The 10 Worst Baseball Movies Ever Made

I won't talk about some ill advised sequels (any "Major League" movie after the original) or straight to video. And I can't include what I haven't seen, but was told was horrible (Mr. 3000 for example).

Here ya go:

The Grand Prize Clunker - Rookie of the Year

Rookie of the Year (1993)

Thomas Ian Nicholas, best known for the "American Pie" movies stars as a 12-yr old who is suddenly blessed with a three digit fastball when he breaks his arm. I haven't really seen much of Nicholas' work, but he was absolutely awful as an overly precocious, obnoxious tweener.

Gary Busey is not believable as a has-been great pitcher (okay, the has-been part is completely believable). Eddie Bracken as the team owner essentially plays the same role he did in "National Lampoon's Vacation". Daniel Stern must have really needed the money as he took on the role of the village idiot, in this case, the pitching coach.

The only good performance was Albert Hall as the Chicago Cubs' manager, who is a combination of Lou Piniella and Norm Crosby.

Cheesy and Predictable from start to finish.

The Babe Ruth Story (1948)

Veteran movie actor, and later the star of TV's "Life of Riley", William Bendix stars as the great Bambino himself, Babe Ruth. Bendix comes off as completely unathletic, not that the Babe was built like a great athlete, in one of the corniest movies ever made.

Two scenes stand out for corn - Prior to the 1932 series with the Chicago Cubs, the Yankees had traded shortstop Mark Koenig to the Cubbies, who mistreated the former Bronx Bomber. The movies depicts Ruth (Bendix) standing outside the Cubs dugout, razzing each of the players as he takes the field.

The worst scene is the penultimate near-death scene as the Babe lays gravely ill in a hospital bed. All the children in the area gather in the street below and start singing, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". Take me out to the lobby.

Ed (1996)

Matt LeBlanc stars with a baseball playing chimp. 'nuff said.

The Slugger's Wife (1985)

Michael O'Keefe (Caddyshack) is Darryl Palmer, a slugger for the Atlanta Braves. The movies centers around O'Keefe's relationship with Rebecca DeMornay (Risky Business) as well as his pursuit of Roger Maris' single season home run record.

One look at O'Keefe's swing and you realize he couldn't break a pane of glass. The only amusement comes from cameos by Al Hrabosky as himself and Braves owner Ted Turner as a fan.

This movie will make you want to slug the screen writer(s).

The Babe (1992)

Another movie about the Sultan of Swat. This time starring Roseann's John Goodman in the lead role. I love John Goodman, but I so didn't love this movie. Possibly because they make the Babe very unlikeable.

While I realize his life has been glamorized and not everything is true or portrayed accurately, I could have done without the over the top drunken, womanizing, ill tempered portrayal.

Sandlot (1993)

Blasphemy will be shouted by some, including my brother, but this movie stunk. It's a rip-off of just about every movie ever made - think "Stand by Me" + TV's "The Wonder Years" + the original "Bad News Bears" + "A Christmas Story" and many, many more.

Everything in the movie is predictable - the scary man who isn't scary, the narration talking about the past, the kid who can't really play but will make a big play, and the fat catcher.

Bad News Bears (2005)

You do NOT re-make one of the best movies ever made. The original, the difference being "The" before the rest of title, appealed to any kid whether they were in little league or not. It's a classic.

And while I said I wouldn't talk about movies I didn't see, I refused to see this one. One more reason to not like Billy Bob Thornton.

The Scout (1994)

We like Brendan Fraser, but his portrayal of phenom Steve Nebraska is not believable. We can't stand Albert Brooks, but he was good as scout Al Percolo. Go figure.

Little Big League (1994)

Here we go again with a 12-yr old at the major league level. This time as the team owner and manager after he inherits the Minnesota Twins. Yeah, baseball allowing a 12-yr old manager, okay.

Like Gary Busey, Timothy Busfield is the washed up player who mentors the kid, etc. And the team improves and blah blah..snooooooooooore.

Summer Catch (2001)

Freddie Prinze Jr. as a pitcher...yeah real believable...in the Cape Cod League. Jessica Biel does her hottest best to keep the movie going, but this is major league bad. Mild spoiler - Prinze leaves his no-hitter in the 9th to stop Biel from leaving town. What, you couldn't get the last out and then follow her? No one has cell phones? C'mon.