Baseball movies you can stream now to hold you over until Opening Day
Rain, snow, windshield ice and the bitter cold are pounding the country in some areas, but there is light at the end of the tunnel: Baseball.
OK, real baseball doesn’t start until April 2, but MLB spring training begins soon, Feb. 22, and pitchers and catchers have already reported for some teams. Baseball is coming back soon, but not soon enough for some people.
In the meantime, we have some baseball movie recommendations to satisfy fans as they impatiently wait for the crack of the bats to return. Streaming services are a little light in terms of baseball movies, but there are some gems ranging from dramatic biographies of legendary players to classic underdog stories.
Here are some baseball movies to keep you happy until the season begins.
The Cleveland Indians entered the season with low hopes. Their fans gave up on them. Their bosses gave up on them. So what did they do? Shoved it right in their faces.
After a widow inherits the team from her late husband, she fills the roster with nobodies and has-beens to make the team more attractive for a lucrative move to Miami. But when the team starts winning, things begin getting complicated. Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen and Wesley Snipes lead a ragtag team in this in-your-face comedy.
Available on: Hulu, Amazon
This gritty film examines Jackie Robinson and his trials and tribulations being the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball. After getting the seal of approval from Robinson’s widow, this film is one of the best biographical movies to get a real look into the life of the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers player.
Relatively unknown actor Chadwick Boseman stars as Robinson, while Harrison Ford plays Dodger executive Branch Rickey, who was there every step of the way.
Available on: HBO
Living the MLB life is tough. Sometimes you have to uproot everything and move across the country to play the game you love. For New York Yankees first baseman Jack Elliot, he just wishes he were on the same continent.
Tom Selleck and Tom Selleck’s mustache star in this goofy comedy about Elliot and his move from the Yankees to the Nagoya Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League. The clash of cultures has some funny moments as he tries to adjust to his new surrounds.
Available on: HBO
A desperate gambler is forced to coach an inner-city baseball team to pay off his debt. But when his addiction rears its ugly head, will he choose the children or the thrill?
Keanu Reeves stars in this feel-good film with performances from Diane Lane and a very young Michael B. Jordan. Even if the movie's story doesn’t interest you, Reeves’ Razzie-nominated performance should be enough to entertain.
Available on: HBO
Baseball may be America’s pastime, but it is still beloved internationally. "Kano" is Taiwanese baseball film about a long shot multicultural Taiwanese high school baseball team that overcomes tremendous odds to play in the Japanese High School Baseball Championship.
Taiwan was under Japanese rule in 1931, and the team fielded Han, Taiwanese and Japanese players in the roster. This award-winning film has flown under the radar stateside, but this is an underdog story you cannot miss.
Available on: Netflix
Left at the end of the bench their entire lives, three friends finally get a chance to shine in little league… as adults. Rob Schneider, David Spade and "Napoleon Dynamite" star Jon Heder make up this first three-man little league team to take on elite little league squads.
As with most Rob Schneider movies, the comedy is… special. However, if you’re looking to turn your brain off a bit, this is a great movie to veg out on.
Available on: Netflix
Life is good when you have 3,000 hits in your MLB career. The cocky Stan Ross was enjoying his time being considered one of the league's greats and profiting off the Mr. 3000 moniker until a clerical error knocks him down to 2,997 hits. Ross is emboldened to lace up the cleats one more time to get his coveted title back.
The late Bernie Mac (RIP!) plays the narcissistic Ross in one of his final starring roles before his death. Come for the silly story, leave with some feels.
Available on: Netflix
The River Rats lost their mojo and their fight. That was before Mickey Tussler, a teenager with Asperger syndrome, joined the team.
Former "Superman" actor Dean Cain stars in his Canadian baseball movie that’s perfect for your little leaguer who can’t wait until spring to play again.
Available on: Netflix
When a promising ballplayer gets the yips, his team sends him to a sports psychologist to find the root of the problem. What they uncover is a dark figure looming from his past keeping him from reaching his full potential.
This emotional indie film starring Ethan Hawke and Paul Giamatti is not your typical sports movie and shows that sometimes a major injury isn’t the toughest thing ballplayers have to deal with.
Available on: Netflix
More must-reads: