The Making of Major League: A Juuuust a Bit Inside Look at the Classic Baseball Comedy

by Jonathan Knight, Charlie Sheen (Foreword)

With a foreword by Charlie Sheen.

A behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest baseball movies ever …

If you love watching Major League, you’ll be fascinated by this inside story. Based on interviews with all major cast members plus crew and producers, it tells how writer/director David S. Ward battled the Hollywood system to turn his own love of the underdog Cleveland Indians into a classic screwball comedy.

Learn how a tight-knit group of rising young stars (and a few wily veterans) had a blast pretending to play ball while creating several iconic characters. Filled with little-known facts and personal recollections about outtakes and inside jokes, batting practice and script changes, all-night location shoots, bar hopping and more, this is the ultimate guide to the film that reinvented the baseball movie and inspired a generation of belly laughs.

Includes rare photos, storyboard illustrations, script excerpts, and more.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Comedy, Humor

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 2015

About the author

Jonathan Knight is the author of eleven books on a range of topics which have gained nationwide notoriety. From true crime to sports, from presidential assassinations to inside Hollywood, Jonathan has a knack for discovering untold tales and transforming them into compelling pageturners. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his two sons. You can learn more at jknightwriter.com and follow him on Facebook at facebook.com/JonathanKnightWriter and at Twitter at @jknightwriter.

Reviews

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those who know me wrongly assume that my favorite baseball movie is Rookie of the Year. Surprise, it’s not, although until 2016 it contained the best outcome of any movie anywhere. I am not a fan of children actors other than a few exceptions so Rookie of the Year along with The Sandlot and Little Big League do not rank high on my list. My favorite baseball movie? That would be Major League, which was released in 1989. It might have been rated R and contained a litany of foul language, but I fell in love with the story of an underdog team that beat the Yankees and made the postseason. Until the Cubs got good a few years ago, I often envisioned the team wearing Cubs rather than Indians uniforms, and the end scene would bring tears to my eyes. Growing up outside of Cleveland, Jonathan Knight is both an Indians fan and like me can recite Major League by heart. When by chance my Goodreads feed lead me to his book about the making of the movie, I knew that it was a must read for me.

Thirty years later, Major League is considered a classic baseball film. The story is universal in that an underdog team of “has beens and never will bes” band together and miraculously make the playoffs. The World Series? That’s left to the mind of the viewer. Film writer David Ward grew up an Indians fan during the team’s heyday. He was the impressionable age of 8 1/2 when the 1954 Indians went 111-43 and looked like a lock to win the World Series. Now part of baseball lore, Willie Mays made his improbable catch in game one, and the Giants went on to sweep the Indians in four games. The Indians have not won the World Series since (thank you, 2016 Cubs!) and after the 1954 season began a three decade slide toward futility. A few years later, Ward’s family moved to suburban St Louis and he adopted the Cardinals as his new team; yet, he had fond memories of his time attending Indians games at old Municipal Stadium. Even though the new team he latched on to won more than his hometown team, it would mean more to Ward if the Indians would win in his lifetime.

Ward’s father wanted him to be a doctor but he was not interested in the “ultimate profession.” Part of the California beatnik culture of the 1960s, Ward attended Pomona College and had five majors in four years until a professor encouraged him to be a writer. Novelists were a dime a dozen, but Ward enjoyed film and enrolled in USC Film School, only to end up at UCLA. During the glory days of Hollywood, it was tough to break into the industry, but Ward found a mentor in film editor of Sydney Pollock. Their working relationship would last for the rest of Pollock’s life and included his unsolicited advice on Major League. Ward met Chris Chesser early in his movie making career. Chesser is a Yankees’ fan but was forgiven this trait because he was a quality, up and coming director. After collaborating on an adaptation of Steinbeck’s Cannery Row that was unfortunately not well received, the pair desired to make a baseball movie. During the 1980s, Hollywood did not churn out many sports movies the way it does now. Other than The Natural, baseball did not translate well to the silver screen. By 1983, Ward had his script about his long suffering Indians, and then it sat on the shelf for five years. One chance meeting lead to another, and finally in 1988, the project was green lighted. At this point the Indians had reached over four decades of futility and would become one of sports’ ultimate Cinderella stories.

