Best [and Worst] Portrayls of Ballplayers in Films

[64Cards]

In the John Goodman as Babe thread, Christian Gentleman had a good idea, a thread about actors portraying ballplaers, who you liked, discliked, who might be good in future movies....so, I'll just get it started

I think it's universally agreed that Goodman and Bill Bendix were both bad choices to play the Babe, in 2 terrible movies. As noted, Stephen Lang wasn't bad in the made for tv movie about Babe.

Gary Cooper did an excellent job playing Gehrig. Any thoughts on who should play him in a remake?

Ronald Reagan did a decent job playing Grover Alexander in "The Winning Team"...Doris Day played his wife. There's a scene in the famous game 7, she's in Times Square, reads on one of the headline tickers on a building that the Cards are bringing in Alexander to pitch to Lazzeri, she grabs a cab and manages to make it up to Yankee Stadium in time to see him strike out Lazzeri...uh huh.

Dan Dailey was Dizzy Dean in "Pride of St. Louis" not a very good movie, Dailey was too old and didn't look like a ballplayer.

"Fear Strikes Out" was about Jimmy Piersall and his crack-up in the 50's. Anthony Perkins was ok in the non-baseball scenes, had virtually no athletic skill to even make a somewhat convincing ballplayer. Harry Caray used to have fun with Piersall about it on Sox broadcasts.

"8 Men Out" was a very good baseball movie, DB Sweeney looked good as Joe Jackson. John Cusack, one of my favorite actors, did a good job as Buck Weaver as did David Straithairn as Eddie Cicotte.

Barry Pepper as Maris and Thomas Jane as Mantle in 61* were both excellent. Looked like them, were believable as ballplayers.

Another good HBO movie was "Soul of the Game" Blair Underwood was pretty good Jackie Robinson and Delroy Lindo was terrific as Paige.

I liked Tommy Lee Jones as Cobb.

[StanTheMan]

Robert Redford could definitely swing the bat,field and throw... but what bugs me is that at the end of the movie, when his is playing catch with his Son, the kid throws like a complete idiot.....

Same for Kevin Costner's characters Dad in "Field of Dreams" Straight over the top, goofy elbow motion... etc.

Perhaps the two actors are related....

[Gashouse6]

Costner looks like a ball player in For the Love of the Game.

[TonyK]

In "Fear Strikes Out", there is a scene with both Karl Malden and Anthony Perkins shouting, "Scouts!" to each other with their eyes bugging out.

My wife and I crack up whenever the movie is rerun. I guess you would call it overacting?

[Yankee Legend]

I thought the guy who played Jack Morris in "The Rookie" did an OK portrayal.

Wesley Snipes and Charlie Sheen did funny portrayals of late-80's ballplayers.

[riverhawk]

Barry Pepper as Maris and Thomas Jane as Mantle in 61* were both excellent. Looked like them, were believable as ballplayers.

I agree completly. I remember thinking that Pepper looked like Maris when I first saw him in "Saving Private Ryan"

[KCGHOST]

Tim Robbins was awful looking in his pitching sequences as Nuke Laloosh.

[christian gentleman]

Regards 64Cards!

Ray Liotta was great as Joe Jackson in FOD, even though they messed up the hitting throwing fact. In real life he batted left and threw right. I think in the movie he threw and hit left.

I thought that Tom Hanks would make a good Babe Ruth. He could pudge up a bit and his humor would be handy. He dedicates himself to roles.

Joaquin Pheonix as Cobb?

Sam Shepard as Connie Mack.

Edward Norton as Joe DiMaggio.

Jamie Foxx as Jackie Robinson.

Ben Affleck as Ted Williams.

Michael Jordan as Satchel Paige.

Lou Gehrig is a tough one. Such a quiet, decent person. Hard to find someone like that in showbusiness. Maybe Hugh Jackman?

I think Sean Penn might make a good Walter Johnson.

more to come.

