Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the Way

This was a baseball movie I thought I'd never get a chance to see: a TV movie that's never on TV and has, as far as I know, never been released on video. So imagine my delight when I saw this available on VoD, and for only $1.95! It can't suck that bad, right?

It doesn't. I don't disagree with the other comments here. Yes, the video inserts during actual game footage are jarring, but they're somehow not distracting. (The technique of combining documentary footage with scripted performances was used more successfully in AFTER THE SHOCK - another television movie with a baseball connection.) And the on-field re-enactments are unconvincing, though I've yet to see a baseball movie with authentic-looking game action.

Most of the actors acquit themselves here. Steinbrenner got more believable as the movie progresses - so much that I stopped thinking of the "Seinfeld" caricature. Paul Sorvino took a moment to get used to, but was probably the best casting choice possible. And Robert Loggia does sorta look like Frank Torre (while unfortunately sounding exactly like Robert Loggia).

What about the players? They're more hit-and-miss. Doc seemed the most accurate, and I also approved of the actor who portrayed Joe Girardi. Boggs wasn't awful, either.

But where did they get Strawberry and O'Neill? Neither was believable on or off the field, and neither physically resembled their real-life counterparts in the slightest.

If you live in the New York area or have read Joe Torre's autobiography "Chasing the Dream," there's nothing in this movie you don't already know. We're all familiar with Torre's professional history before coming to the Yankees, and Gooden's past, and Coney's medical problems, and the Jeffrey Maier incident. Everyone else may be confused about what's going on, since the movie is not very informative and suffers from choppy editing. But I did appreciate some minor details throughout, like what a pitching coach actually does and Boggsy's bad memories of the '86 World Series. And the many clips of the '96 Yankees season (good and bad) are always great to see again.

CURVEBALLS ALONG THE WAY is not the worst baseball movie ever made (try watching a MAJOR LEAGUE sequel, or STEALING HOME, or THE SLUGGER'S WIFE). It ain't even the worst Yankee movie out there, as anyone who's suffered through THE SCOUT can attest.

I'm surprised that "Joe Torre: Curveballs Along the Way" never became a camp classic. It's laughable bad at times. Paul Sorvino spends most of the movie walking around in moping around with a puss on his face. Robert Loggia spends most of the movie walking around with his hand over chest. "Curveballs Along the Way" uses stock footage of Yankee games in a very poor way. It uses the fake sports talk phone calls in an even worse way. The biggest problem with the movie is the subject matter. Sorvino is stuck playing Torre as some kind of super wise baseball genius which he was not. He was just in the right place at the right time. Honorable mention: the nice performance by Isaiah Washington.

Paul Sorvino does a fine job as Joe Torre, the man who had not been to the World Series for over a decade as a player and another two decades as a manager. In 1996, he finally made it. What a shame that just one year earlier, Don Mattingly had retired after the disappointing playoff loss to the Seattle Mariners due to his long suffering back problem. But that is for another film. This one has some production shortcomings, but the human story of Torre overcomes those shortcomings. David Cone and Doc Gooden gave everything they had that year, and the team also made an amazing comeback in the World Series against the Atlanta Braves. I remember watching the third game of the Series at a bar in Queens with some friends, and we were drowning our sorrows in Jack Daniels and cokes, as the Yanks were trailing in the third game and had already lost the first two. But baseball is a funny game; anything can happen and turn the momentum on a dime. I enjoyed reliving this great year for Torre and the Yankees, and so will you if you are a Yankee fan. All others might want to shave one star off the rating.

This movie is GREAT! I call it a 10, that being the best! It is what it is, a baseball movie! How many of those are classics anyway?? C'mon, of course it's not going to make anyone forget "On the Waterfront" for example. But it's GREAT as far as baseball movies go! I loved it! Watched it five times already and just bought it the other day!The acting was great, the story was great! It's a Rocky in pinstripes!To me it was a .400 hitter!Joe Torre is one of the all time great managers now,a sure fire HOF candidate.All the years he toiled as a player and under appreciated manager turned around when he got the call from Mr. Steinbrenner. Torre as a Cardinal manager was very gracious to the fans even, never neglecting to sign a ball for instance.My friend from St. Louis said it was not uncommon for Torre to sign for fans for hours. Even after a game when the Cards got skunked!His stats as a player are just short of the HOF, and in fact he is better than many enshrined! Props to the movie!It's about time the man had a movie made about his life!Thanks for reading!



Thanks! It's a HOME RUN!

There might be a baseball movie out there that can rival how bad this one is, but I doubt it. For such great actors cast in some of the parts, I was sorely disappointed by the performances. The cinematography was poor, going from shots during a game that were obviously on a sound stage to crowd shots from any baseball broadcast. They would purposely do close up shots so you wouldn't see that nobody was actually there. Just not believable at all. I couldn't suspend my disbelief at all. Blech!