We all know the story: widowed, showgirl wife inherits lousy team from her husband. If attendance drops below 100,000 for the entire year, she has an offer to up and move the team to Miami. She assembles a team of misfits in hopes that they do just that. Mid season, the general manager has this plot on his conscience and tells the field manager what is up. The manager tells this to his team, and the captain announces that “there’s only one thing left to do. We have to win the whole f - - - thing.” Cheers erupt and the team goes on a hot streak, igniting the civic passion of the city of Cleveland in the process. Everyone from nuns to bartenders are excited because they think finally the Indians are a winner and then they beat the Yankees and wow. Knight hails from Akron, Ohio and was the perfect author to tell the story of this movie that is now part of both Indians and Hollywood lore, publishing it in time for the film’s 25th anniversary. It was his and every fan’s dream to get interviews and an inside look at how his favorite movie was made. Like me he grew up watching the movie every day; my record is three times in under twenty four hours so I wonder if he has me beat. Meeting David Ward and Chris Chesser was a dream come true for Knight, who had previously authored other books about Cleveland area sports teams. Like the cast of the movie, Knight was the perfect edition to this dream team.

Other than the opening credit sequence and one flyover, Major League was not filmed in Cleveland. The stadium was too big, so production moved to Milwaukee County Stadium. This is news to me and I’ve only watched this movie minimally one hundred times. It fits. The star of the movie is Bob Uecker, the real life radio personality of the Milwaukee Brewers, and his role as Harry Doyle is how he announces games in real life and his scenes have me in stitches. Because production of the film took place during the 1988 baseball season, Uecker’s scenes were done in two days when the Brewers had off. It worked because his scenes were independent of the rest of the action. Ward and Chesser looked for actors who had some knowledge of baseball and brought in retired Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager to be a baseball consultant and coach in the film. The movie needed star power or Major League would meet the same fate as Cannery Row. Coming off an award winning performance in Platoon, Ward tabbed actors Tom Berenger and Charlie Sheen to star in his film. Needing a third star like so many super teams of today, Ward found Corbin Bernsen of L.A. Law fame. The rest they say is history.

Today people still think of Charlie Sheen as his role as Wild Thing Vaughn, the rookie pitcher in the movie. The movie introduced viewers to now commonplace actors Wesley Snipes, Dennis Haysbert, and Rene Russo. Even though these actors have been successful in multiple roles and endeavors in the last thirty years, I still think of them as their Major League personas. Besides Wild Thing and Harry Doyle, Bernsen’s Dorn, Haysbert’s Cerrano, and Snipes’ Willie Mays Hayes are roles that people will never forget. The only character Knight leaves out here is Suzanne Dorn, who plays an important role in a few unforgettable scenes. There is a reason why Dorn punches Vaughn at the end, after all. Besides the rag tag cast, real life nun and long time Indians fan Sister Mary Assumpta got a cameo in the movie. It was a dream come true for her, as Sister Mary baked cookies for Indians players for good luck every year. Perhaps, Sister Mary’s faith coupled with Cerrano’s Jobu was just what the Indians needed to bring home a winner. Or perhaps after a grueling production schedule, Ward and Chesser got their all star cast to gel at just the right time.

Four years ago, I had the ultimate fan’s dilemma, and I mean dilemma. My Cubs played the Indians in the World Series. Charlie Rowengardner vs Wild Thing Vaughn for baseball’s ultimate prize. I have been a Cubs fan since birth and a fan of Major League since the movie came out. The Indians even had an extra locker for Jobu from the movie for good luck. If the Indians won, I doubt I’d ever be able to watch the movie again. Thankfully, my prayers were answered, and the Cubs won. The real life Indians championship would have to wait for another time. Last year, baseball’s all star game was played in Cleveland, and, of course, Wild Thing Vaughn made a cameo appearance that received as much applause as that reserved for baseball’s biggest stars. For now, Major League’s Indians are the closest Cleveland fans have for a championship. There is talk of a reboot with the stars of the original movie acting as the coaching staff to a new generation of Indians looking for a winner. In an era where the real life Indians are competitive, I don’t know how well received this would be in real life; however, if David Ward and Chris Chesser are still involved at the twilight of their own successful careers, the film is sure to be successful. I am forever grateful to them for producing the best baseball movie ever.