[Rome Colonel]

Ronald Reagan did a decent job playing Grover Alexander in "The Winning Team"...Doris Day played his wife. There's a scene in the famous game 7, she's in Times Square, reads on one of the headline tickers on a building that the Cards are bringing in Alexander to pitch to Lazzeri, she grabs a cab and manages to make it up to Yankee Stadium in time to see him strike out Lazzeri...uh huh.

I haven't seen this in decades but I believe what they did was have Alexander strike out Lazzeri to end the game, rather than to end the 7th, so perhaps she could have made it from midtown to 161st in time. Actually the game ended with Ruth being thrown out while trying to steal second (perhaps the strangest ending to a Series in history), but they couldn't very well end the film that way.

Most film portrayls aren't very good because the actors aren't athletic looking, too old (shouldn't look older than 40), or both.

At the time Cooper was the logical choice to play Gehrig but he really wasn't the right physical type. I'm not sure who could do it today, but you need someone stocky, rather than lanky.

Perkins was hopelessly miscast as Piersall. This role probably would have gone to James Dean, had he lived. Dean, who had been a good basketball player in high school, certainly would have looked more athletic than Perkins.

Overall, Eight Men Out had the most realistic set of actors as players.

[Brownie31]

My picks for the best two single portrayals ballplayers are both made for TV movies. These are the 1991 Stephen Lang Babe Ruth film & the 1977 portrayal of Lou Gehrig by Edward Herrmann "Love Affair: The Lou and Eleanor Gehrig Story" with Blythe Danner excellently portraying Eleanor Gehrig. No less an authority than Eleanor Gehrig herself stated that Herrmann's performance was superior to that of Gary Cooper in "Pride of the Yankees". The late Ramon Bieri gives a solid performance as Babe Ruth. The Stephan Lang performance as Babe Ruth is excellent, far, far superior to either John Goodman or William Bendix. Also, Bruce Weitz (whom some of you may remember as the growling Sgt. Mick Belker on Hill Street Blues) is superb as Miller Huggins and that great character actor, the late John Anderson again appears as Kennesaw Mountain Landis just as he did in "Eight Men Out". Brian Doyle-Murray also stands out as Marshall "Big Words" Hunt, legendary NY Daily News sports columnist of that period. My picks for worst would be Bendix & Goodman as Babe Ruth. Brownie31

[Brownie31]

Regards 64Cards!

Ray Liotta was great as Joe Jackson in FOD, even though they messed up the hitting throwing fact. In real life he batted left and threw right. I think in the movie he threw and hit left.

I thought that Tom Hanks would make a good Babe Ruth. He could pudge up a bit and his humor would be handy. He dedicates himself to roles.

Joaquin Pheonix as Cobb?

Sam Shepard as Connie Mack.

Edward Norton as Joe DiMaggio.

Jamie Foxx as Jackie Robinson.

Ben Affleck as Ted Williams.

Michael Jordan as Satchel Paige.

Lou Gehrig is a tough one. Such a quiet, decent person. Hard to find someone like that in showbusiness. Maybe Hugh Jackman?

I think Sean Penn might make a good Walter Johnson.

more to come.
Christian Gentleman: How about Jon Favreau as Hack Wilson, Vince Vaughn as Bill Terry, Matt Damon as Mel Ott, John Goodman as John McGraw, Owen Wilson as Dizzy Dean & Luke Wilson as Daffy Dean? Brownie31

[64Cards]

It's too bad they didn't make a Ted Williams bio in the 60's, with James Garner playing him, pretty strong resemblence, after Ted was around 30.

[VIBaseball]

Robert De Niro was a whole lot of fun to watch in the character of Bruce Pearson in "Bang the Drum Slowly" -- but he sure didn't look good as a catcher or with the bat. I don't have any impression of how Michael Moriarty looked as batterymate "Author" Wiggen.

[Ex-Expo fan]

Jackie Robinson as himself was pretty bad, in "The Jackie Robinson story".
I liked Robert Redford in the natural.
What ever happened to Spike Lee's project to do another Jackie Robinson movie?

[christian gentleman]

It's too bad they didn't make a Ted Williams bio in the 60's, with James Garner playing him, pretty strong resemblence, after Ted was around 30.


that would have been a good one.

