Major League - La squadra più scassata della lega

There have been some excellent baseball movies made from Field of Dreams to The Pride of the Yankees, but no movie based on the national pastime can ever claim to be as hysterically funny as Major League. Granted, the value of the original was hurt by the second and third attempts at re-creating the atmosphere. Those two films were an embarrassment to all involved.

Major League, however, personified the attitude of "Nothing to lose". Aside from the easily identified woes of the Cleveland franchise of the late-eighties, there were several actors in this film that had yet to hit big or had started to fall from grace. The incredibly strong language of the movie only made it seem that much more realistic.

I saw this movie when it was released back in 1989 and I couldn't stop laughing; This movie was hilarious.

It was very fitting, since the Cleveland Indians at the time were the laughingsock of the Major Leagues and for years, they were stuck in the realms of mediocrity or in last place year after year.

The cast was great; Led by Tom Berringer, and Margaret Whitton. She played the perfect villain in this movie. You just wanted to hate her. Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bersen, along with 3 unknown actors at the time, Wesley Snipes, Dennis Haysbert and Rene Russo. Snipes was hilarious as Willie "Mays" Hayes as well as Haysbert as Pedro Cerrano, the power hitter who practices voodoo. The cast was well rounded off with Checie Ross as Eddie Harris, the aging religious pitcher, James Gammon, Charles Cypers and Bob Uecker as "Harry Doyle".

There were many great one liners and hilarious scenes. The American Express commercial was classic and here's a couple of my favorite scenes:

-Jake Taylor, Willie "Mays" Hayes and Ricky Vaughn are in a bar after a game and discussing the long ball Vaughn gave up:

Taylor: "It wasn't that bad" Vaughn: "Oh yeah? Name one park that ball couldn't have left" Taylor: "Yellowstone" (All 3 laughing)

That scene was in the theater version and I've seen it in the trailers for the movie, but it was deleted in the video version. I'd like to know why, because that was one of my favorite scenes.

-"Oh now you come around; But he isn't fooled"- Eddie Harris on seeing Pedro Cerrano crossing himself.

Here's a few bits of trivia on the movie:

-Funny thing was seeing Pete Vukovich as Klu Haywood, a first baseman. Mainly because he was a pitcher in the Major Leagues.

-Catcher Jake Taylor wore #7. This was the uniform number of longtime Los Angeles Dodger catcher Steve Yeager, who was the technical advisor to this movie and played 3rd Base Coach, "Duke Temple" (Fitting that Taylor wore his number?).

-The movie was filmed in Milwaukee and 3 people affiliated with the Brewers were featured: Pete Vukovich, Bob Uecker (Brewers play-by -play man) and pitcher Jerry Augustine (Duke Simms).

-Was it a coincedence that Miller and Lite Beer was used, since Bob Uecker at the time was spokesman for the Miller Brewing Company?

This movie is one of the best sports movies around. Getting the dvd is worth it.

I grew up in Strongsville Ohio and suffered through many bad Indians teams in the 70's and 80's. At the beginning of the movie it was great seeing the pan view of downtown Cleveland. Oh yes, the movie.......THE INDIANS WIN IT! sums it up perfectly. A million thanks to Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes, Charlie Sheen and the rest of a great cast for making such a funny and heart-warming movie. Thanks to you too, Euk, for giving that line its heart! Give Cleveland a decent sports franchise and they will come for miles to support them. Sold a few home games out at the Jake as you will recall..........a few tough times have hit the Tribe lately but they're coming back....With Mike Hargrove back that's a step in the right direction. Definitely watch this movie if you want to relax in the comfort and safety of a hilarious and nostalgic movie. GO TRIBE!!!!

... in this great ensemble film about the underdog, from several perspectives, and it's my favorite sports film even though I don't even like baseball. Being a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, and given the team's dilemma for the past thirty years, I definitely feel for the city of Cleveland.

As for the plot, Rachel Phelps is the ex-showgirl widow of the owner of the Cleveland Indians, and as such she has inherited the team. The first day of the new season she comes in with a puzzling roster for spring training - A bunch of has-beens and never-will-be's. She later confides in GM Charlie Donovan that she is deliberately trying to build a team that doesn't just lose - it's been doing that for 34 years - but finishes dead last, with attendance so poor that by contract she is allowed to break her lease with the city and move the team to Florida.

At that point the movie's focus moves to the jug band of players she recruited, how they work together, and how some of them just rub each other the wrong way. At first it looks like Rachel Phelps's plan will be a success, but how would the team react if they knew? Watch and find out.

It's one of the most quotable movies out there and provides genuine tension at the end as you really WANT these guys to win. It gives off such energy. I wasn't a huge fan of the romantic subplot involving Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger) trying to win back his ex-wife because it felt a little forced, but I did appreciate that it gave him some character development.

Charlie Sheen's "Wild Thing" Ricky Vaughn is iconic, the writing is brilliant , and it gives us a beautiful story of a bunch of ragtag misfits coming together to prove their individual and collective worth.

This is one of the cleverest predictable movies of all time, and for my taste the best baseball movie. A great cast, an underdog plot, and one memorable choice after another by the writers and director make this a valentine to the foot soldiers of our national pastime. (Remember, this was 15 years ago.)

The fabulous scoreboard, the hysterical radio play-by-play of Bob Uecker, even the motley occupants of Cleveland sports bars are irresistible hooks to reel us in, after we've been hooked by the motley team of colorful has-beens and never-were's. If this is a formula, it's the right one. I deeply love this movie, and regret not having seen it in its theatrical run. (I've seen it a dozen times since.) I'm sure the audience went wild during that climactic Yankees game! How about that Dorn making a bunch of clutch plays! Didn't you love Cerrano carrying his bat around the bases with him? Jake not dusting off, and pointing, twice...man, I wish I'd been there.

Then there's the little insert, early in the story, about Jake's fantasy of hitting the winning run out of the park. What happened instead when the chips were really down?

Okay, it isn't "poetry" -- it's more of a limerick, know what I mean? Just start with three words: "There once was...." and finish it yourself! I bet you'll finish with a big smile on your face!