4+ stars 🎥 ⚾️ 🍿

[Paxton Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally saw this movie in the theater and I’ve owned it on VHS and DVD. I love this movie and was thrilled to find an oral history of the making of it.

This book had everything I wanted. Actual interviews with pretty much the entire cast and most of the major crew. It wasn’t just collected snippets of interviews from other places. And it laid everything out in a nice chronological order. And it even touched on Major League II, and even the third one, Major League: Back to the Minors.

It had lots of good behind the scenes information, it even laid out a bunch of information about dropped story lines and deleted scenes. For instance, the entire ending was originally different. They had to reshoot a lot of it because test audiences, while loving the movie, hated the ending. I’ve never heard this actually and would love to see some of that footage.

Anyway, this book was great. A perfect example of a “making of” book for a movie.

[Sean Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent deep dive into a baseball-movie classic! At 12 years old, my friends and I snuck into a showing of Major League on Saturday, April 8, 1989 in Kingsbridge, New York, and for all the times I've seen it since -- too numerous to quantify -- I didn't know much about the movie save what I learned from David S. Ward's commentary track on the DVD. The Making of "Major League" is full of fascinating firsthand accounts of the creative development, production, and legacy of the movie, including some behind-the-scenes info on the sequels (the first of which, as Ward notes, has the jokes but not the heart of the original, whereas Back to the Minors is a pitiful mess of a spinoff without the jokes or the heart).

Having recently read two other Hollywood making-of books -- The Making of Tombstone: Behind the Scenes of the Classic Modern Western and Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road (both of which I reviewed here) -- this was the best of the trio. Whereas The Making of "Tombstone" reads like a college textbook, and Blood, Sweat & Chrome, on the other end of the spectrum, plays like a slicky produced DVD featurette, The Making of "Major League" is the best of both worlds: credibly substantive without being impenetrably dense, enjoyably breezy without being deferentially effusive. This is an essential text for any fan of Major League. I had almost as much fun reading it at 46 as I did sneaking into the movie itself that long-ago Saturday afternoon when I was twelve!

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a huge sports fan, but I am a Cleveland fan and you get a lot of good stories of both in this book. As a writer, I liked the inclusion of some of the scripts.
A fun read. Now on to a rerun of the movie!

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book as much as the movie! Full review here:
http://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/201...

[Steven Belanger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good bathroom book, which I mean in a good way. It ain’t War and Peace, and if you’re a fan of the movie, you don’t want it to read like a serious movie tome of a serious movie. It’s why we like Major League differently than we like Bull Durham, which is deeper and more philosophical. Major League is more blue-collar (and, minus Costner’s playing ability, more blue-collar baseball, as well).

The book has lots of stuff from the principal cast, especially Charlie Sheen and Corbin Bernsen. Sheen also wrote a decent Introduction, within which he surprisingly says that Major League is more important to him than Platoon, which he also starred in with Tom Berenger. This book goes into lots and lots of detail about literally every aspect of the movie. I thought initially of giving it four instead of five stars because of that, because you won’t possibly care about every single little thing this book tells you about the movie. Ultimately I kept it at five stars because, well, if you love the movie, you’ll like the book. That’s why you’re thinking of reading it, right?

There are a few more surprises here, including a disclosure of how the movie originally ended—which didn’t change until after the audience previews, pretty late in the game. Luckily, it was a quick fix, though huge. It answers a few questions I had, in a minor way, about the movie. It’ll do the same for you. (And you might be like me, and wonder how you never knew it.) Anyway, I won’t give it away.

It goes without saying, but in thoroughness I’ll say it: If you love the movie, you’ll like the book. If you thought the movie was just okay, you’ll think this is way too much. But, you wouldn’t want to read the book, right? And if you don’t love the movie, what the hell are you doing even reading this?

[Tom Gase · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun read on the making of the 1989 film, "Major League" about an underdog Cleveland Indians team full of great characters. In this book you'll read how the movie came to be and how the story was actually written a good five to six years before it hit theaters. You'll find out how all the actors including Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bensen, Wesley Snipes, James Gammon, Dennis Haybert and Rene Russo signed on to be in the film. You get to hear a lot of inside stories about what it was like on set and you learn about scenes that were cut (yes that Yellowstone joke was NOT in the actual film but featured in the trailer). A must for anyone who really likes the film and enjoys baseball.