I don't know if he's too old now, but Willem Dafoe as Grover Cleveland Alexander would be great.

[64Cards]

I always thought that a bio about Leo Durocher would have made a hell of a movie. I think at one time Robert Duvall would have been terrific as Leo, but he's too old now.

[Erik Bedard]

Joaquin Pheonix as Cobb?

Lou Gehrig is a tough one. Such a quiet, decent person. Hard to find someone like that in showbusiness. Maybe Hugh Jackman?


Just from seeing Phoenix in Ladder 49, I'd give him the role of Gehrig.

[christian gentleman]

thought that too. joaquin as lou would be great. he might have to bulk up a bit. his johnny cash was amazing. great actor. baseball would be a challenge for him.

[efin98]

thought that too. joaquin as lou would be great. he might have to bulk up a bit. his johnny cash was amazing. great actor. baseball would be a challenge for him.

He had to bulk up to do Ladder 49 so I don't think it would be out of his league to play the role:D

[Sultan_1895-1948]

I think Vincent D'Onofrio would make a great Babe Ruth. The thing you have to get right with the actor, is the size of head. He has that. The hair can always be done to look right, and makeup on the nose can broaden it to give realism. But the head size is the big thing. I think he might have an athletic background, he's a great character actor, and he has the ability to lose weight or put on weight. He's also got the right voice, but would need to add a southern draw.

[efin98]

I think Vincent D'Onofrio would make a great Babe Ruth. The thing you have to get right with the actor, is the size of head. He has that. The hair can always be done to look right, and makeup on the nose can broaden it to give realism. But the head size is the big thing. I think he might have an athletic background, he's a great character actor, and he has the ability to lose weight or put on weight. He's also got the right voice, but would need to add a southern draw.

He has done a drawl before, I believe he used one in "The Newton Boys". He also is naturally stocky so he can play Ruth over the course of his career pretty easilly.

The problem with him though is he is on a hit TV series and may not be able to get the time off required for filming such a complex character...possible to work around if the character was broken up between his youth, his prime, and his decline/retirement like was suggested earlier...

[Sultan_1895-1948]

He has done a drawl before, I believe he used one in "The Newton Boys". He also is naturally stocky so he can play Ruth over the course of his career pretty easilly.

The problem with him though is he is on a hit TV series and may not be able to get the time off required for filming such a complex character...possible to work around if the character was broken up between his youth, his prime, and his decline/retirement like was suggested earlier...

Oh he HAS done a southern drawl before? That's good news. One less worry.

You have a point. He's on Law and Order right? Maybe during hiatis(sp?) or something he could find time.

He's a little taller than I thought he was; 6'4", which is 2" inches taller than Ruth. I think he'd be great at playing Ruth though, especially a younger Ruth circa '18-'21. He wouldn't need to add too much weight for a later Ruth, just around his belly. Hell, DeNiro gained like 40 pounds to play an aged Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull. It can be done.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

I think Vincent D'Onofrio would make a great Babe Ruth. The thing you have to get right with the actor, is the size of head. He has that. The hair can always be done to look right, and makeup on the nose can broaden it to give realism. But the head size is the big thing. I think he might have an athletic background, he's a great character actor, and he has the ability to lose weight or put on weight. He's also got the right voice, but would need to add a southern draw.

Check out D'Onofrio in Full Metal Jacket as Leonard. The total Ruth body type, slightly pudgy yet strong looking. Do you think he may be too old now, he'll be 47 in June?

