Five baseball stories that we'd most like to see turned into movies
Baseball is a game of stories.
From amazing individual player backgrounds to unrivaled accomplishments carried out by seriously larger-than-life personalities, there's just so much there to absorb, all the time.
And yes, while there are already many quality movies focused on the sport -- from fantasies like "Field of Dreams" and "Angels in the Outfield" to timeless crowd-pleasers like "The Sandlot" and "Major League" or narratives along the lines of "Eight Men Out," "Bang the Drum Slowly," "Moneyball" and "42" -- plenty of worthy tales have yet to receive a cinematic treatment.
In the spirit of Oscars weekend, here are some people and stories from baseball's hallowed past that we think deserve some big-screen love. Make it happen, Hollywood!
Game 7
As far as "baseball cinema" goes, Game 7 of the 2016 World Series couldn't have been scripted any more perfectly. But that's precisely why it should be.
Not only was the loaded drama of "The Cubs in Game 7 of the World Series" more than enough to make it one of the most epic games in the history of the sport, but the actual contest itself was on another level entirely. From defensive gems to
Plus, the triumphant moment of
Really. That was a real game that happened, not the result of fans' fever dreams. And yet, it felt like one all the same. Wouldn't a movie version be great?
And, in fact, given Bill Murray's status as No. 1 celebrity Cubs fan, maybe Game 7 as a "Groundhog Day 2" sequel fits, since it'd allow him (and, thus, all Cubs fans everywhere) to just constantly relive one of the greatest few hours in team history?
And A Very Pleasant Good Evening: The Vin Scully Story
One of baseball's most celebrated icons called it a career in 2016, as Vin Scully stepped down after 67 years at the microphone for the Dodgers.
Scully's is a story well worth telling in cinematic fashion, especially as a biopic chronicling his adventures from a young schoolboy enamored with the game to a stint in the Navy -- and then the beginning of his broadcasting career as a student at Fordham University.
Flash forward seven or eight decades later: He's one of the most cherished names in the history of the sport. Of course, spending so much time with the Dodgers as he did, it's likely a number of baseball fans around the world weren't as familiar wth his unmistakable style and personable nature as those on the West Coast.
An official biopic would fix that.
We'll all miss Adrian Beltre whenever he retires. But as that day has (thankfully) not yet arrived, the Rangers' veteran infielder/team leader will be entertaining the masses once again this season.
When he does hang up his cleats, though, maybe he could star as himself in his own movie? After all, nobody else can do what he does on the field, in the dugout or with unsuspecting fans in the stands, nor is anyone quite as endearingly quirky as he is on an everyday basis.
Jackie Mitchell
Back in 1931, a tall, left-handed 17-year old named Jackie Mitchell did something that established her as somewhat of a baseball legend -- so why isn't her accomplishment more well known? A film treatment of her story would do justice to what truly sounds like an unbelievable feat.
You see, while pitching for a semi-pro team in Chattanooga, Mitchell was tasked with facing both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. So what'd she do? She struck both of them out. The Babe. And Lou Gehrig.
There's some intrigue to this tale that adds a certain degree of drama to a potential film treatment, considering there was much ballyhoo after the strikeouts as to their veracity -- that is, was it "real" or was it a stunt that both Yankee legends were in on? Nobody ever really admitted to any of those rumors, which (if given a proper script handling) could add up to a pretty engaging retelling on the big screen.
Charles O. Finley and the A's
The high-flying early '70s Oakland A's were the focus of a recent MLB Network special that told their undeniably offbeat story.
From clubhouse fights to their enigmatic then-owner, Charlie O. Finley, it's really quite incredible just how good the team was (winning three consecutive World Series titles) considering everything that went on behind the scenes.
Finley, of course, is widely considered one of baseball's most unique personalities, and a film focusing on his life and his major success with those gifted A's squads would no doubt translate pretty well as a movie -- the type that could appeal to even non-baseball fans, just in terms of sheer dramatic value.
Which of your favorite baseball stories or personalities would you like to see turned into a movie? Let us know in the comments below.
