Baseball Movie Battle
‘Angels in the Outfield’ vs. ‘Rookie of The Year’
Most Memorable Quote
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JP’s “it can happen” is a staple in Angels in the Outfield. It’s kind of cute at first but gets a little annoying by the end. While there are better and funnier lines in the movie, it’s certainly the one that sticks out. The aforementioned “wing-flapping” outdoes any specific line in the movie, and perhaps confirms the announcing team’s mantra that sometimes saying “less is more”.
In Rookie of the Year, the easy choice is Rowengartner’s heckling, highlighted by the cliche but effective “pitcher’s got a big butt”. That being said, pitching coach Brickman (played by Daniel Stern) supplies gem after gem, whether it be his theory about “dry-ice”, “3 R’s” (one of which is “conditioning”), his thoughts on punctuality, or comparing Henry’s mom’s arm to that of “Scuffy McGee”.
Pick: Rookie of the Year
Better Cast
Angels in the Outfield’s cast included grizzled vets Tony Danza, Danny Glover, and Christopher Lloyd while also making room for young up-and-comers Joseph Gordon Levitt, Matthew McConaughey, and Adrien Brody. That collected has gone on to win a combined two Oscar’s, two Emmy’s, six NAACP Awards, and two People’s Choice Awards. The reunion would probably prove to be too expensive for a kid’s baseball movie.
Rookie of the Year features a young Thomas Ian Nicholas, a not so young Gary Busy, and a hilarious Daniel Stern. Weak in comparison, but only until you add in the fact that the production team somehow managed to convince real-life Major League all-stars Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, and Pedro Guerrero to strike out swinging against the 12-year-old Rowengartner.
The Pick: Angels in the Outfield
The Choice
Angels in the Outfield and its storyline of Roger’s search for love and a family really pulls on all the right heartstrings, but Rookie of the Year strikes a chord because every kid who loves baseball, every spring once the snow would melt, would grab their globe and picture themselves in the big leagues. That’s what this movie offers – a lens for those kids to see themselves as a big leaguer.
Winner: Rookie of the Year