These Are The Best Baseball Movies Ever Made, In Honor Of The All-Star Game
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Before we rank all the best baseball movies ever made, in my humble opinion, let me get two things out of the way.
1) There will only be nine movies on this list. Why? Because I think that only nine "good" baseball movies even exist. Anything rated in the 80/100 to 89/100 range is considered "good" to me, and anything 90/100 or above is considered great. Below that, we begin to have movies I'd consider "average" to "above average" in quality. When creating a list of the "best" movies, I don't see any reason to include movies that fall in the average range.
2) No, 'The Sandlot' is not on this list. Most people, I'd imagine, have this movie ranked on their own "best" lists, but I've never found the movie to be that great. Nostalgia? Favorite moments? Sure, of course, I can say that about 'The Sandlot', but in terms of quality, it does not qualify as one of the "best" baseball movies ever made for me. The same goes for 'Rookie of the Year', which, unlike 'The Sandlot', is a steaming pile of shit.
Enjoy the rankings, and for the full baseball movie rankings, make sure to visit MovieRankings.net, scroll down to the SPORT/HOLIDAY section where you can select "BASEBALL," and see the entire list.
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09. A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (84/100) (1052nd Overall)
With a much different story than we are used to seeing with a baseball movie, 'A League of Their Own' is one of a few really well-executed comedy movies on this list. The thing that will always get me about this movie is the performances, as so many of them stand out and add to the charm. Everyone from Geena Davis to Tom Hanks, Madonna, and in between is just fantastic in this movie that has stood the test of time as a classic. (STREAMING: Amazon Prime Video)
08. EIGHT MEN OUT (85/100) (950th Overall)
From comedy to drama, 'Eight Men Out' is a tour-de-force in terms of performances, with a fucking dynamite cast that delivers the goods on what is a tried and true baseball movie, top-to-bottom. This is a character movie that also boasts some of the best visuals in a sports movie that you will ever see. Firmly in the "classic" category when it comes to sports movies, 'Eight Men Out' takes a simple and dark story and turns it into an enthralling drama. (STREAMING: Rent)
07. THE BAD NEWS BEARS (86/100) (852nd Overall)
I actually cannot believe they remade this movie. Well, I can, it's Hollywood, but here is a movie that needed no re-introduction to the world. When it comes to pure baseball comedies, 'The Bad News Bears' doesn't quite hit all of the ridiculously high notes of 'Major League', but man does it come with a bevy of laughs. There is a sharpness and bite to this movie that you don't really see all too often these days, which always puzzles me when it isn't consistently brought up on top baseball movies list. The humor stands the test of time and will always get a big laugh out of me on every rewatch. (STREAMING: Rent)
06. THE NATURAL (87/100) (746th Overall)
There are two movies that I would consider to be classic "dad movie" baseball movies, at least in the sense of being pure baseball dramas. One of them will appear a little further down the list, but the first up is none other than 'The Natural'. With probably the best theme song on the list, and possibly the most iconic of any sports movie, this Robert Redford classic perfectly captures America's love (and hate) relationship with baseball fandom. It never quite reaches the levels of the movies higher up on the list in terms of delivering a uniquely complex punch, but boy does it get all of its main beats right from start to finish. When it comes to being a baseball fan and watching 'The Natural', it's impossible not to feel something when watching this movie. (STREAMING: FuboTV)
05. BULL DURHAM (88/100) (696th Overall)
A little rom-com, and a little dramedy, I guess I am just a sucker for Kevin Costner sports movies. My love for this movie isn't exactly a unique opinion, though, as some may even consider this the best sports movie of all time. For me, a great sports movie oftentimes dives way outside of the sport itself in terms of the "action," and 'Bull Durham' really fits that bill. The baseball is great, the character drama is also great, and this is the movie that really made me enjoy the hell out of Tim Robbins. (STREAMING: Amazon Prime Video)
04. 61* (89/100) (626th Overall)
This movie's inclusion may be a surprise for some, solely because it is easily the least talked about one on the list. But man, '61*' is a fucking fantastic movie, and I vividly remember watching it with my dad when it debuted on HBO. Out of all of the movies on this list, this might be the movie best-suited for the historical baseball fan. The movie tells a great baseball story, draped in drama, with fantastic performances from Barry Pepper and Tom Jane playing iconic sports heroes. (STREAMING: HBO Max)
03. FIELD OF DREAMS (90/100) (529th Overall)
In terms of pure baseball, there is no better movie than 'Field of Dreams'. (This is probably one of the Top 3 Dad Movies of All-Time?) Detractors of this movie might harp on the fact that it is too cheesy and heartfelt, but I do think that is why the movie works so well. There is some room in the world for movies like this, where the story drips with emotion. This is a movie about family, passion, dreams, and so much more. It's impossible to not have some chills up and down your spine during the climactic moments in this movie. For me, this will always be one of (as of now) three baseball movies that I would consider to be "great." (STREAMING: Rent)
02. MAJOR LEAGUE (95/100) (118th Overall)
One of the great comedies ever made might fall into a bit of a "biased" category for me, and I will admit that. I great up a Cleveland sports fan, with my late father hailing from Northeast Ohio, so this movie has a bit of special meaning to me. With that said, I give this movie a rating and ranking that I really would defend endlessly. The characters are perfect, with all of their storylines and jokes are woven in gracefully, leaving no cheap humor or anything unearned. This is just a dynamite sports story on top of all of the comedy, as well. Who doesn't love the underdog or lovable loser? 'Major League' never misses a single beat, and just misses the mark as my best baseball movie ever made. (SIDE NOTE: I will not discuss the sequels) (STREAMING: FuboTV)
01. MONEYBALL (96/100) (67th Overall)
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It will take a Herculean effort to release a baseball movie that tops 'Moneyball'. When it comes to sports movies as a whole, only 'Caddyshack' tops it in terms of overall rating and ranking for me. The performances are top-notch, with a few award season nominations in tow, and this is a fucking excellent Aaron Sorkin script. 'Moneyball' is funny, it is dramatic, and it gives you everything you want in a sports movie, especially in the modern day. This movie just goes to show, once again, that the more unorthodox sports stories are typically the best. The "Hollywood" edits to this movie, not mentioning the Athletics' great pitching staff, or Miguel Tejada, don't mean anything to me. This is a movie, not a visual representation of a Wikipedia page. People dumping on this movie for historical inaccuracies should go pound sand. (STREAMING: Hulu)
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There you have it! My list of the Best Baseball Movies Ever. Make sure to listen and subscribe to Lights Camera Barstool…
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