MAJOR LEAGUE (1989)

MORGAN'S RATING

When the widow of the owner of the Cleveland Indians realizes that she is stuck with a small stadium in a cold climate, she decides that a move to a Southern, warmer climate is called for. Unfortunately, the only way she can unload her stadium is due to low attendance, so she needs to plan for a losing and lackluster season. The team of losers and misfits that she has hired, though, decide that if they really put through, they may not wind up in last place and not be the losers that the owner thinks they are.

Tom Berenger (Jake Taylor), Charlie Sheen (Rick 'Wild Thing' Vaughn), Corbin Bernsen (Roger Dorn), Margaret Whitton (Rachel Phelps), James Gammon (Lou Brown), Rene Russo (Lynn Wells), Wesley Snipes (Willie Mays Hayes), Charles Cyphers (Charlie Donovan), Chelcie Ross (Eddie Harris), Dennis Haysbert (Pedro Cerrano), Andy Romano (Pepper Leach), Bob Uecker (Harry Doyle), Steve Yeager (Duke Temple), Peter Vuckovich (Haywood), Stacy Carroll (Suzanne Dorn), Michael Hart (Burton), Richard Pickren (Tom), Kevin Crowley (Vic Bolito), Mary Seibel (Thelma), Bill Leff (Bobby James), Mike Bacarella (Johnny Wynn), Skip Griparis (Colorman), Gary Houston (Ross Farmer), Ward Ohrman (Arthur Holloway), Marge Kotlisky (Charlie Holloway), Tony Mockus Jr. (Brent Bowden), Deborah Wakeham (Janice Bowden), Neil Flynn (Longshoreman), Keith Uchima, Kurt Uchima (Grounds keepers), William M. Sinacore (Coleman), Richard Baird (Hal Charles), Julia Milris (Arlene), Roger Unice (Reyman), Michael Thoma (Gentry), Patrick Dollymore (French Waiter), Joe Liss (Guy in bar), Gregory Alan Williams (Bull Pen Guard), Peter Ruskin (Gateman), F. Gary Gray (extra, uncredited).

FACTS

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

RELEASE DATE: April 7th, 1989 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $8.8 million (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $49.7 million (USA) - The home game scenes were filmed at Milwaukee's County Stadiu, where Bob Uecker, called games fro the Brewers and played for the old Milwaukee Braves. The exterior sadium shots use Cleveland's Municipal Stadium, which is no longer in use. - Many of the baseball players in the scenes filmed at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Arizona were members of the University of Arizona baseball team. - Just before Rick Vaughn gives up a home run to Heywood for the second time, Harry Doyle goes over how the other runners got on base. One of the players he mentions is Billy Leff, who actually is the actor who plays Bobby James in the movie. - In the commercial for the movie when it was in theaters, there was a scene in which Rick Vaughn, Jake Taylor, and Willy Hayes are in a restaurant, and are discussing a homerun Rick gave up to batter. Jake says to Rick "That ball wouldn't have gone out of a lot of parks." Rick replies, "Name one." Jake pauses and says, "Yellowstone." This scene was omitted from the theatrical cut, but was written into the script of Major League 2. - The opponent slugger was played by Peter Vuckovich a former pitcher. - Mike Rexman, the Oakland batter who pops up for the last out of Rick Vaughan's first shutout, is actually former major leaguer Walt Weiss. Weiss played for the 1989 World Series Champion Oakland Athletics.

DIRECTOR: David S. Ward. WRITER: David S. Ward. PRODUCERS: Chris Chesser and Irby Smith. CO-PRODUCERS: Julie Bergman Sender and Joe Roth. EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Mark Rosenberg.  ORIGINAL MUSIC: James Newton Howard. DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount Pictures.

QUOTES

Willie Mays Hayes: I'm Willie Mays Hayes. I hit like Mays, and I run like Hayes. Lou Brown: Well, you may run like Mays, but you hit like shit.

Harry Doyle: That's all one goddamn hit. Assistant: You can't say goddamn on the air. Harry Doyle: Ahh, don't worry, nobody is listening anyway.

Harry Doyle: Remember, fans, Tuesday is Die Hard Night. Free admission for anyone who was actually alive the last time the Indians won the pennant.

Harry Doyle: The post-game show is brought to you by... [searches through his papers] Harry Doyle: Aw, I can't find it. The hell with it!

Tom: Stay away from her. Jake Taylor: Suck my dick.

Jake Taylor: She bet me fifty dollars she had a better body than you, and I had to defend your honor!

Wille Mayes Hayes: Don't you guys go nowhere. I plan to put on a hitting display.

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"Highly implausible and downright silly, as are most movies about baseball, Major League still has an undeniable charm in its depiction of lovable losers banding together for their brand of redemption and validation. It's too bad there are so many cliches." -- David Lee Simmons, Gambit Weekly

"No classic, but it is a good example of the way light formulaic genres can be exploited for a little fun and a bunch of cheap laughs." -- Ryan Cracknell, Apollo Guide