In honor of the start of the upcoming Major League Baseball season, I thought I would pay tribute to America’s Game by listing my top 10 most favorite baseball movies. I have included a little explanation as to why each film made this list, and if your favorite diamond flick didn’t make the list, then I apologize for your bad taste in baseball movies. No really, please feel free to add to this list and we will see just what sports bettors like about silver-screen web gems.

Please note that there are hundreds of baseball-themed movies, and I am only ranking the ones that I have personally seen and enjoyed. I have purposely left-off baseball documentaries and histories to include only baseball flicks with strictly entertainment value. Otherwise, this list would begin and end with Ken Burns’ epic documentary “Baseball,” and HBO’s “When it was a Game.” 

The Lineup.

No. 10 – Damn Yankees (1958) – Things get a little zany when the Devil himself intervenes to grant an aging fan his wish of having his beloved New York Yankees win. This musical is a classic that combines whimsical musical numbers and is a great concept about how far a fan is willing to go to see his team triumph. 

No. 9 – Bad News Bears 2 (1977) – The Bad News Bears are back at it again, this time without a coach. The reason why this flick made the list, despite not being as funny as the original, is that the film taps into every little leaguer’s dream of playing on the big stage and under the lights. The Bears travel to Houston to battle the Torros, inside the Houston Astrodome. Little leaguers everywhere dreamed of charging the field out of a big league dugout and the Bears get it done in this enjoyable baseball gem.  

No. 8 – The Bad News Bears (1976) – This movie is the quintessential little leaguer flick. Anchored by a great performance by the legendary actor Walter Mathau as the Bear’s half-crocked coach, this rag-tag group of outcasts band together as a team in this unforgettable movie. 

No. 7 - The Sandlot (1993) – Another great little league picture. The difference here is the unforgettable group of characters like “Squints,” who fakes drowning at a local swimming pool just to get a kiss from the gorgeous older lifeguard during an attempt to revive the skinny kid with coke-bottle glasses. The ‘Lot also gave us such catch phrases as “your killin’ me smalls,” and “the Great Bambino!” 

No. 6 - The Naked Gun (1988) – Based on the classic TV series “From the Files of Police Squad,” this movie gets the No. 6 spot for Leslie Nielsen’s performance as a rogue umpire, and his stirring rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” as opera singer Enrico Pollazo. A Good-natured cameo from Mr. October himself Reggie Jackson as he becomes hypnotized to assassinate the Queen of England during a California Angles baseball game, also helps this film make my list. 

No. 5 – A League of their Own (1992) – A great peek into an all-girls baseball league that came to prominence during WWII. While male baseball players we overseas fighting the war, there were a handful of teams competing in this all-girls league. Tom Hanks plays a drunken washed-up ex-baseball player turned manager, called to lead this group of talented players. The film was directed by Penny Marshall who has amassed one of the largest sports and baseball memorabilia collections in the world. This film also introduced us to the phrase “dirt in the skirt,” helping solidify its No. 5 position.  

No. 4 – Bull Durham (1988) – One of the all-time best baseball movies, and the first of two Kevin Costner movies in the top 10. This movie has a smoldering hot Susan Sarandon as the team groupie, Tim Robbins as the hot-shot rookie that learns to breathe through his eyelids ala Fernando V. This movie is full of laughs, great baseball action and Costner as the aging minor leaguer quietly chasing baseball’s homerun record. No bull, this one is great.  No. 3 – Field of Dreams (1989) – Costner comes back with his second baseball film in as many years and his second on my top 10. What is great about this movie is that it is about a baseball nut that casts of the shackles of adult responsibility, builds a baseball diamond in the middle of a corn field in the middle of Iowa, to watch long dead baseball players play – that only he can see. This film also features great acting from James Earl Jones as the writer Terrance Mann. This film takes us on a journey that has as much to do with baseball as it does about finding ourselves. This film also gave us such great lines as “if you build it, they will come.” 

No. 2 – Major League (1989) – The Bad News Bears all grown up. This is the most funny of all baseball movies featuring an all-star cast of Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes and Corbin Bernsen. This film chronicles the season of a bunch of has-beens and never-was baseball players who made the team simply because the new owner wants to re-locate the Cleveland Indians to Florida. Baseball hilarity ensues with all sorts of baseball situations stickier than pine tar and hilarious enough for the No. 2 spot. 

No. 1 – The Natural (1984) – Yes the greatest baseball film of all time. This movie has it all. Great acting from powerhouse actors like Robert Duvall, Glenn Close and of course Robert Redford. This movie also has drama, fantasy and not one, but two magic bats.  

Redford plays the mysterious baseball player that can knock the cover off the ball and play any position. In the ending scene,

Redford circles the bases amid a hail of sparks form lights that he hit with the long ball, a scene that is oft lampooned but never re-created with the original power, drama and excitement. The Natural gets my vote for no other reason than that when it was over, all I wanted to do was grab my mitt and hit the diamond. 

So root, root, root for your TV and grab one of these home runs, you won’t be disappointed. At the very least you have a backup plan when faced with a rain out.