East Side Dave’s Top 5 Baseball Movies For Opening Day!

Thank the Ghost of Babe Ruth.....BASEBALL is BACK!   

This means warmer weather!  Hot dogs!  Beer (for those 21 or older)!

It also means actually rooting for a good team (as a Yankees fan...but also a lowly Knicks fan and disappointed Giants fan).

As a result, we've decided to make a list...The Top 5 Baseball Movies For Opening Day!

Enjoy!  And...PLAY BALL!

- East Side Dave

5.) Bad News Bears (1976)

Don't overlook this classic baseball flick.  We're going with the Walter Matthau version over the Billy Bob Thornton one (Matthau's is a little edgier, if you can believe that).  Bad New Bears taps into that innocent love of baseball as a kid...and that's a good thing.

4.) League Of Their Own (1992)

Geena Davis and Tom Hanks star in this often-hysterical and rather exciting baseball picture.  And let's be honest, how often do we get to see Tom Hanks play a drunk guy?  NICE!

3.) Field Of Dreams (1989)

It was called a modern-day It's A Wonderful Life by some critics when it debuted in 1989, and they're not far off.  Filled with magic and even a touch of the supernatural, Field Of Dreams reminds us of the special qualities of the National Past-time.

2.) The Natural (1984)

Directed by Barry Levinson and starring Robert Redford, The Natural is a beautiful, two-hour, love letter to the great sport of baseball.  It's rich, with a strong story and fantastic cast, and has one of the best film scores in cinema history.  A masterpiece.

1.) Bull Durham (1988)

Kevin Costner's SECOND flick on the list, Bull Durham is arguably the greatest, all-around, baseball movie ever.  What some may not realize is that the film's director, Ron Shelton (who would go on to direct other sports pictures like White Men Can't Jump and Tin Cup), actually played Minor League Baseball.  As a result, the authenticity (in the form of very adult language and real-life situations) rings very true.  Bull Durham is an absolute baseball-lover's dream and a classic movie.