List of baseball films explained

This is a list of films about baseball, featuring notable films where baseball plays a central role in the development of the plot.

Title	Year	Type	Summary
The Ball Game	1898	Documentary	Short film depicting an 1898 baseball game between Reading Phillies and Newark Bears.
Baseball and Bloomers	1911	Short	An all-girl baseball team uses two Harvard boys in disguise.
Right Off the Bat	1915	Drama	A bio-pic of sorts starring professional baseball player Mike Donlin
Casey at the Bat	1916	Drama	A lost five-reeler based on Ernest Thayer's poem and starring DeWolf Hopper
Somewhere in Georgia	1917	Drama	Ty Cobb as a ball-playing bank clerk in a story by Grantland Rice.
Baseball Madness	1917	Comedy	A silent film starring Gloria Swanson.
The Busher	1919	Comedy	Small-town ballplayer gets a big head after joining the St. Paul Pink Sox.
Headin' Home	1920	Biographical	A silent film about young Babe Ruth, who stars as himself.
Life's Greatest Game	1924	Drama	Chicago Cubs pitcher Jack Donovan refuses to throw a game.
The Battling Orioles	1924	Comedy	A barber enlists the help of his father and his old professional baseball teammates to solve a problem.
The New Klondike	1926	Comedy	A pitcher and his manager clash over a Florida land purchase.
Casey at the Bat	1927	Comedy	Wallace Beery in slugger's fable based on Ernest Thayer poem.
Slide, Kelly, Slide	1927	Comedy	A cocky newcomer thinks he's the New York Yankees' new star.
The Bush Leaguer	1927	Comedy
Warming Up	1928	Romance	New player competes with team's star for owner's daughter.
Fast Company	1929	Comedy	Elmer Kane (Jack Oakie) hopes the Yankees and an actress are interested in him.
Hot Curves	1930	Comedy	Pittsburgh pitcher finds romance with manager's daughter.
They Learned About Women	1930	Musical	Two pals play ball by day, perform in vaudeville by night.
Up the River	1930	Comedy	A game behind bars brings Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart out of the pen.
Fireman, Save My Child	1932	Comedy	Joe E. Brown as a small-town fireman who is also the town's star ballplayer.
Elmer, the Great	1933	Drama	Joe E. Brown as an egotistical Chicago Cubs baseball star. Remake of 1929 film.
Death on the Diamond	1934	Mystery	Ballplayer (Robert Young) tries to find who's killing his fellow St. Louis Cardinals.
Alibi Ike	1935	Comedy	Joe E. Brown as a pitcher with a million excuses.
Girls Can Play	1937	Mystery	A women's softball team owner murders a player (Rita Hayworth) by poisoning her catcher's mitt.
The Pride of the Yankees	1942	Biographical	The life and career of Lou Gehrig, with Gary Cooper as Gehrig and Babe Ruth as himself.
It Happened in Flatbush	1942	Comedy	Hard-hearted manager (Lloyd Nolan) falls for Brooklyn team's owner.
Ladies' Day	1943	Comedy	Sox pitcher Wacky Waters (Eddie Albert) is distracted by a hot Hollywood movie star, Pepita Zorita (Lupe Vélez).
The Babe Ruth Story	1948	Biographical	The life and career of Babe Ruth, starring William Bendix.
It Happens Every Spring	1949	Comedy	Ray Milland as a scientist whose secret formula turns him into a great pitcher.
The Stratton Story	1949	Biographical	The career and fateful accident of pitcher Monty Stratton, starring James Stewart.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game	1949	Musical	Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly as singing, dancing ballplayers.
The Kid from Cleveland	1949	Drama	The '48 World Series champion Cleveland Indians come to the aid of a young fan.
Kill the Umpire	1950	Comedy	William Bendix as a baseball fan who becomes an umpire.
The Jackie Robinson Story	1950	Biographical	Baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson as himself, with Ruby Dee as his wife.
Angels in the Outfield	1951	Comedy	A Pittsburgh Pirates manager (Paul Douglas) gets some help from above.
Rhubarb	1951	Comedy	Ray Milland in a cute tale about a cat who inherits a baseball team.
The Pride of St. Louis	1952	Biographical	Dan Dailey as the colorful pitcher Dizzy Dean.
The Winning Team	1952	Biographical	Based on pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander, played by Ronald Reagan.