[64Cards]

Has anyone else seen "It's Good to Be Alive" a 1974 made for tv bio about Campy, mostly dealing with his rehab struggle after his tragic accident in late January, 1958 till he's honored at the LA Coliseum in 1959? Paul Winfield plays Campy, does a good job in what had to be a difficult role, doesn't play Roy in any baseball scenes [there is some great film footage of Campy at the start of the movie]

But I'm curious about very sympathetic portrayal that Walter O'Malley gets in the film. In the first scenes of the movie, there is a totally preposterous scene where O'Malley[played by veteran character actor Ramon Bieri] on 1/28/58 is in Harlem at Roy's liquor store, late in the evening as Roy is getting ready to close for the evening. Now in winter of 58 I would doubt that O'Malley would set foot anywhere in NY without armed guards, but in the movie, he has come to Harlem by himself to check about his health and to tell him why he had to move the Dodgers to LA. On his way home that evening, Campanella has his accident. Then in about the middle of the movie, when Campy seems in his most depressed state of mind,O'Malley comes to visit and to tell him that the Dodgers need him in spring training in 1959. Campy's attitude makes a complete turnaround after his visit, kind of giving the impression that no one else from the Dodger family had ever visited him. So I just wonder if the director [Michael Landon] may have been good friends with O'Malley? Also, Bieri was much slimmer than O'M, also didn't wear the glasses. Did have the stogie going though.

[TonyK]

Billy Bob Thornton supposedly played baseball in college. He may be too old to act as a player, but a manager might be a possibility for him?

[efin98]

Check out D'Onofrio in Full Metal Jacket as Leonard. The total Ruth body type, slightly pudgy yet strong looking. Do you think he may be too old now, he'll be 47 in June?

Remember it's Hollywood, those folks play characters much younger and older than their real age. 47 would mean he can pick up Ruth(realistically) around his early 30s- during his prime. Ruth's younger years can be played by a different person, especially if you include his Baltimore and Boston years in the film...

[64Cards]

It doesn't have a single thing to do with baseball, but RIP, Don Knotts...Barney Fife was the most hilarious character in the history of tv.:clapping :clapping :clapping

[FrenchyLefebvre]

Regards 64Cards!
Lou Gehrig is a tough one. Such a quiet, decent person. Hard to find someone like that in showbusiness. Maybe Hugh Jackman.
more to come.

Have always imagined Harrison Ford being great for Gehrig (modern day version of Cooper anyway, IMO).
And Chuck Norris for Mike Schmidt.
Not that they'll ever do a movie on Von Hayes (Phillies), but Nick Cage would have been perfect. ;)

[Elvis]

Has anyone else seen "It's Good to Be Alive" a 1974 made for tv bio about Campy, mostly dealing with his rehab struggle after his tragic accident in late January, 1958 till he's honored at the LA Coliseum in 1959? Paul Winfield plays Campy, does a good job in what had to be a difficult role, doesn't play Roy in any baseball scenes [there is some great film footage of Campy at the start of the movie]

But I'm curious about very sympathetic portrayal that Walter O'Malley gets in the film. In the first scenes of the movie, there is a totally preposterous scene where O'Malley[played by veteran character actor Ramon Bieri] on 1/28/58 is in Harlem at Roy's liquor store, late in the evening as Roy is getting ready to close for the evening. Now in winter of 58 I would doubt that O'Malley would set foot anywhere in NY without armed guards, but in the movie, he has come to Harlem by himself to check about his health and to tell him why he had to move the Dodgers to LA. On his way home that evening, Campanella has his accident. Then in about the middle of the movie, when Campy seems in his most depressed state of mind,O'Malley comes to visit and to tell him that the Dodgers need him in spring training in 1959. Campy's attitude makes a complete turnaround after his visit, kind of giving the impression that no one else from the Dodger family had ever visited him. So I just wonder if the director [Michael Landon] may have been good friends with O'Malley? Also, Bieri was much slimmer than O'M, also didn't wear the glasses. Did have the stogie going though.

Campanella himself had a lot of input on the script which is why O'Malley is portrayed as he was. They were good friends. Campy gave O'Malley a lot of praise after his accident, and for the rest of his life, saying that if there were more Walter O'Malleys, the world would be a much better place. O'Malley continued Campy's full salary years after his accident until he could recover enough to go back to work for the Dodgers as a special instructor - a job which he continued until his death in the 1990s.

