A funny, but brash, adult baseball comedy

Rating: 7/10 (16 October 2015)

This is one of the funniest, but vulgar, adult sports films ever made. And, it's strictly adult, so parents will want to be wary and read the parents guide. But for many adults it's very funny throughout. From several of the reviews I've read, I'm surprised that none of them recognized this as a clever satire as well. It spoofs – mostly in a friendly but brash way – many aspects of professional baseball, from greedy management (not most, thank goodness) to prima donna players. It really has fun with baseball signals, and even the fans.
"Major League" is a funny sports movie, but I can't agree with some who think it ranks among the best of the baseball films. To be in that category, it would have to be watchable by a larger, diverse audience. When it comes to the game, I think the more serious films tell a better story about America's favorite pastime. One of the best is "Pride of the Yankees," the 1942 biopic with Gary Cooper playing Lou Gehrig. Another is the story of Monty Stratton in the 1949 movie, "The Stratton Story," that stars James Stewart. Dan Dailey stars as Dizzy Dean in the 1952 biopic, "The Pride of St. Louis." A recent move, "42" in 2013 tells the story of Jackie Robinson, another great ball player and the first black player to break the color barrier in professional baseball. Other top baseball films include, "The Winning Team" of 1952, "Fear Strikes Out" of 1957, "Bang the Drum Slowly" of 1973, "The Natural" of 1984, "Eight Men Out" of 1988, and "A League of Their Own" of 1992.
These and many other films give a good picture of baseball and what it has meant to Americans since the late 1800s. "Major League," on the other hand, is a spoof of baseball that's meant to entertain with brash comedy. Unfortunately, its appeal mainly is to men who enjoy vulgar humor. Had they toned that down a couple notches, this film could have been a real keeper and enjoyed by many more people. Yes, there is humor without vulgarity, and much more of it.