounter truth, lies, corruption and the mafia as they trek from the Dominican Republic to “the show.”
The Pride of St. Louis (1952)
From the same screenwriter who wrote The Pride of the Yankees (Herman J. Mankiewicz), this biographical movie follows Hall of Fame pitcher Dizzy Dean (Dan Dailey) as he transitions into a career in broadcasting, facing adversity for his informal vernacular. Most of the movie is factually correct, except the climax is fictionalized. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story, but lost to The Greatest Show on Earth.
Related: These Are the 14 Best Baseball Announcers and Their Most Famous Quotes
Eight Men Out (1988)
The Chicago “Black Sox” scandal of 1919 comes to the big screen in this historical sports drama starring John Cusack. Co-written by Eliot Asinof and John Sayles (also directed by Sayles), the movie dramatizes the story of Chicago’s White Sox accepting bribes to deliberately lose the World Series against Cincinnati and follows the truth being exposed two years later, a jury trial and several players’ ultimate banishment from baseball.
Trouble with the Curve (2012)
Starring Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams, here’s the story of an aging baseball scout who takes one last trip on the road with his adult daughter to prove he’s still a valuable asset to the team. Bonus: It also stars Justin Timberlake.
Off the Black (2006)
Written and directed by James Ponsoldt (The End of the Tour, The Circle), this indie film follows Dave Tibbel (Trevor Morgan), who vandalizes the home of an umpire (Nick Nolte) after losing a game to a bad call. Rather than paying off the debt, umpire Ray Cook asks the teenager to pretend to be his son at his 40th high school reunion, and through the movie, the two form a paternal bond. It only survived a limited release, but it’s one of the most powerful films on this list.
Fear Strikes Out (1957)
A baseball-obsessed father (Karl Malden) pressures his son Jimmy Piersall (Anthony Perkins) into a life of playing baseball, but once Jimmy makes it to the majors, his life becomes more complicated. It’s directed by Robert Mulligan, famous for his 1962 version of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Sugar (2009)
Sugar follows the fictionalized story of Miguel Santos (Algenis Perez Soto, Captain Marvel), a Dominican pitcher navigating his way through the major leagues. From the creators of Half Nelson, this film tackles racism, culture shock and more as Santos struggles to make his way in a brand-new environment.
Up for Grabs (2005)
This documentary highlights the court battle between two fans who attended the San Francisco Giants’ historic game where Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron’s home run record. The fans both claim ownership of the home run ball after a scuffle in the stands, but the movie is about more than just the court battle: media frenzy, fan obsession and the importance we place on sporting accomplishments.
Catching Hell (2011)
This ESPN documentary chronicles the story of Steve Bartman, a fan who reached for a fly ball during 2003’s Game 6 of the NLCS between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins. Part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 film series, it explores one of the most famous and controversial fan plays in baseball history as well as how spectators can go overboard with their loyalty.
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1998)
This film received a Critics’ Choice Award for best feature documentary. The first major Jewish baseball player to join the major leagues, Hank Greenberg’s baseball stats rivaled those of Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, both players in his time. He endured anti-semitism while helping lead the Detroit Tigers to dominance in the 1930s.
Looking for a laugh? Try our list of the best comedies of all time.