[64Cards]

Campanella himself had a lot of input on the script which is why O'Malley is portrayed as he was. They were good friends. Campy gave O'Malley a lot of praise after his accident, and for the rest of his life, saying that if there were more Walter O'Malleys, the world would be a much better place. O'Malley continued Campy's full salary years after his accident until he could recover enough to go back to work for the Dodgers as a special instructor - a job which he continued until his death in the 1990s.
I'll give O'Malley props for taking care of Campanella, although someone would have to be one totally cold, hard-hearted SOB not to, after all Campy had done for the the Dodgers. Especially considering the money O'Malley was making.

[rsuriyop]

Based on looks alone, I have always felt that the young Robert DeNiro looked strikingly similar to
Honus Wagner. Just check out the top pic of this webpage and you'd probably agree: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/p_wagner5.shtml

Likewise, I've also found there to be quite a resemblance between Sean Bean (http://ultimategalleries.haveabanana.net/bean/) and Christy Mathewson (http://www.thedeadballera.com/Cards/mathewsoncard.html).

[wamby]

It's too bad they didn't make a Ted Williams bio in the 60's, with James Garner playing him, pretty strong resemblence, after Ted was around 30.

If they ever make the Jackie Robinson bio-pic, I think James Garner would make a good Branch Rickey. I can't see Jamie Foxx as Jackie Robinson though.

[wamby]

Remember it's Hollywood, those folks play characters much younger and older than their real age. 47 would mean he can pick up Ruth(realistically) around his early 30s- during his prime. Ruth's younger years can be played by a different person, especially if you include his Baltimore and Boston years in the film...

I'd like to see Jack Black play Babe Ruth. He'd probably have to be doubled in the athletic scenes though.

[wamby]

I've read that when Alfred Hitchcock was casting Foriegn Correspondent he wanted Gary Cooper for the lead but Cooper didn't want to appear in a thriller. When Cooper declined, Joel McCrea was cast instead. About a year alater, Cooper appeared in Pride of the Yankees.

In a way I think it's too bad that the casting of these two roles was reversed. I just don't get Cooper as Lou Gehrig. Despited his aw-shucks persona, Gehrig was born and bred in New York City. I don't get the country boy portrayal by Cooper. McCrea was great in Foreign Correspondent and in my mind, he would have given a much more authentic portrayal of Gehrig.

If I was casting Lou Gehrig today, I would look at a couple of Brits: Damian Lewis or Kevin McKidd.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

I'd like to see Jack Black play Babe Ruth. He'd probably have to be doubled in the athletic scenes though.

lol, Jack Black is like 5'7" isn't he? Then again, most hollywood actors are short as heck, but they someone manage to make the appear taller.

[ACrank]

I think it's universally agreed that Goodman and Bill Bendix were both bad choices to play the Babe, in 2 terrible movies. As noted, Stephen Lang wasn't bad in the made for tv movie about Babe.

Maybe its just me, but i actually liked Goodman as the Babe - i am going to have to dig that thread up to find out what the problems were with his portrayal.

Bendix was horrible tho, a bad actor having to deal with Babe Ruth as a consultant on the movie trying to make himself come out as a big dumb guy with a heart of gold.

I vaguely remember the Lang movie.

[JohnGelnarFan]

William Bendix was a good actor but he did suck as the Babe. I'm sure the real Babe must have been pulling his hair out trying to make him look like a ballplayer.




Maybe its just me, but i actually liked Goodman as the Babe - i am going to have to dig that thread up to find out what the problems were with his portrayal.

Bendix was horrible tho, a bad actor having to deal with Babe Ruth as a consultant on the movie trying to make himself come out as a big dumb guy with a heart of gold.

I vaguely remember the Lang movie.

[rsuriyop]

Christopher Lee (http://www.moviemarket.co.uk/Photos/P201184_C69836.html?SID=7e18a71b80498892f7eb0b0910 36db0d) as Connie Mack (http://encarta.msn.com/media_461516047_761577710_-1_1/Connie_Mack.html) is another good one.

[ACrank]

William Bendix was a good actor but he did suck as the Babe. I'm sure the real Babe must have been pulling his hair out trying to make him look like a ballplayer.

