Memorable Quotes from 3 of the Best Baseball Movies of All Time

“If you build it, he will come.” Field Of Dreams (1989)

Based upon the book Shoeless Joe by W.P Kinsella, Field of Dreams tells the story of an ex-hippie farmer who one day hears a voice emanating from his cornfield. The voice says “If you build it, he will come.” Shortly thereafter he sees a vision and comes to the conclusion that the voice is telling him that if he builds a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield, the late “Shoeless” Joe Jackson (A great baseball player who was banned from the game for taking part in a conspiracy to throw the 1919 World Series) will come to the field to play once again. After he builds the field and “Shoeless” Joe does return, he hears more messages and sets out on a journey to discover what the ultimate meaning of the messages is and to whom the voice belongs.

This film typically makes the short list of movies that make men cry. Interestingly enough the field in Dyersville, Iowa that was built specifically for this film and became a popular tourist destination is now for sale. Click here for details.

“Go pick me out a winner Bobby” The Natural (1984)

Based upon the novel of the same name by Bernard Malamud, The Natural tells the story of a boy born with a great gift. A gift that his father tells him is not enough. He instructs him that if he relies too heavily upon this gift that he will fail. So begins the journey of Roy Hobbs. Hobbs’ life takes many turns from this point on. Before his first tryout with a major league team, he gets shot in the stomach by a deranged fan, leaving him with a physical weakness that makes it impossible for him to pitch.

Fast forward about 15 years, as Roy shows up as an aging rookie outfielder with a contract to play right field for a last place team. Although rejected at first by the manager and left to sit on the bench, it only takes one batting practice session for his immense talent as a hitter to be recognized. Roy enjoys tremendous success but keeps running into past and present demons and corruption within the game.

In the final inning of a pennant deciding game, Roy just misses a game winning home run by a few feet. After the ball lands in the stands in foul territory he turns to walk back to grab his bat. As he approaches, he sees it has split and lays neatly in two pieces on the ground. The bat “Wonderboy” was fashioned by Roy when he was a young boy from a tree on his farm that was split open by a bolt of lightning. The tree stood just a few feet away from where his father dropped to the ground and died from an apparent heart attack. As Roy holds his broken bat; the last vestige of his childhood, he turns to the batboy with a heavy heart and says, “Go pick me out a winner Bobby.” The ending that follows is in direct contrast from the novel.

Bernard Malamud based his novel on the true incident of a Philadelphia Phillies outfielder named Eddie Waitkus. Waitkus was shot by an obsessed fan in a hotel early in his career and survived to play again. The Mercer County Library System owns a copy of the book. It is entitled Baseball's Natural: The Story of Eddie Waitkus.

“Say it ain’t so Joe” Eight Men Out (1988)

Eight Men Out tells the story of the 1919 Chicago White Sox, as they are about to enter the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Unfortunately for the Sox, they have a penny pinching owner who may heap praise on them publicly but steadfastly denies them a livable wage. He goes so far as to bench healthy players for periods of time to prevent them from reaching incentive bonuses.

The local gambling syndicate, very aware of the owner’s ways, devise a conspiracy to convince some of the players to throw the series for a significant financial sum. After they come to an agreement with a few of the players things begin to go awry. The Sox’s star player “Shoeless” Joe Jackson who knows about the conspiracy tells the manager that he doesn’t want to play. A request the manager denies. The sports journalists covering the series hear rumors about a fix before the series even starts, so they begin a process of determining which players are on the level. The players who are on the level play so well that they manage to win a few games that the gamblers had bet on them heavily to lose.

Inevitably the White Sox lose the series and an investigation begins. After a pitcher confesses, some of the other players sign an official confession. One of the players is “Shoeless” Joe who actually played very well during the series. After he exits the courthouse with reporters everywhere a young boy who idolizes Jackson approaches him and says “Say it ain’t so Joe.” Joe stops but says nothing, lowers his head and walks away. Shortly thereafter Joe Jackson and seven other players were banned from baseball for life.

The film is often praised for how accurately it captures an era and it’s great ensemble cast. Some of the camera crew went on to work on Ken Burns’ Baseball documentary. The debate on “Shoeless” Joe’s guilt continues to this day. Click for more details about “Shoeless” Joe.

All three of these films are owned by multiple branches in the Mercer County Library System.

- David R.