[Sean McGurr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Major League will love this book about how it was made and its cultural significance. Author Jonathan Knight was able to interview every major actor from the film (except James Gammon, who has died; although he speaks to his widow!), and all indicate how much fun the movie was to make and what an impact it had on each of their careers. The background stories about the production, script, and other facets of the film were interesting, especially the original ending, which was switched when audiences didn't react well to it.

It is a short, quick read, but should be of interest to Major League fans.

[Romulo Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty enjoyable! Not as fun as watching the movie, of course. This is more about the effort that went into making what I consider one of the best sports movies ever. It's obvious the author loved the movie (he says so in the foreword) and it really comes through for the reader.
The information about the actors and what it took to get them ready for this movie, their "Spring Training", was interesting. Most had never played baseball before.
If you haven't seen the movie, watch it. If you have seen it and love it as much as I do, you'll enjoy this book.

[Randy Wojtasiak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book beginning to end. No lull, I was always excited to pick up where I left off. It was a fun and easy read with all the necessary elements. I like the fact that included the possible future of the franchise as well.

[mitchell p. kanefsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Backstory

Any fan of the movie could have written 50% of this book. But thanks to the author, the actors, and other players in the full story, we have the complete picture in clear context! Thank you!!

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't know why it took me so long to read this. I needed a book starting with M, so pulled it off the shelf. I really enjoyed it! Tons of inside information and brought back lots of memories of one of the best baseball movies. I highly recommend it for anyone who saw the movie and enjoyed it.

[Dr NSCA-CPT · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming look inside the classic baseball film!

[J. Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read and a must for any fan of the film.

[Eugene · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is quite a bit in this book I didn't know, like the original ending and the mini spring training to get ready for production. A really good book.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoyed the movie, "Major League", you will enjoy this in depth, behind-the-scenes look at what went into the creation, casting, filming, and public reception of the movie. Author Jonathan Knight, an unabashed fan of the film, uses first-hand interviews with the writer-director David Ward, producer Chris Chesser, and all of the now-familiar cast members of the movie, including Charlie Sheen (who also wrote the Foreword), Tom Berenger, Corbin Bersen, Bob Uecker, James Gammon, Rene Russo, Wesley Snipes, and Dennis Heysbert (plus others) to find out details and trivia about the movie that will appeal to fans.

Knight's love for the movie is only surpassed by writer/director Ward's. Ward shares a number of details about the difficulty getting the movie started, then staying under budget, using thousands of extras for the baseball scenes, and then dealing with its popularity. For him, putting his words on the big screen was a labor of love. It's clear from the statements and stories provided by the aforementioned actors that they really enjoyed working on this film and cite it as still important to them today.

The book is broken down into three basic segments. The first third of the book deals with the writing of the script, finding a production company to take the film on, and deciding who to get to play the various roles. The next third of the book is driven by the actors' stories and memories of the filming of the movie. The last third goes over the success of the film, why it's still one of the most watched sports movies of all time, and a little about the two sequels to "Major League".

Chapters are completed with a small "Extras" section that provides a neat unknown nugget about the film or some of its actors. Some of these nuggets include info like: Charlie Sheen had to resort to the use of steroids to get through the grueling daily pitching scenes, Bob Uecker ad-libbed much of his dialogue in the movie (go figure), and Milwaukee's stadium was a "stand-in" for Cleveland's for most of the baseball action. There are many more jewels like these found in the book.

I was thrilled to have this opportunity to read this look inside the making of the film. It is still one of my favorite baseball movies and Knight's efforts in putting this book together will enhance one's enjoyment of the film even more.

[Matt Daly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Goodreads contest.

First off, this is one of my favorite sports movies. The underdog story, the character arcs, the villainous owner, and, most importantly, the fascinatingly-vulgar-yet-believable dialogue. So having the opportunity to read a behind-the-scenes look at it was a no-brainer. Writer/Director David Ward was in an "0-2 count" in terms of his career after striking out with his second film, Cannery Row. So he embarked on an underdog story of a hapless baseball team based in an underdog city. Through a series of first-hand accounts and interviews as well as original artifacts from the film, we get a very thorough look at every aspect of production.

