“The Streak” Thread

[DrungoHazewood]

43 minutes ago, BMann said:

Yeah, I was in my late 20s in '93, still a few years from having kids, so The Sandlot wasn't on my radar. Watched it a few years ago and thought it was OK, nothing special. But I can see how kids who grew up with it might love it. I was just born at the wrong time.

Maybe the thing that sets The Sandlot apart from most other baseball movies is that kids playing baseball is a lot more believable than adult actors playing baseball.  In almost every baseball movie about major leaguers, at least to some extent, you have to suspend disbelief that these guys are actually really good ballplayers.  Because they're clearly not. Maybe it's easier with period pieces like The Natural or Eight Men Out because your mind already kind of recalibrates what 1920 or 1935 is supposed to look like.  Just about every movie with Babe Ruth is super cringy because they feel the need to make a goofy fat guy play arguably the best player who ever lived. I love Major League, but you really have to suspend disbelief to think 90% of those guys could play rookie ball, much less be in the Majors.

Bad News Bears, Sandlot, they're believable because they're really just kids playing baseball like kids play baseball.  But even The Sandlot doesn't completely escape (hopefully not too much of a spoiler) because the cheesiest part of the movie is Benny on the Dodgers at the end.

[DrungoHazewood]

3 minutes ago, IPlayGM said:

My golfing buddies get on me the same way for never seeing Caddyshack.

I know at least two people who work Caddyshack quotes into their daily lives.  All the time.  That's kind of an epic sports movie for someone to not have seen, even if you're not a golfer.  

[Chelsea_Phil]

6 minutes ago, IPlayGM said:

My golfing buddies get on me the same way for never seeing Caddyshack. That’s criminal 

[Hank Scorpio]

A pond would be good for you guys...

[BMann]

11 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Maybe the thing that sets The Sandlot apart from most other baseball movies is that kids playing baseball is a lot more believable than adult actors playing baseball.  In almost every baseball movie about major leaguers, at least to some extent, you have to suspend disbelief that these guys are actually really good ballplayers.  Because they're clearly not. Maybe it's easier with period pieces like The Natural or Eight Men Out because your mind already kind of recalibrates what 1920 or 1935 is supposed to look like.  Just about every movie with Babe Ruth is super cringy because they feel the need to make a goofy fat guy play arguably the best player who ever lived. I love Major League, but you really have to suspend disbelief to think 90% of those guys could play rookie ball, much less be in the Majors.

Bad News Bears, Sandlot, they're believable because they're really just kids playing baseball like kids play baseball.  But even The Sandlot doesn't completely escape (hopefully not too much of a spoiler) because the cheesiest part of the movie is Benny on the Dodgers at the end.

Good point. John Goodman as "The Babe" was probably the worst offender of what you describe, but as you also note, there are MANY "actors playing athletes (esp baseball players)" that don't come close to pulling it off. Maybe that's why the original "The Longest Yard" remains one of my favorite sports films - Burt Reynolds was clearly a decent athlete, having played at FSU.

[IPlayGM]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/34238465/how-orioles-yes-baltimore-orioles-became-hottest-team-mlb

Very interesting Voth’s quotes on the video analysis and data available in Baltimore that he wasn’t accustomed to. I have no idea if that is truly making a difference with these guys but you can certainly make an argument it is.

[LA2]

14 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Maybe the thing that sets The Sandlot apart from most other baseball movies is that kids playing baseball is a lot more believable than adult actors playing baseball.  In almost every baseball movie about major leaguers, at least to some extent, you have to suspend disbelief that these guys are actually really good ballplayers.  Because they're clearly not. Maybe it's easier with period pieces like The Natural or Eight Men Out because your mind already kind of recalibrates what 1920 or 1935 is supposed to look like.  Just about every movie with Babe Ruth is super cringy because they feel the need to make a goofy fat guy play arguably the best player who ever lived. I love Major League, but you really have to suspend disbelief to think 90% of those guys could play rookie ball, much less be in the Majors.

Bad News Bears, Sandlot, they're believable because they're really just kids playing baseball like kids play baseball.  But even The Sandlot doesn't completely escape (hopefully not too much of a spoiler) because the cheesiest part of the movie is Benny on the Dodgers at the end.

I loved the 2005 remake of Bad News Bears even more than the original, especially because of Sammi Kane Kraft's performance as the team-saving tomboy pitcher. It was such a shock to find out years later that she had passed away at the age of 20.

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, IPlayGM said:

Very interesting Voth’s quotes on the video analysis and data available in Baltimore that he wasn’t accustomed to. I have no idea if that is truly making a difference with these guys but you can certainly make an argument it is.

Well it certainly isn’t hurting them, that’s for sure.

More info can only be a good thing.

[LA2]

5 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

Well it certainly isn’t hurting them, that’s for sure.

More info can only be a good thing.

If it is ranked, presented, taught, and absorbed in a way that is adaptive, but consistent and can be integrated well into the player's skill set. I.e., the manager, coaches, and daily regimen are a huge intangible factor. During the Duquette & Showalter years, I think that clarity and synchrony were often lacking.

[DrungoHazewood]

27 minutes ago, BMann said:

Good point. John Goodman as "The Babe" was probably the worst offender of what you describe, but as you also note, there are MANY "actors playing athletes (esp baseball players)" that don't come close to pulling it off. Maybe that's why the original "The Longest Yard" remains one of my favorite sports films - Burt Reynolds was clearly a decent athlete, having played at FSU.

I love John Goodman, but he was a ridiculous Ruth.  Teenage Babe probably weighed 180 or something.  Goodman was bigger and much less athletic than Walter Young or Calvin Pickering.

[Just Regular]

1 hour ago, DrungoHazewood said:

In almost every baseball movie about major leaguers, at least to some extent, you have to suspend disbelief that these guys are actually really good ballplayers.

One of my favorite things about Major League is that the Yankees MVP slugger Haywood is portrayed by Pete Vukovich.   Pitchers can really hit, man.

I too have never seen The Sandlot all the way through.    Now that I have a 7-year old, the circle of life is I guess coming around again to its spot in the batting order.    Recently another 1st grade mom was sharing about their family's watch with their kid, and from the 2020's perspective of what she was trying to teach her boy, one of her takeaways was in the ballpark of "you do NOT kiss Wendy Pfeffercorn that way"...

[Orioles4Life21]

1 hour ago, LA2 said:

I loved the 2005 remake of Bad News Bears even more than the original, especially because of Sammi Kane Kraft's performance as the team-saving tomboy pitcher. It was such a shock to find out years later that she had passed away at the age of 20.

I think the original was much better but I did enjoy Billy Bob Thornton as Buttermaker 

[LA2]

4 hours ago, Orioles4Life21 said:

I think the original was much better but I did enjoy Billy Bob Thornton as Buttermaker 

Better movie structurally and script-wise, yes, but I was allergic to Tatum O'Neal at the time, and had long been tired of Matthau's shtick.

[Mooreisbetter27]

7 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

I actually hadn’t seen it until about 5 years ago.  It’s great and it’s on all the time.  

This is a testament to how great the movie is. Great as a kid when you grow up with it and great when you’re older. One of the best for sure.

[NelsonCruuuuuz]

Bigbird reached out. Insider Scoop: Tampa bay clubhouse in a frenzy tonight taking turns call their mamas upon realizing they are playing the Baltimore Orioles tomorrow !