Long Gone : Balle de match

I saw this movie back when it originally came out on HBO. I Love it! It has it all as far as I am concerned. The actors did such a great job with their characters, Peterson as "Stud" and Madsen as "Dixie" are hilarious. If you can find this movie please check it out, it really is a gem.

This is the most underrated baseball movie. It not only has believable baseball scenes but the accuracy of the era is on the money. It shadows the Florida State League in the 1950's, following an imaginary team(Tampico Stogies). It shows that baseball creates a humility that brings people together, no matter what color or religious background.

This is one of the most underrated baseball movies of all time. Bull Durham was great but got bogged down near the end. Long Gone not only told a great baseball story but managed to mix in a love story and a story about race relations without becoming didactic. Quite a feat. I love this movie!

This is a very good baseball/comedy. A past his prime player/manager(William L. Peterson)takes a low budget minor league team, the Tampico Stogies, from the cellar to the top of their league. Peterson still hopes of getting called to the 'bigs' while his team is being energized by the play of a rookie 'phenom'(Dermot Mulroney). Then there is the homer run hitting(Lary Riley)that has to pretend to be Puerto Rican instead of black. The owners want to secretly sell the team. And then there is the drop dead gorgeous groupie(Virginia Madsen)that is one hell of a distraction.

Supporting cast includes: Panchito Gomez, David Lanston Smyrl and Henry Gibson. If you liked BULL DURHAM or MAJOR LEAGUE, you can't help but like this movie. Step up to the plate and take a cut!

How this movie only warranted an HBO premiere and not a theatrical run is astounding. Before "Bull Durham" or "Major League," "Long Gone" is the ultimate tale of "down on their luck baseball team turns things around." I know, it's been done a dozen times, but I love this movie.

Yes, the clichés are all there: "coulda been a star" fading veteran, his love interest, the doe-eyed rookie, the guy who can't get a break, the losing streak, and all that, but this film still works. The dialogue is crisp, the characters are very sharp, and the 1950s setting of the movie is great, shades of a simpler time when base ball was just a "boys game" like the main character Stud Cantrell (played by CSI's William Peterson) says, where "you hit the ball, you run like hell."

The movie touches on real issues from the time as well: premarital sex, racism, and the the like, but never gets preachy. And the ending to the "big game" is one of the more unique I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of them). The soundtrack is great, featuring gospel, honky-tonk, and some classic Hank Williams.

It's not Shakespeare, just a fun romp with a great cast and a great story. Highly recommended!