A baseball comedy and slob comedy rolled into one, this one actually works as entertainment, if not as a piece of cinematic mastery. James Gammon is the has-been manager hired to lead the last-place Cleveland Indians whose owner wants them to lose so she can sell them. But the team of has-beens and never-wases that he assembles (including Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, and Wesley Snipes) develops a sense of pride and turns the team around. There's plenty of rowdy humor about sex, race, and whatever else they can make fun of. Look for Rene Russo (in her first film role) as Berenger's romantic interest; Snipes also had his first showy role as Willie Mays Hayes, the team's base-stealing ace.
--Marshall FineCustomer Review: "You trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curve ball?!"
I love this movie, I really do. MAJOR LEAGUE, to me, hasn't lost an iota of its watchability factor. The uproarious humor, sometimes verrrry salty, still cracks me up. The underdog theme still gets me cheering wildly. Its unexpected moments of poignancy, still heartfelt. The big game at the end, still ridiculously stirring. In terms of its place in my personal hierarchy of baseball flicks, this one ranks right up there with The Natural (Director's Cut), Bull Durham (20th Anniversary Edition), The Pride of the Yankees (Collector's Edition), A League of Their Own (Special Edition) and Field of Dreams (Widescreen Two-Disc Anniversary Edition). Add in a low key but engaging romance, and MAJOR LEAGUE then boasts all the ingredients to be a pretty darn generous picture - if you're looking for laughs and love and baseball. So the plot, in brief, centers around the hapless Cleveland Indians, who haven't won the pennant in over 30 years. This season, the team is intentionally jampacked with a ragtag bunch of losers and headcases and newbies. The film tracks an unlikely season in Cleveland's history, as somehow the Indians climb out of the cellar and ultimately vie for the pennant. This, despite the duplicity of the newly widowed, ex-showgirl team owner, who schemes to relocate her team to Miami. She's not a nice lady. Absolutely, it's a predictable story, and the feel-good ending not much of a shock. But, man, just the sheer entertainment value oozing from this film! Factor in the excellent script, and take into account the really terrific cast. Starting with Tom Berenger, who keeps everything grounded with his broken-down character, who longs for one more day in the sun and who manages to keep his unruly crew together. Trickle down to Charlie Sheen's deadpanned juvenile delinquent pitcher (I think this was his first major comedic role), James Gammon's maverick, raspy-voiced manager, and Margaret Whitton's devilishly wicked (and sexy) Cleveland Indians owner. Rene Russo makes her debut here, after being a highly sought after supermodel. And, while she doesn't have too many scenes, she proves to be very memorable. Wesley Snipes (startlingly hilarious) and Dennis Haysbert were little known back then, and it's hard to recognize them as, respectively, the speedy showboat Willie Mays Hayes and the bald, voodoo-worshipping Pedro Cerrano. And then there's Bob Uecker, who is simply classic as the boozing Cleveland Indians broadcaster Harry Doyle. And how many of his lines can you quote? Does "JUST a bit outside!" ring a bell? Enough ESPN anchorfolks have used it... MAJOR LEAGUE, coming out in 1989, does a great job of capturing the essence of life in the big leagues and depicting behind-the-scenes stuff in the clubhouse, and that rough-and-tumble camaredie which bonds a team together. No, it's not as perceptive
or wise as, say, BULL DURHAM, but it has its moments. Not much in the way of soul-searching here, no. Instead, MAJOR LEAGUE has a simpler mission, which is to make you snort with laughter (although BULL DURHAM also does this effectively). The soundtrack rocks, by the way. Randy Newman's "Burn On" nicely opens the movie and is an ode to a long-suffering city of Cleveland. Then there's that one great slow song (don't know the name or singer) which seranades Jake and Lynn up to her loft apartment. And X's "Wild Thing" provides the chills up your spine as Rick Vaughn at last comes to the mound for his big showdown with Yankees power hitter Clue Haywood. In fact, MAJOR LEAGUE has been instrumental in introducing the trend of closers entering the field to some dramatic music. So this dvd is the Wild Thing Edition and contains a pretty nifty set of bonus features, most of which are worth checking out: an informative audio commentary by the producer and the writer/director; "My Kinda Team" - the 23-minute-long Making Of segment (where, sadly, you can see how much Berenger has let himself go); A Major League Look At MAJOR LEAGUE - members of the real Cleveland Indians team talk about the film; Bob Uecker: Just A Bit Outside - a spotlight on Bob Uecker; an alternate ending with an introduction by the film producer - this scene purports that the owner Rachel Phelps actually had the team's best interests at heart; A Tour of Cerrano's Locker (dull); and a long-winded photo gallery. Let's see, off the top of my head: the Wild Thing's birth control glasses; Jobu the voodoo god (created for this movie); duct-taping the plane; "Hats for bats."; "How's your wife and my kids"; and, of course, "JUST a bit outside!" Just some of the stuff which cracked me up so much (and still do). And that's not even mentioning the riveting final game. Anyway, MAJOR LEAGUE proved to be popular enough to spawn two sequels, Major League 2 and Major League 3: Back to the Minors. The first sequel is pretty good, the other one is a tosser. Underdog films just don't get old. And if it's a sports underdog story, then all the better. MAJOR LEAGUE is raucous and off-the-wall and goofy and funny as hell. Ultimately, it's a feel-good movie that hits all the right notes. The characters are earthy and winning, for a bunch of sad sacks. Since this movie came out, the Cleveland Indians have fared much better in real life, even getting to the World Series in 1995 and 1997. Not bad for reality. But give me the movie every time.
