Top 5 baseball movies of all-time

(Depending on where your work, the above clip features some NSFW language)

Kevin Costner makes his first appearance on this list as the veteran ballplayer known as “Crash” Davis in Bull Durham.

The film features Costner as a veteran sent down to the minors to coach up Tim Robbins’ character, who is a pitcher with a great deal of potential.

The film also stars Susan Sarandon, who is the love interest of both Costner and Robbins, although Costner’s character eventually wins out.

Bull Durham finds itself on countless lists of not only great baseball films, but sports films in general. Sarandon was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance, while the film itself was nominated for an Academy Award for best original screenplay.

The goal of any minor league baseball player is to reach the majors, and the film captures that struggle. Costner’s character wants nothing more than to get back, which is a situation going on in countless small towns and baseball fields all over the country right now.

The mix between baseball-related problems and those off the field makes this a great film in general, and not just a great sports film.

Costner cemented himself as someone who could be relied upon to be in a sports movie, and his most famous role in that category finds itself on this list a few slides from now.

Next: Robert Redford the folk hero