Some Movies to Get You in the Mood for Baseball Season

It's baseball time again, and here are are three movies to get you in the mood for the long season, courtesy of Joseph Jones of the of the Cuyahoga County Public Library.

Eight Men Out — Based on a true story, this film looks back at the 1919 baseball season. No free agency or big money endorsements left players at the mercy of team owners. Gamblers looking to take advantage talked several players on the heavily favored Chicago White Sox  to throw that year's World Series. It took the following season before the news became public in one of the biggest sports scandals ever.

The Natural — Young Roy Hobbs is about to get his chance to be a major league baseball player. Then fate steps in and it looks like his dream is over. Sixteen years later though he gets another chance as an aging ballplayer on the last place New York Knights. Can he lead them to the pennant? Or will his past catch up and deny him once again?

The Sandlot — Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? One who loved the game of baseball and just wanted to play all the time? Then this is the movie for you. Scotty Smalls is the new kid and just trying to fit in. He meets Benny, who talks him into joining their pickup games at the sandlot. The fact that Scotty has no idea how to play the game is not enough to stop him. What might, though, is losing his stepfather’s priceless signed baseball to the Beast. Can he get it back before his stepfather finds out? You will have to watch to see.