18 Best Baseball Movies of all Time

Publish date: 2024-06-05
1

'A League of Their Own' (1992)

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The ladies batter up and hear that call as they step to the plate in this WWII period piece about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Geena Davis, Rosie O'Donnell, and Madonna are all comedic heavy-hitters in this feel-good favorite. Special hat tip to Tom Hanks' character for coining perhaps the most ubiquitous precept in the game: "There's no crying baseball!"

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2

'The Pride of the Yankees' (1942)

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Known as the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig started a record number of games during the golden era of Yankee baseball, then fell to a fatal disease that would eventually bear his name. Gary Cooper embodies this hero with a heart of gold in a classic that made millions familiar with the phrase, "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

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3

'Bull Durham' (1988)

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A baseball film for the old soul, this oft-comedic ode to the inherent poetic nature of baseball is set in the Carolina leagues and stars Kevin Costner as Crash Davis, a sage yet aging minor league catcher brought on board to mentor a young pitcher with a million-dollar arm and a five-cent head. Once considered a niche film, this one's now a classic.

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4

'42' (2013)

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You know his story: the first black man to break the color barrier in the Major Leagues, Jackie Robinson became a legend the second he stepped on the field. Enduring hate and naysayers, he, with the aid of Branch Rickey, revolutionized America's game. Director Brian Helgeland's interpretation doesn't miss a beat.

Stream on amazon.com free with an HBO trial, or $4 to rent, $13 to buy. Watch

5

'The Natural' (1984)

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In baseball movies, the game is often secondary to the players and story, but The Natural more so than any other film in the genre will have you asking "What's the score?" The music, that is. This positively legendary score by Randy Newman heralds to this day home runs and heroics in ballparks across the land. Also, um, Robert Redford. In a baseball uni.

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6

'Moneyball' (2011)

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Thank you, Brad Pitt, for giving good face as general manager Billy Beane in Bennett Miller's film adaptation of Michael Lewis's 2003 best-selling book. Attempting to make chicken salad out of chicken scratch for the perennial MLB underclass Oakland organization, Beane, with the help of a baseball savant/data nerd (a bespectacled Jonah Hill), ends up changing the game forever.

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7

'The Bad News Bears' (1976)

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First, the bad news: They're terrible at baseball. Now, the good: their fate gets flipped when an unlikely recruit by the name of Amanda (Tatum O'Neal) takes the mound. Not to be confused with Richard Linklater's modern-day misfits, Michael Ritchie's Bears swung for the fences and in turn launched the underdog stories we cheer for today.

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8

'Field of Dreams' (1989)

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He built it, they came, and we cried a little. If your fondest childhood memories involve playing catch with dad, then keep the Kleenex nearby for this timeless tale about forgiveness and second chances. Another one starring Costner and his beloved diamond, it's a gem with nostalgia thicker than the corn fields his diamond is built between.

Stream on amazon.com, $4 to rent, $13 to buy. Watch

9

'Fever Pitch' (2005)

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On the spectrum of obsessives, there's the BeyHive, religious cults—and then there are Red Sox fans. Jimmy Fallon is comedic gold in the Farrellys' sublimely-timed rom com that kisses the curse of the Bambino goodbye. Based on a British football film, this one translates perfectly to the ball yard and a Bah-ston accent, when miraculously the Red Sox actually win the World Series during filming.

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10

'Eight Men Out' (1988)

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No one can break your heart like your heroes can. A period piece about the Chicago White Sox and the 1919 scandal, which saw them paid to intentionally lose the World Series, this one wins high marks for costumes. On and off the field, the garb conveys the sense of proletariat romance unique to both the game and the era. Another home run? John Cusack as Buck Weaver and D. B. Sweeney as the Shoeless (read: clueless) Mr. Jackson. Say it ain't so, Joe.

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11

'For Love of the Game' (1999)

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The final installment of the Costner ball collection, Sam Raimi's time-hopping narrative is a bit of a curveball. It unfolds through a series of flashbacks and jump cuts, illustrating the challenges and triumphs throughout one man's career, all culminating into one perfect game. Best part, though? The goosebumps we get as legendary broadcaster Vin Scully delivers a final-inning monologue for the ages.

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12

'The Sandlot' (1993)

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Those were the days: when summer fun meant riding bikes with friends, hanging out at the pool, swinging the bat in the sandlot, and running for your life from your neighbor's mythically giant attack dog. With preteen dreamboat Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez, this is one that still gets us going today.

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13

'61*' (2001)

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The M&M boys going head-to-head chasing down the Babe is Yankee mystique at its best. Billy Crystal directs the story of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris's historic 1961 home run chase with the care and emotional oomph of an admirer who has the firsthand memories of that season etched on his soul. Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane knock it out of the park, no asterisks required.

14

'Rookie of the Year' (1993)

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It's every kid's dream: to wake up to super-human strength and pitch the Cubbies out of the slump they've been buried under all season. Isn't it? Daniel Stern directs this '90s blast from the past starring a high-pitched Thomas Ian Nicholas. Not a National League fan? Go with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Angels in the Outfield.

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15

'Sugar' (2008)

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Though known as America's favorite pastime, baseball's reach across Central America and the Caribbean has been a powerful connection of cultures. An emotional, empathetic look at the pursuit of a dream from indie-film directorial tandem Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, it follows a Caribbean baseball prospect from a major league development academy in the Dominican Republic through his minor league stint in the American heartland.

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16

'The Phenom' (2016)

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Ethan Hawke is Hopper Sr., a helicopter parent who wields exactly the type of caustic fathering skills that yield both excellence and contempt in equal measure. Indie vet Johnny Simmons plays a rookie phenom pitcher working to live up to the promise of his bright future while reconciling with the pain of his fractured upbringing. Think Good Will Hunting, just without the calculus.

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17

'Summer Catch' (2001)

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Privileged hottie + humble baseball player = star-crossed-lovers tale that has amassed a cult following over the years. Though it may not be the religious experience Bull Durham faithfuls worship, this summer fling starring '90s heartthrobs Freddy Prinze Jr. and Jessica Beal is nostalgic fodder that comes through in the clutch.

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18

'Major League' (1989)

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A worst-to-first story complete with classic '80s movie tropes (read: privileged/oppressive villain, misfit underdog heroes, wise old mentor, and unlikely miracle win), Major League is a special type of time capsule worthy of extra innings.

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Headshot of DeAnna Janes

DeAnna Janes is a freelance writer and editor for a number of sites, including Harper’s BAZAAR, Tasting Table, Fast Company and Brit + Co, and is a passionate supporter of animal causes, copy savant, movie dork and reckless connoisseur of all holidays. A native Texan living in NYC since 2005, Janes has a degree in journalism from Texas A&M and  got her start in media at US Weekly before moving on to O Magazine, and eventually becoming the entertainment editor of the once-loved, now-shuttered DailyCandy. She’s based on the Upper West Side.

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