The Kid from Left Field	1953	Comedy	The son of a peanut vendor (Dan Dailey) becomes the leader of a big-league team.
Big Leaguer	1953	Drama	Hans Lobert (Edward G. Robinson) runs a training camp for baseball's New York Giants.
Roogie's Bump	1954	Comedy	A mysterious bump somehow gives a boy a big-league arm.
The Great American Pastime	1956	Comedy	A man (Tom Ewell) decides to coach a Little League team, then regrets it.
Fear Strikes Out	1957	Biographical	The life and career of Jimmy Piersall, played by Anthony Perkins.
Damn Yankees	1958	Musical	A man sells his soul to the devil on behalf of Washington's baseball team.
Safe at Home!	1962	Comedy	With Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris as themselves.
Bang the Drum Slowly	1973	Drama	A pitcher's friendship with a catcher (Robert De Niro) who has a terminal disease.
It's Good To Be Alive	1974	Biographical	TV movie about former Brooklyn Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella, whose career was cut short when he lost the use of his legs in an auto accident in January 1958.
The Bad News Bears	1976	Comedy	Walter Matthau's bad Little League team gets help from a girl pitcher (Tatum O'Neal) and a motorcycle-riding slugger (Jackie Earle Haley).
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings	1976	Comedy	A barnstorming team of Negro leagues players, with James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor.
Murder at the World Series	1977	Drama	TV film starring Karen Valentine and Janet Leigh.
The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training	1977	Comedy	Sequel to 1976 film, with William Devane as the team's coach.
	1978	Biographical	TV film on the life and career of Ron LeFlore, starring LeVar Burton.
A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story	1978	Biographical	TV film on Yankee immortal's marriage and tragedy, featuring Blythe Danner and Edward Herrmann.
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan	1978	Comedy	Second sequel to 1976 film, this time starring Tony Curtis.
The Kid from Left Field	1979	Comedy	TV film, remake, with Gary Coleman.
Aunt Mary	1979	Drama	A disabled women sets up a baseball team of street kids to save them from juvenile delinquency.
Squeeze Play!	1980	Comedy	Sexy women form a softball team.
The Comeback Kid	1980	Comedy	Former minor leaguer (John Ritter) begins coaching underprivileged kids.
	1981	Biographical	TV film with Louis Gossett Jr. as the ageless 1940s pitcher.
Only The Ball Was White	1981	Documentary	A tribute to the topflight players of the Negro leagues.
Blue Skies Again	1983	Comedy	Denver Devils' potential second baseman isn't a man, it's a young woman.
Tiger Town	1983	Comedy	Early Disney Channel film about an aging Detroit Tigers (Roy Scheider).
The Natural	1984	Drama	Robert Redford in a fable about an unlikely, unlucky hero, Roy Hobbs.
Brewster's Millions	1985	Comedy	Richard Pryor as a minor-leaguer with a chance to inherit 300 million dollars.
The Slugger's Wife	1985	Romance	An Atlanta Braves player tries to break Roger Maris' record and make a marriage work.
A Winner Never Quits	1986	Biographical	A television film on one-armed pro ballplayer Pete Gray, played by Keith Carradine.
Long Gone	1987	Comedy	Early cable television film about a minor-league ballclub starring William Petersen.
Trading Hearts	1987	Comedy	Has-been player (Raúl Juliá) and his romance with a Florida single mom.
Amazing Grace and Chuck	1987	Drama	A Montana boy refuses to pitch Little League until the world bans nuclear weapons. With Gregory Peck as President of the United States.
Bull Durham	1988	Rom-Com	Ron Shelton's screwball comedy of a woman's (Susan Sarandon) summer with two minor-leaguers (Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins).
Eight Men Out	1988	Biographical	Based on the 1919 Black Sox Scandal.
Stealing Home	1988	Drama	Mark Harmon and Jodie Foster in a fictional tale of lost love.
	1988	Comedy	Someone's out to kill the Queen of the United Kingdom during an Angels baseball game, and it's up to bumbling detective Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) to foil the plot.
Field of Dreams	1989	Drama	Voices tell an Iowa farmer (Kevin Costner) to build a baseball stadium in his cornfield.
Major League	1989	Comedy	Fictional story of a team of misfit Cleveland Indians.
Night Game	1989	Crime drama	A ballpark murder mystery starring Roy Scheider.
Mr. Destiny	1990	Comedy	A man (James Belushi) blames his misfortune on a long-ago baseball game.
