With baseball season upon us, Sports Illustrated has drafted 10 of the most memorable onscreen ballplayers in movie history to its fantasy team. (Eleven, if you count groupie Jessica Biel from Summer Catch.) Great minds think alike, as we’ve just brought back our own gallery of the 10 best movie ballplayers, and there’s a lot of overlap. One player-to-be-named-later who didn’t make either of our lists — but should have — is Stan Ross (Bernie Mac, pictured), the unceremoniously unretired slugger from the underrated Mr. 3000. Anyone else we left out of our batting order who deserves a shot? Write in your own Hollywood Hall-of-Famers below.
Apr 3
2008
12:51 PM ET
The best big-screen ballplayers
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You left off Bruce Pearson (Robert De Niro) from Bang the Drum Slowly. His best friend Henry (Michael Moriarty) wants to let him play one last season before he dies of terminal cancer. A 10 hankie movie if ever I saw one.
bernie mac blew in that movie as a baseball player. anyone who watches the sport could tell you that which is why he deservedly was left off. you suck.
What about Rookie of the Year?
“Ed” made SI’s list? Really? Couldn’t they have put in multiple characters from baseball movies that are actually *good* instead of “Ed” and “The Rookie”?
Where do we begin with these omissions? First of all, how could you take Charlie Sheen but not Wesley Snipes, aka Willy Mayes Hayes, from those loveable losers in Cleveland? He was hilarious in the movie. Next, what about Tom Selleck in Mr. Baseball? That is one of the most memorable baseball flicks I can think of, plus, he has the ‘stache! I see someone mentioned Rookie of the Year. If you don’t consider Thomas Ian Nicholas than what about Gary Busey as the washed up ‘Rocket’? And finally, the creme de la creme, half of the entire team from Angels in the Outfield. Take your pick, washed up pitcher Tony Danza, incredible catch-making Matt Mcconaughey, or the bumbling utility infielder Adrien Brody. Talk about some stars waiting to bust out of the Disney shell.
I can’t believe neither list has Dennis Quaid as Jimmy Morris in The Rookie. A great underdog sports flick, a weeper, and a true story!
Someone just beat me to it, but Dennis Quaid, gave an Oscar ignored performance in The Rookie.
Willie Mays Hayes!
When I think “baseball movie” I think “The Sandlot.” Where is Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez (a.k.a. Benny) on this list? He taught Scotty Smalls how to play baseball and he survived The Beast. “The Sandlot” is one of the greatest movies about being a kid, and Benny even made it to the Big Leagues.
I liked your list much better than SI’s. The only one I can think of is Steve Martin’s kid in “Parenthood” when he caught that ball in the outfield and Steve Martin went nuts that his kid actually caught a ball. Too funny.
Do Made for TV movies count? Then I’ll plug Barry Pepper as Roger Maris in 61*. Dude was hated by half the country because the sportswriters didn’t like how he gave interviews and he wasn’t the “right one” to dethrone the Babe. Ironically apparently he still is the “legitimate” single-season home run record holder.
Is this “best ballplayers in a movie (real or otherwise)” or “best portrayal of a ballplayer by an actor in a movie?” Gotta be clarified, I think. Anyhow, where’s Billy Dee as Bingo Long? Tommy Lee Jones as Ty Cobb? Barry Pepper and Thomas Jane as Maris and Mantle?
Tanner Boyle and his big mouth from The Bad News Bears, and Pedro Cerrano from Major League. “He wants to Sacrafice a live chicken!”
Probably one of the most ridiculous baseball movies ever, but Timothy Busfield and Jonathan Silverman were casting creativity at its finest in Little Big League.
I’m w/Cassie…Benny “the Jet” Rodriguez should be on the list, he did get the best of Hercules (the Beast).