A Story Of Baseball And Courage

Rating: 8/10 (25 December 2003)

Having spent eight years helping to coach high school baseball in East Los Angeles the Performance of Dennis Quaid as Jim Morris is as true to the real thing as you can get. The baseball games, tryouts and practices were as realistic as you can get in a film. Quaid's form in pitching proved that he learned to pitch at one time. Yet this film is more than baseball. It is a story of a man that has seen his career in baseball end early in life because of a arm injury. Surgery is performed but he can no longer continue in professional baseball. As with many players, baseball is in his blood so he becomes a high school baseball coach. In pitching practice to his players a miracle occurs, an older Morris is throwing harder now. He goes to a major league tryout. He is an old man by baseball standards. Morris is by far the oldest man at the tryout and given no chance to succeed. Wonder of Wonders as he is signed and then enters the minor leagues. Having coached a player myself that played minor league baseball, the scenes are very truthful. The long bus trips, lonely nights, and the desire to "phone home" are a way of life for the minor leaguer. Finally Morris is called up to the "bigs" and he and his father are reunited. Both men are not close but the walls are broken down because of baseball. This film is a display of hope for anyone that has grown older. There is a chance to succeed even when others think that you are too old. An uplifting film for all to see.