Taking Care of Business	1990	Comedy	A man (James Belushi) escapes jail to see the Chicago Cubs play in a World Series.
Pastime	1990	Drama	A pair of minor leaguers, one 17, one 40, form a bond.
The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson	1990	Drama	Andre Braugher in TV biopic of Robinson's court-martial in U.S. Army.
Talent for the Game	1991	Drama	A fictional Los Angeles Angels baseball scout (Edward James Olmos) finds a fantastic young pitcher.
The Babe	1992	Biographical	Based on the life and career of Babe Ruth, starring John Goodman.
The Comrades of Summer	1992	Comedy	A television film about a manager (Joe Mantegna) asked to take over a Soviet ballclub.
A League of Their Own	1992	Comedy	A fictionalized account of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League of the 1940s, starring Geena Davis and Tom Hanks.
Mr. Baseball	1992	Rom-Com	Tom Selleck as a baseball star who ends up in Japan.
Rookie of the Year	1993	Comedy	A boy develops a magical right arm and becomes a big-league pitcher for the Cubs.
The Man From Left Field	1993	Comedy	A television film about a homeless man (Burt Reynolds) coaching a Little League team.
The Sandlot	1993	Comedy	A man reminisces about his childhood friends and the games they played.
Cooperstown	1993	Drama	A former pitcher is visited by the ghost of his catcher.
Baseball	1994	Documentary	Comprehensive history of the game, 18 hours-plus, as chronicled by Ken Burns.
Angels in the Outfield	1994	Comedy	Disney remake of the 1951 film of the same name.
Cobb	1994	Biographical	The career and last days of Ty Cobb, played by Tommy Lee Jones.
Little Big League	1994	Comedy	A child becomes owner of the Minnesota Twins.
Major League II	1994	Comedy	Second film in the Major League series about the Cleveland Indians.
The Scout	1994	Comedy	A New York Yankees scout (Albert Brooks) finds a phenomenal but psychologically troubled prospect.
Baseball Girls	1995	Documentary	A history of women's baseball
	1995	Documentary	Aaron's pursuit of Babe Ruth's all-time homer record, directed by Michael Tollin.
Dorf on the Diamond	1996	Comedy	Direct-to-video short film in the Dorf series starring Tim Conway.
Ed	1996	Comedy	Matt LeBlanc befriends a baseball-playing chimpanzee.
The Fan	1996	Thriller	A deranged San Francisco fan (Robert De Niro) kills a player, kidnaps another's son.
Soul of the Game	1996	Biographical	Story of baseball trailblazers including Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson.
	1997	Biographical	Paul Sorvino as the former New York Yankees manager.
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg	1998	Documentary	The life and career of a former Detroit Tigers star and war hero.
If the Sun Rises in the West	1998	Drama	South Korean story of an umpire.
	1998	Comedy	Third film in the Major League series.
For Love of the Game	1999	Drama	In possibly his last start, a Detroit pitcher (Kevin Costner) goes after a perfect game.
Perfect Game	2000	Comedy	Television film starring Ed Asner.
Angels in the Infield	2000	Comedy	Patrick Warburton in second made-for-TV sequel to the 1994 film.
61*	2001	Drama	HBO film directed by Billy Crystal about the season of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.
Hardball	2001	Drama	Keanu Reeves as a young man who takes charge of an inner-city team.
Summer Catch	2001	Romance	Fictional love story starring Freddie Prinze, Jr.
	2002	Comedy	Fourth entry in the Air Bud series.
The Rookie	2002	Biographical	Based on true story of a high school coach, pitcher Jim Morris, portrayed by Dennis Quaid.
Bleacher Bums	2002	Comedy	TV version of the 1970s stage play about diehard fans in the outfield bleachers.
Battlefield Baseball	2003	Action	Japanese film.
Day of Independence	2003	Drama	Short film
Hustle	2004	Biographical	ESPN dramatization on success and scandal of Pete Rose, starring Tom Sizemore.
Mickey	2004	Drama	John Grisham story about a Little Leaguer and his father.
Mr. 3000	2004	Comedy	A potential Hall of Famer (Bernie Mac) is told he's actually three hits shy of 3,000.
Nine Innings From Ground Zero	2004	Documentary	How the 2001 World Series helped America cope with 9/11.
This Old Cub	2004	Documentary	Chronicles life of Ron Santo, focusing on his struggle with type 1 diabetes.