Customer Review: moe
This is a great movie. Our grand kids love baseball and this was a funny movie, that made them laugh.
If you want to see an individual who cares about the game of baseball and the pride of winning, just watch the Little League World Series. It's a baseball event everyone can learn from no matter how old you are. A game where eleven, twelve, and thirteen year old kids take all the baseball training they know and give it all they have for the national spotlight that the LLWS provides.
When it's all over there are no million dollar contracts or shoe deals, because in their world, it's all for the love of the game. Then of course, having fun with friends and family playing video games, going to school, doing homework, and for some even other sports somewhere in between. The juggling act is relentless, especially for teams that play for the right to get to the Little League World Series.
It's been over 60 years since the first LLWS game was played, where teams from all over the United States competed in South Williamsport for national recognition. However, it's a grueling process to get to that stage, starting off with little league organizations around the country that have to choose an all-star team to represent their particular leagues.
Once chosen, teams work their way through elimination tournaments until finally reaching the ultimate destination. What used to be just a tournament for the U.S. has worked its way around the world, that offers an International bracket to compensate the United States side which both consist of eight teams a piece. Then each play their respected sides elimination tournament until only one team is standing for the United States and one for the International.
The emergence of ESPN over the last thirty years has turned a little league championship game into a real World Series styled event. Kids are interviewed, parents soon follow, and those who were once unknown are now put under the microscope for all the world to judge. Probably more surprising then anything else is the players that have gone on to play in the major leagues.
Guys like Gary Sheffield of the Detroit Tigers, who could be one of the first players to tell you the kind of baseball training that is required to go from playing in the Little League World Series to the real thing in the majors. He played for Belmont Heights, which represented the U.S. against Taiwan in the LLWS losing 4-3. However, he was not picked to the team for his batting skill, but for his baseball pitching, which was excellent at a young age.
Baseball events like the LLWS has allowed players like Sheffield and Boston Red Sox captain/catcher Jason Varitek get noticed at a young age from different scouts all over the country. However, the spotlight isn't always as kind, after the 1984 games left Varitek hitless (0-7). His Florida squad made it to the finals, but lost to South Korea 6-2.
It just shows youngsters today that growing up playing baseball has its ups and downs even for professional athletes when they are young. Those are the times that it's most difficult to overcome, and continuous training is required to keep moving forward. With the proper work ethic, we may see you in the Little League World Series. Then again you may be a parent reading this, and if that's the case, maybe will see your son there.
Discover more about baseball training on http://www.baseballtrainingsecrets.com
Knock one out of the park with Backyard Baseball 2009. Play hardball with David 'Big Papi' Ortiz and other MLB superstars as kids: A-Rod, Jeter, Ichiro, Griffey, Howard, and many more. Choose your favorite MLB team or create your own. Backyard Baseball 2009 features season & single game options, create-a-player, Home Run Derby mini-game, and unlockables. It also includes wireless multi-player and let's you use the touch screen to hit, field, pitch, and run-all with strokes and taps of the stylus. With outrageous game play and awesome power ups mixed in with authentic baseball action, Backyard Baseball 09 is the most fun you can have outside the ballpark. 