Knight also spills a bevy of inside "extras" including how Charlie Sheen was taking steroids to gain an edge on his fastball. Really would have liked a bit more on this, i.e. what other crew members thought, did they want an edge too?, etc. Also, interesting to note was how the original ending was intended and how "the system" forced them to alter it into a more formulaic one so that the masses would like it. Just priceless. What I am disappointed in is how Knight brushes off the possible notion that this movie may not be the savior of the franchise so much as it's inevitable curse. If you recall, villain owner Rachel Phelps' plan was to have them tank so bad that they would be forced to sell the team to Miami. And but 8 years later, in real life, the Indians lost the World Series to the 5 year old Florida Marlins franchise. I would like some more interviews about this, what did people think about this? Coincidence? Curse? Anyway, I tip my hat off to the amount of research and dedication put into the book but definitely was presented from a biased point-of-view.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Won in a LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway***
This is a book for those who have seen Major League and who have seen it multiple times. Failing that, this book may just be boring. It sheds light on the writer/director's upstart, the producers, casting, story, production, post-, viewing and release, sequels, parallels with real life baseball, and where everyone is now.

The author uses interviews with many of the cast and crew to describe what was happening, how it all came to be. As such, there are some golden nuggets that help make the story even better. Examples being a flub of a character's name in a take leading to a permanent name change, reasons for casting athletic actors, the how and why explained.

I had both ML and MLII on rotation when I was growing up and this book offered a great way to reconnect with the characters. I think I will have to rewatch and look for things pointed out within the pages here. The books is well written and not dry. There is a foreword by Charlie Sheen, a picture section in the middle, pieces of the script, story boards, whole scenes, box score of the final game etc. A complete package for any fan of Major League. It is only missing a star because I think it is a niche book. For someone unknown to the movies, it may be dry, it may be uninteresting, it may be hard to picture how the scenes in the movie played out and relate them to what was happening behind the scenes as depicted in the book.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a cold February day with snow swirling and winds howling, a baseball fan takes comfort in this: pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training in a week!

Cleveland Indian fans found that kind of joy in 1989 when the movie "Major League" opened. It was the first time most of us saw our team compete and triumph---most people watching applaud the ending, true Tribe fans weep with joy. It was the first time we'd ever seen our team take the prize, who cared if it was on the screen?

Author Jonathan Knight loved the movie enough to watch it daily during his formative teen years. It obviously marked or scarred him enough to give birth to this book. He rounds up a great roster of the creative team, stars and Clevelanders to tell the inside story of the movie that fought to be made and lives on and on and on....

It's a delight and a gem from the foreword by Charlie Sheen to the last page that replays the way it was set out in the script. There were sequels without the original creative teams, both fouled out. There's tantalizing talk of a true sequel with the original creators and actors involved, financing seems to hold it back.

I say start that "Kickstarter" page right now....

Until then I'll watch my copy of the movie this weekend, perfect antidote for the predicted sub zero temperatures "juuuust a bit outside" my window.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was born, raised and still live in Northeastern Ohio and sometimes it feels like it is a requirement to love this movie. I do not love this movie. I think it is a great one time, maybe two time, watch but nothing about this movie says, "Best baseball movie ever made!" as many Clevelanders would have you think.

I found this book enjoyable. It was good to read that writer of the script was a quasi-Clevelander and that the movie was more of a love note to the city, team and the fans. I always had wondered if the movie was writing to kick at a city and it people that had been kicked more than enough over the years.

The author, Jonathan Knight, takes the reader from conception of the movie through casting, shooting and opening night. He also shares some stories about the sequels and maybe even one more movie being released that would involve the original cast as coaches and mentors to a younger Indians team. The key players have all, according to the book, agreed to come back. It was great to see how many of the actors enjoyed working on this movie and many of them comment about how great it is to still be recognized for their role in "Major League" over more acclaimed work.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is simply just a fun read especially if you are a fan of the movie, love movies in general or are a baseball fan. I can not say I am the biggest fan of the movie but it is a fun movie and a classic comedy worth seeing at least once. I tend to watch at least a couple of minutes every time I see it pop up on cable and its always good for a laugh before you get back to whatever you plan to watch.
I am actually a big fan of the movie making process and always enjoy reading about how movies get made with all the behind the scenes tidbits, the business of making and marketing a movie and the creative process. The writer nails it all with lots of fun stories and insights about all that has to be done to get a movie to the big screen. His research is extensive and his writing style expresses his love of the film and everyone involved including how the movie affected a city, its citizens and a Major League Baseball team.
What you find out more than anything is that making movies is not a science and movies are hits or misses sometimes simply due to circumstance and luck in addition to creativity and hard work and maybe a little love.
Good read, I recommend it.