Up for Grabs	2004	Documentary	A battle over who owns ball hit in 2001 by Barry Bonds for his 73rd home run.
The Winning Season	2004	Drama	A child from 1985 wakes up in 1909 and meets hero Honus Wagner (Matthew Modine).
Fever Pitch	2005	Rom-Com	Loosely based on Nick Hornby soccer story, in this case a Boston Red Sox fan (Jimmy Fallon).
Game 6	2005	Drama	A playwright (Michael Keaton) has a wild night during a Red Sox playoff series.
Bad News Bears	2005	Comedy	Remake of 1976 film of same name, starring Billy Bob Thornton.
The Sandlot 2	2005	Comedy	Direct-to-video sequel to The Sandlot.
The Benchwarmers	2006	Comedy	David Spade and Rob Schneider as middle-aged nerds who want to play ball.
Everyone's Hero	2006	Animation	Cartoon family film with baseball theme.
Beer League	2006	Comedy	A town drunk plays in a big softball game.
Off the Black	2006	Drama	An umpire (Nick Nolte) befriends a high school player who hated him.
	2006	Documentary	Broadcast on the U.S. PBS series POV. Explores the phenomenon of high school baseball in Japan.
The Final Season	2007	Drama	Based on 1991 season of Norway High School in Norway, Iowa, before it was closed and consolidated into its county school district, starring Sean Astin.
	2007	Comedy	Second direct-to-video sequel to The Sandlot.
The Bronx Is Burning	2007	Biographical	A docudrama of 1977 New York Yankees, with John Turturro as Billy Martin.
Black Irish	2007	Drama	Boston teen tries to escape family problems through his pitching.
American Pastime	2007	Drama	Based on true events, depicts life inside internment camps, where baseball was one of the major diversions from the reality of the internees' lives.
City Without Baseball	2008	Drama	Chinese film.
Signs of the Time	2008	Documentary	Hour-long film which focuses on the origin of hand signals in baseball.
Sugar	2008	Drama	Story about a Dominican prospect and his adjustment to life in the U.S.
Touching Home	2008	Drama	Brothers with pro-ball ambitions deal with their homeless father (Ed Harris).
The Perfect Game	2009	Drama	Based on true story of Mexico team that won 1957 Little League World Series.
The Open Road	2009	Drama	Minor leaguer Justin Timberlake has issues with baseball-legend dad Jeff Bridges.
Calvin Marshall	2009	Comedy	Talentless baseball player Alex Frost tries to make Steve Zahn coached college team.
	2010	Documentary	Reviewing the achievements, controversies of all-time hit leader Pete Rose.
Chasing 3000	2010	Drama	Two boys go a long way to witness 3,000th career hit of Roberto Clemente.
Fernando Nation	2010	Documentary	Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Chronicles impact of Fernando Valenzuela's 1981 rookie season with Los Angeles Dodgers.
Four Days in October	2010	Documentary	Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. On the Boston Red Sox' comeback from 3–0 series deficit against Yankees in 2004 ALCS.
Hero	2010	Drama	Christian film about fathers and sons.
How Do You Know	2010	Rom-Com	A romantic triangle involving a softball player (Reese Witherspoon) and a Washington Nationals pitcher (Owen Wilson).
The House of Steinbrenner	2010	Documentary	Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Explores the legacy of George Steinbrenner's ownership of the New York Yankees.
	2010	Documentary	Documentary film on the connection and history between American Jews and baseball.
Jordan Rides the Bus	2010	Documentary	Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Explores Michael Jordan's brief career in minor league baseball after his first retirement from basketball.
Little Big Men	2010	Documentary	Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. On a Kirkland National Little League team's stunning victory in 1982 Little League World Series, and players' lives in the decades that followed.
Silly Little Game	2010	Documentary	Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. About the New York City writers and academics who created Rotisserie fantasy baseball, and how their creation eventually left them behind.
Catching Hell	2011	Documentary	Made for TV as a follow-up to ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Explores relationship between Steve Bartman and other Chicago Cubs fans since foul-ball incident in Game 6 of 2003 NLCS.
A Mile in His Shoes	2011	Drama	A minor-league manager stumbles on a hidden talent who throws apples on a farm.
Moneyball	2011	Drama	Based on a true story, the Michael Lewis best-seller about Oakland A's exec Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt, and assistant general manager Peter Brand (based on Paul DePodesta, played by Jonah Hill).