Ok that makes sense. It always fascinated me how someone could think that Bendix could be the Babe from age 18 or so until his death, without a noticable change in much of anything - makeup, etc.

[JohnGelnarFan]

Nip It In The Bud! Nip It!! :clapping :clapping



It doesn't have a single thing to do with baseball, but RIP, Don Knotts...Barney Fife was the most hilarious character in the history of tv.:clapping :clapping :clapping

[JohnGelnarFan]

You are SO right Crank! It makes me laugh just thinking about Bendix in a striped sweater trying to pull off 18!! :laugh


Ok that makes sense. It always fascinated me how someone could think that Bendix could be the Babe from age 18 or so until his death, without a noticable change in much of anything - makeup, etc.

[wamby]

lol, Jack Black is like 5'7" isn't he? Then again, most hollywood actors are short as heck, but they someone manage to make the appear taller.

I have no idea how big Jack Black is, but he is a guy that I can see sitting in a St Louis whorehouse with a highball in one hand and a naked girl on each leg like Ruth used to do.

I could also see Robby Coltrane as the Babe, but he is probably too old now.

[soberdennis]

The guy who played the Babe in Pride of the Yankees was pretty realistic.:laugh :laugh :laugh

[soberdennis]

My favorite was Coop in Pride of the Yankees. He made me feel like I knew the Iron Horse personally. Noone can match that performance.
An interesting note- Because they were unsuccessful in teaching Coop to hit Lefty, they had to tweek the film to show him at bat as Gehrig.

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

Regards 64Cards!

Ray Liotta was great as Joe Jackson in FOD, even though they messed up the hitting throwing fact. In real life he batted left and threw right. I think in the movie he threw and hit left.



What about the fact that he didn't look like Joe Jackson at all? Maybe from a very big distance. :rolleyes:

[skeletor]

What about the fact that he didn't look like Joe Jackson at all? Maybe from a very big distance. :rolleyes:

Well, Ray wasn't bad as Joe..heck, it could have been worst..like
John Travola....anyhow, does it really matter if the actor did not
look like Jackson ? not many people have seen actual photos of
the real Joe Jackson...so most fans probably did not care..
however, on the goofs of hitting and throwing, too bad the
producers of Field, did not pay closer attention to that detail..

the film did bring Joe Jackson back into the limelight..and on a lesser
note, moonlight graham..
:rolleyes:

[wamby]

Well, Ray wasn't bad as Joe..heck, it could have been worst..like
John Travola....anyhow, does it really matter if the actor did not
look like Jackson ? not many people have seen actual photos of
the real Joe Jackson...so most fans probably did not care..
however, on the goofs of hitting and throwing, too bad the
producers of Field, did not pay closer attention to that detail..

the film did bring Joe Jackson back into the limelight..and on a lesser
note, moonlight graham..
:rolleyes:

I think Ray Liotta would have been a better choice to play a guy like Chick Gandil or Ty Cobb than playing Joe Jackson.

[wamby]

.

"8 Men Out" was a very good baseball movie, DB Sweeney looked good as Joe Jackson. John Cusack, one of my favorite actors, did a good job as Buck Weaver as did David Straithairn as Eddie Cicotte.

.

I thought the casting choices in Eight Men Out were pretty good. I thought the only poor choice was Michael Rooker as Chick Gandil. I thought that Gandil should have been played by a perpetually pissed off looking actor like Dylan McDermott.

The Hollywood boys were a little better looking than the actual Black Sox players though.

[Food]

I watched the Bobby Knight movie starring Brian Dennehy with my father, and while we both agree that Dennehy is a good actor, Dad said it best: "The only man who can play Bobby Knight is Bobby Knight." I think that holds for just about every big-name athlete. Maybe that's why I don't care for sports movies.

I will confess to being gassed by seeing Pete Rose playing Ty Cobb. He's no actor, but is a catchy casting move, just as a wink at baseball history nuts. I dug it.

R.I.P Don Knotts. He was the sickest for all time.