Danielle Solzman
Baseball comedy Major League celebrated its 35th anniversary by getting a first-ever 4K Ultra HD release from Paramount Home Entertainment.
I came of age at a time when there were so many baseball movies in existence. Field of Dreams being the quintessential baseball film of all time. Thanks to Steve Yeager, the Cleveland Indians (nowadays, Cleveland Guardians) team actually feels like a real baseball team. If the actors didn’t gel in the clubhouse or outside the stadium, it would be pretty tough to buy the film. After inheriting the team, owner Rachel Phelps (Margaret Whitton) makes the type of moves that would run any owner out of town, no matter the decade. She’s practically rebuilding the team from scratch, promoting Toledo Mud Hens manager Lou Brown (James Gammon) to the big leagues. Gammon brings a Casey Stengel-esque zen to the role.
From the start of spring training, this is a team that looks very inept. Catcher Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger) has bad knees and they should have a second catcher on hand. Signing Rick Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) out of prison seems like a ridiculous idea in and of itself. Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen) misses so many balls while playing third base that he should either retire or be cut from the team. Eddie Harris (Chelcie Ross) is an aging pitcher, modeled after Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry. It’s not until Cleveland general manager Charlie Donovan (Charlie Cyphers) tells Lou the truth that the team starts to turn things around. The film is not completely focused on baseball as Jake Taylor tries getting back with his ex, former Olympic swimmer Lynn Weslin (Rene Russo). Lynn has a fiancé but this does not stop Taylor from trying to get back with her.
Sports movie law requires that a film end with the team playing for either the championship or a spot in the playoffs. Major League ends with Cleveland taking on the Yankees for a playoff spot. It’s both authentic and they have some fun with it. Taylor calls his shot, only to end up bunting in the winning run.
According to filmmaker David S. Ward, Willie Mays Hayes is patterned after Rickey Henderson. The difference between Hayes and Henderson is that Henderson is the greatest leadoff hitter of all time. Ward describes Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert) as an amalgamation of Felipe Alou, Orlando Cepeda, and Wade Boggs. Cerrano can crush the fastball but cannot hit the curve. What surprises me upon rewatch is realizing that Dennis Haysbert is playing the Cuban ballplayer. His accent had me fooled! In addition to acting, Charlie Sheen had been a pitcher in high school, throwing as fast as 88 mph during filming. They did not have to teach him how to pitch. Behind the scenes, he was also very professional.
There are a few MLB players making cameo appearances: Steve Yeager, Pete Vuckovich and Willie Mueller. Unlike other films where they play themselves, they are playing fictional characters altogether. Yeager is Cleveland third base coach Duke Temple. Vukovich–a pitcher–portrays Clu Haywood, the Yankees Triple Crown winner playing first base. Mueller portrays Yankees reliever Duke Simpson.
A bonus feature features broadcasters, MLB and MiLB players discussing the film. Players include Paul Byrd, Aaron Boone, Jason Michaels, Jensen Lewis, and Grady Sizemore. Broadcasters include Tom Hamilton and player-turned-broadcaster Rick Manning. This featurette speaks to the film’s authenticity about the game of baseball. Byrd, the Louisville native, related to Eddie Harris because of his pitch speed.
Being a baseball comedy, who better to be the team’s primary broadcaster than Bob Uecker. “Just a bit outside” became iconic because of this film. Uecker didn’t have to travel far for work, seeing as how they shot the film in Milwaukee. Harry Doyle’s one-liners are among the highlights of the film, not to mention being the film’s comic relief. “It just happened,” Uecker says about Doyle’s gestures. Uecker described the role as being perfect for him. Who knows how much footage remains on the cutting room floor?!? Unlike most broadcasters, Monte (Skip Griparis) doesn’t get much input during the team’s color commentator. Obviously, the two-man booth leads to quite a bit of comedy but you really feel bad for Monte. He’s fine ripping players for their performances in the film but that’s the opposite of what he does in real life.
Aside from the necessary exterior shots, the old Milwaukee County Stadium stands in for the old Cleveland Stadium, since demolished in 1996-97. The stadium also stands in for some of the other stadiums around the league. This leads to some errors in which other stadiums are noticeably the same. Progressive Field–formerly Jacobs Field had yet to be built so two Cleveland teams were having to share the former stadium.
It’s a good thing that filmmakers do not use the alternate ending because it completely ruins the film. Rachel Phelps is clearly the villain but the alternate ending makes it seem as if she wanted the team to win all along. Phelps says that the budget is the reason for the Cleveland team taking the bus and stay at cheap hotels rather than take the plane. Given how far the commutes between Cleveland and some Major League Baseball (MLB) cities, a bus would just be too long of a commute, especially to cities like Seattle, Oakland, and Anaheim. They even have footage of Phelps cheering on the team during the playoff game against the New York Yankees. I’m sorry but again, it doesn’t work when she’s the clear villain. They reshot it with her looking miserable as Cleveland plays well and this works so much better.
There are some errors that make it hard to figure out which season the film is using. The initial newspaper showing Phelps inheriting the team is from January 1989. Subsequent sports pages used are from April and May 1988, respectively. Somebody fell asleep at the wheel because it’s impossible to play 120 games through May in a baseball season. The fact that they filmed in 1988 and the team is wearing their 1986-88 uniforms rather than the 1989-93 seasons leads me to believe that the film takes place in 1988. There are times in the film where baseball history is clearly wrong. For instance, when Lou Brown meets with Rick Vaughn to discuss his control issues, he mentions how Nolan Ryan was sent down to the minors. However, a photo of Sandy Koufax–not Ryan–is hanging up on the wall.
Over 35 years after its release, the hysterical Major League remains one of the best baseball movies ever made.
Bonus Features
- Commentary by Director/Screenwriter David S. Ward and Producer Chris Chesser
- My Kinda Team: Making Major League
- A Major League Look at Major League
- Bob Uecker: Just A Bit Outside
- Alternate Ending with Filmmaker Introduction
- A Tour of Cerrano’s Locker
DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: David S. Ward
CAST: Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Margaret Whitton, James Gammon, Rene Russo, Wesley Snipes, Charles Cyphers, Chelcie Ross, Dennis Haysbert, Andy Romano, and Bob Uecker
Paramount Pictures released Major League in theaters on April 7, 1989. Grade: 4.5/5
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