Ballplayer: Pelotero	2011	Documentary	A behind-the-scenes glimpse into the remarkably organized and well-managed system in the Dominican Republic that has produced an inordinate amount of elite athletes.
Trouble with the Curve	2012	Drama	Clint Eastwood as a veteran Atlanta Braves scout whose vision is fading.
Knuckleball!	2012	Documentary	A season following pitchers Tim Wakefield and R. A. Dickey.
You Don't Know Bo	2012	Documentary	Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series about baseball and football star Bo Jackson.
Home Run	2013	Drama	A ballplayer dealing with substance abuse returns to his hometown.
42	2013	Biographical	Story of Jackie Robinson's (Chadwick Boseman) historic signing with Brooklyn Dodgers under guidance of team executive Branch Rickey (played by Harrison Ford).
Gibsonburg	2013	Drama	Story of 2005 Gibsonburg High School team from Ohio, the first U.S. high school team in any sport to win a state championship with a losing record.
Million Dollar Arm	2014	Drama	A sports agent (Jon Hamm) arranges a baseball tryout for two cricket players from India.
The Vancouver Asahi	2014	Drama	Set in Canada during the 1930s.^[1]
The Battered Bastards of Baseball	2014	Documentary	Look at a Portland minor-league team, featuring Bing (the team's owner) and Kurt Russell (who played for the team and later worked in its front office).
Henry & Me	2014	Animation	Guardian angel introduces an ill 12-year-old to New York Yankees of different eras.
The Phenom	2015	Drama	A talented young baseball player struggles professionally as he deals with his abusive father.
Everybody Wants Some!!	2016	Comedy	Film by Richard Linklater about immature 1980 college baseball players in Texas.
Doc & Darryl	2016	Documentary	Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. Explores the lives, careers, and struggles with addiction of former New York Mets stars Dwight "Doc" Gooden and Darryl Strawberry.
Fastball	2016	Documentary	With Kevin Costner narrating, lead a cast of baseball legends and scientists who explore the magic within the 396 milliseconds it takes a fastball to reach home plate, and decipher who threw the fastest pitch ever..
Spaceman	2016	Biographical	Josh Duhamel portrays a colorful left-handed pitcher, Bill Lee.
Undrafted	2016	Comedy	After a college baseball star doesn't make the Major League Baseball draft, an intramural game with friends becomes hugely important to him as he tries to accept his broken dreams.
World Beaters	2017	Documentary	ESPN Films production chronicling the Maine–Endwell Little League team that won the 2016 Little League World Series, becoming the smallest community ever to win that event.
Heading Home	2018	Documentary	About the underdog Israel national baseball team competing for the first time in the World Baseball Classic.
Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams	2019	Documentary	US–Japanese coproduction exploring Japanese high school baseball, focusing on two schools trying to reach the 100th Summer Koshien national tournament and the differing approaches of their coaches.
Bottom of the 9th	2019	Drama	After serving 17 years in prison for a violent mistake he made in his youth, a once-aspiring baseball player returns to his Bronx neighborhood.
Baseball Girl	2020	Drama	Story of a high school student who tries to join a professional team with the help of her coach.
Long Gone Summer	2020	Documentary	Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. A look back at the 1998 home run chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.
Once Upon a Time in Queens	2021	Documentary	Made for TV as a part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series. A four-part exploration of the 1986 New York Mets and their enduring place in sports culture.
It Ain't Over	2022	Documentary	Explores the life and career of New York Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra.
Tomorrow's Game	2023	Children and family, Science fiction	On the day of his uncle's ascendance into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Daniel is forced to embark on a journey through time that sees him restore his family's legacy and rewrite baseball history. With Paul Rodriguez.
Shohei Ohtani: Beyond the Dream	2023	Documentary	Documentary made by ESPN Films exploring Shohei Ohtani's rise from his beginning in Japan to becoming a two-way superstar in Major League Baseball. Starring Pedro Martinez as narrator.
The Hill	2023	Biographical	The true-life story of Rickey Hill's improbable journey to play Major League Baseball.

See also

• List of sports films
• List of highest-grossing sports films

Notes and References

1. Web site: Yo-kai Watch breaks Toho record in Japan. Kevin Ma. December 24, 2014. December 24, 2014. Film Business Asia. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150106202334/http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/yo-kai-watch-breaks-toho-record-in-japan. January 6, 2015.