Which players made our all-baseball movie lineup?

Did Benny "The Jet" make the cut?

March 17th, 2020

Look, these are strange times. It seems we're all going to be stuck inside for a while. If you're anything like me, you've probably started distracting yourself with a baseball movie or three. Also if you're anything like me, all that binge-watching has got you wondering about who the best fictional ballplayers really were.

So that's why we're here today: If you could choose any characters from any baseball movie, how would you fill out your lineup? Who would start on the mound? Who would hit cleanup? Which skipper would call the shots? (As for the best fictional team of all-time, we've already answered that question.)

(And before you ask: Yes, we're using the DH; that's a debate for another day.)

1. Willie Mays Hayes ("Major League"), CF

Let's not overthink this. Hayes showed up uninvited to Indians Spring Training in 1989 and managed to earn a roster spot thanks to his blazing speed. Those wheels make him a defensive whiz in center, and they also make him our ideal leadoff man -- fast enough to turn any sort of contact into a hit (with this heart of the order, we're going to want men on base) and fast enough to turn even a bunt into a run.

2. Marla Hooch ("A League of Their Own"), 2B

Depending on how you feel about "Who's the Boss?", second base might be the thinnest fictional position there is. But we're thrilled to welcome Hooch to the squad: She's a natural-born hitting machine, a José Altuve-type that can shoot line drives into the space opened up by Hayes wreaking havoc on the basepaths.

3. Roy Hobbs ("The Natural"), RF

Sure, his injury history is a concern, but the man can literally hit the cover off the ball -- we're finding a way to get him into the middle of the lineup. Besides, even if he's not the most mobile guy anymore, we can always call on someone like "Mr. 3,000's" T-Rex Pennebaker as a defensive replacement in the later innings. You know, when we're trying to protect our 10-run lead.

4. Pedro Cerrano ("Major League"), DH

We shudder at the thought of letting Cerrano play the outfield, but the bat plays -- especially now that he's learned to hit a curveball. And on days when we're facing a tough right-handed pitcher, we can always slot in Jack Elliot.

5. Lou Collins ("Little Big League"), 1B

Quite possibly the most underrated fictional ballplayer of all-time. His 12-year-old manager got all the headlines, but Billy Heywood wouldn't have been such a success if he didn't have Collins winning a batting title and powering the Twins to that one-game playoff against the Mariners. (Really, this is all Ken Griffey Jr.'s fault.)

6. Dottie Hinson ("A League of Their Own"), C

The competition is admittedly fierce at catcher. But there's a reason Crash Davis only got that one cup of coffee in the big leagues, and Jake Taylor's career is on its last legs (uh, literally). So we'll give the nod to Hinson, a two-way star in her prime -- even if she totally dropped that ball on purpose.

7. Ray Mitchell ("Angels in the Outfield"), 3B

All due respect to Roger Dorn, his skills had already begun to fade by the time we met him. Mitchell on the other hand, was the one member of the Angels who didn't need a supernatural assist -- as some heavenly henchmen smiled on Mel Clark and the rest of the gang, he just kept right on raking. Plus, without him, there'd be no "Hemmerling for Mitchell? Go back to Cincinnati!"

8. Kelly Leak ("Bad News Bears"), LF

He may be young, but the star of the Bad News Bears was already loan-sharking and riding a Harley by the age of 13, so he's clearly mature beyond his years. Besides, he can play all over the place, and that versatility is a welcome addition to any club.

9. Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez ("The Sandlot"), SS

This may seem low for a figure as legendary as The Jet, but we never did get to see him in his prime, and we're looking for someone who can turn the lineup over -- a heady player with good speed and bat skills who can work counts, put the ball in play and get on base.

Starting pitcher: Henry Rowengartner ("Rookie of the Year")

The rest of the starting rotation, for the record: Nuke LaLoosh, Bingo Long, Steve Nebraska and Billy Chapel.

Those are all fine choices, but it's hard to top a guy who can crack 100 on the radar gun (with, we're assuming, excellent spin rate). We'll have to manage his workload -- his heater is the direct result of an injury, after all -- but in this day and age, we're just looking for five or six great innings, and the Majors just couldn't seem to figure R̶e̶s̶i̶n̶b̶a̶g̶g̶e̶r̶ Rowengartner out.

Closer: Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn ("Major League")

Again, there's more than enough depth to field a full roster here, from lefty specialists like Ryan Dunne to late-inning firemen like Kenny Powers and Amanda Whurlitzer. (Heck, you could even throw Sam Malone in there, if the regulars at Cheers are to be believed.)

None of them have Vaughn's wipeout stuff, though, and there's nobody we'd rather have to shut the door at the end of a game.

Manager: Jimmy Dugan ("A League of Their Own")

It may not have started out very well, but he got the most out of his players and displayed an aggressive and shrewd strategic mind while guiding the Peaches to the World Series of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. He'll have plenty of help, too: From Lou Brown's steady hand as bench coach to Phil Brickma's ... peculiar perspective as pitching coach.