[April Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fun, fast read goes behind the scenes of the baseball movie "Major League." It includes interviews with several of the actors, the director and others involved with the movie and has pictures from promotion stops and even a few pages of the script (including deleted material). Now, I have a confession to make: I've never actually seen this movie (yeah, I'm probably one of maybe a dozen Cleveland-area residents older than 21 who hasn't). I really want to though, after reading this collection of anecdotes and memories. If the movie is half as fun and engaging as the book was, I will enjoy it. There are many sections where I laughed out loud; I can imagine those who have actually seen the movie and know more about what happened in front of the camera will get even more out of the hilarity. "Major League," of course, is a fictionalized story of the Cleveland Indians, who are the underdogs of the professional baseball world (a case of art imitating life). However, they go on to win the division title, despite the nefarious efforts of the team's new owner. The book includes an introduction from Charlie Sheen.

[David Ketelsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from GoodReads for free.

I'm not sure if you'd want to read this book if you've not seen the movie---so go watch the movie. It's a GREAT movie. Okay, now you should read the book.

I loved reading The Making of Major League. It's got so many interesting background facts and details about the movie, the director David Ward, the two cities involved (most of the filming was in Milwaukee's stadium), pictures, and even a great foreword by bad boy Charlie Sheen who was a HS pitcher of some skill in real life. Who knew? And that classic line by the wonderful Bob Uecker, "Juuuust a bit outside: tried the corner and missed" was ad libbed. It's worth the price of admission just to hear that line, the nose hair insult is pure gravy. Anyway, I've got a movie to watch.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun tribute to a fun movie. I was surprised at just how long Major League was in development, and how hard the shoot seems to have been. Access to the cast and crew gives the story a gauzy, "authorized biography" feel... which is mostly fine, but there are a couple of places where Knight noticeably pulls his punches. (Charlie Sheen admits that using steroids to get in shape for the film caused him some anger management problems... and nobody's got a corroborating story? Come on.) That said, I'm not sure I would have slogged through a no-holds-barred expose on this sweet little film. A loving memoir which I could rip through in 3 short sittings was a pleasant piece of end-of-summer reading.

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delivers exactly what it says on the cover - the story of the making of the film "Major League"! And if you love the movie, like I do, you'll really enjoy reading all this behind the scenes information! Lots of stories, first hand accounts, and a "where are they now" section, plus sketches, photos, and script pages. Pretty much everything you'd ever want to know about the movie! As the tag line on the cover says, "A Juuuust a Bit Inside Look at the Classic Baseball Comedy". That ain't no lie!

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have received this book free in a Goodreads giveaway.

This book makes me want to see the movie again. I want to check out more closely some of the scenes mentioned. There were many amusing stories regarding the actors in the movie. I am a huge baseball fan so anything to do with baseball gets my attention. It was very interesting to read how long the process ttook for this picture to be made from the writing to the filming. I think anyone who really likes the movie will thoroughly enjoy this book.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge baseball fan and huge major league fan. I loved reading about the struggles of getting this movie made and how it all worked out in the end. The passion of the author comes through when retelling interviews and stories about the making of the movie. His love for the game equates to the same love the movie's writer had to make this movie about the grit of a real baseball team's struggles. If you are a fan of the game or the movie in general, this is a great read.

[Exapno Mapcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful look at a classic film, which starts before the beginning, as most movies do. From David Ward’s meteoric rise with The Sting to borrowing a real life situation, yes the stink to lose plot actually happened, for his hometown team which led to cinema gold. The entire cast is profiled and you get a real sense of the filming. A definite must read for fans of the movie.

Free review copy.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads first-read giveaway. This book interested me, because I loved the movie when I was growing up.
It was nice to read and understand the inspiration behind the film. It was also nice to understand what this film meant, not only to the writer, but also to the Cleveland Indians team and to each person who worked on this film. Even though I am not a baseball fan, this is one of my favorite films and I enjoyed reading this book.