The scenes depicting the main characters in Arizona at an outdoor barbecue were actually filmed at a mansion in Cleveland. The home was owned by the Erdman family and was located around the 1900 block of E. 87th St. Other scenes shot in Cleveland were at the following locations: Detention Home, Edgewater Park, The Flats, The Art Museum, The Cleveland Playhouse and of course, Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
Archive footage was used for the 1948 game with the Boston Braves, the 1948 World Series, spring training in Tucson, Arizona, USA and a game in 1949. The Cleveland Indians received no pay for its participation in the film, but the individual players were offered a percentage of the profits.
The ballpark shown on the "spring training" section of the movie is actually League Park in Cleveland (on the corner of E.66th and Lexington), which was the home of the Cleveland Indians from 1891 until 1946. When the movie was shot in the spring of 1949, the park was being used by high schools and amateur baseball teams in the spring and summer and high school and semi-pro football teams in the fall. Most of it was torn down in 1951, but small part still remains today as does the field itself, where little leaguer's now play where the greats of the game made their names.
Bill Veeck tells the famous story about rookie Larry Doby striking out at a game, and veteran Joe Gordon then possibly deliberately striking out to prove that "here, he was just another ballplayer".
There were eleven future Major League Baseball Hall of Famers in this movie. Those credited include Bill Veeck, Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, Satchel Paige, Tris Speaker, Hank Greenberg, Lou Boudreau, Joe Gordon and Larry Doby. Uncredited Hall of Famers include Bill McKechnie and Early Wynn.