Around this time of year top 10 or top 5 lists start to circulate around social media on what are the best baseball movies of all-time.
While we all know the 1996 sports comedy “Ed” starring Mat LeBlanc and a chimp holds the crown as greatest baseball movie of all-time, what are some of the best quotes from baseball movies.
Obviously there are a ton of them so I just took a few from classics I have recently re-watched for the first time in a while.
The Sandlot
“Some lady named Ruth. Baby Ruth.” – Smalls not knowing who Babe Ruth is
“Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” - Babe Ruth talking to Smalls in a dream
“I just got here, so how can I have some more of nothing?” – Smalls when he’s asked if he wants a s’more.
"For-ev-er. For-ev-er. For-ev-er." – Squints
“You’re killin’ me Smalls!” - Ham
Field of Dreams
“If you build it, he will come.”, “Go the distance.” and “Ease his pain.” – Shoeless” Joe Jackson’s messages to Ray.
“Man, I did love this game.
I'd have played for food money. It was the game... The sounds, the smells. Did you ever hold a ball or a glove to your face?” - Shoeless” Joe Jackson.
“Is this heaven?” “No, it’s Iowa.” – “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and Ray Kinsella
“Peace, love dope. Now get the hell out of here.” – Terence Mann after Ray tries to get him to go back to Iowa with him.
“People will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack.
And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.” Terence Mann
A League of Their Own
“Great game, Jimmy. I especially liked that move in the seventh inning when you scratched your balls for an hour.” – Ira. “Well, anything worth doing is worth doing right.” – Jimmy Dugan
“And how about Marla Hooch? What a hitter!” – Announcer
Evelyn! I’m sorry, but I’m gonna have to kill your son.” – “All the way” Mae
“You’re still missing the cutoff man. That's something I'd like you to work on...before next season.” – Jimmy Dugan trying to control his anger
“There’s no crying in baseball!” – Jimmy Dugan
Rookie of the Year
"The key to being a big league pitcher is the 3 R's: readiness, recuperation, and conditioning. You see, after the game, a lot of guys like to ice up their arm. Still, other fellas think that heat is the way to go. But I have discovered the secret, Henry: hot ice. That's right: hot ice. I heat up -- the ice cubes. It's the best of both worlds." – Phil Brickman
"I'm looking for Henry Rulenfurter.", "Way to go, Runamucker." “Gardenhoser” “Ravenboozer, milk’s done that body good!” – Martinella
“The have to? What the heck was I talking about?” – Chet
“Pitcher's got a big butt! Pitcher's got a big butt!” – Henry Rowengartner
“Funky, buttloving….!” – Dr. Kersten
Bull Durham
“I'm Crash Davis; I'm your new catcher, and you just got lesson number one; Don't think. You can only hurt the ball club.” Crash Davis
“You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry!” – Skip “Lollygaggers!” Larry
“Okay, well, uh...candlesticks always make a nice gift, and uh, maybe you could find out where she's registered and maybe a place-setting or maybe a silverware pattern. Okay, let's get two! Go get 'em.” – Larry
“I believe in the Church of Baseball. I've tried all the major religions and most of the minor ones. And the only church that truly feeds the soul, day-in day-out, is the Church of Baseball.” Annie
“Your shower shoes have fungus on 'em. You'll never make it to the Bigs with fungus on your shower shoes. Think classy, you'll be classy.
If you win 20 in the Show, you can let the fungus grow back on your shower shoes and the press will think you're colorful. Until you win 20 in the Show however, it means you're a slob.” – Crash Davis
Major League
“F— you, Jobu.’ I do it myself.” – Pedro Cerrano
“Nice catch, Hayes.
Don’t ever f—in’ do it again.” – Lou Brown
“Are you trying to say Jesus Christ can’t hit a curveball?” – Harris
Come on Dorn, get in front of the damn ball! Don't give me this "ole" bullsh**t.” Lou Brown
“Lemme think it over, will ya, Charlie? I got a guy on the other line about some white walls. I'll talk to ya later.” – Lou Brown.
Special section: Bob Ukeker as Harry Doyle
The voice of the Milwaukee Brewers in real life plays the Indians announcer in “Major League”. In my opinion it’s his character that propels the movie into an all-time great.
“This guy threw at his own kid in a father-son game.”
“Haywood swings and crushes one toward South America. Tomlinson’s going to need a visa to catch this one. It is outta here, and there’s nothing left but a vapor trail.”
“Vaughn into the wind up, and his first offering … juuuust a bit outside. He tried the corner and missed.”
“Low, and Vaughn has walked the bases loaded on 12 straight pitches. Boy, how can these guys lay off pitches that close?”
“In case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven't, the Indians have managed to win a few ball games, and are threatening to climb out of the cellar.”
“The post-game show is brought to you by…Christ, I can't find it. To hell with it.”
“Throw to first... Hayes is picked off! Personally, I think we got hosed on that call.”
“Monty, anything to add?” color commentator: “Umm…no.” “He's not the best colorman in the league for nothing, folks!”
Heywood leads the league in most offensive categories, including nose hair. When this guy sneezes, he looks like a party favor.
And, just have to throw this one in from Major League II
Those are just some of the quotes I remember fondly. What are some of your favorite baseball movie quotes?