The Rookie (DVD, 2002)

Jimmy Morris (Dennis Quade) is a highschool baseball coach and science teacher. All of his childhood he was the son of a career military man, and frequently moved around the country. One day his dad was transferred to a small West Texas community. Jimmy is a baseball player and he is pretty good, but there is no baseball out here in Texas; this is football country.

Twenty years have passed and Jimmy's team is pretty bad. They lack real confidence, and their playing field looks like a a mud flat, with no grass. He has been trying to grow grass, but the deer keep eating the new sprouts. He had his shot at baseball just out of college, but as a minor league pitcher things just didn't work out, and after a lot of surgery he was told that for him, baseball was over. Now twelve years and two children later, he is coaching a losing team. Still wanting baseball in his life, one night he decides to throw a few pitches past a roadside radar detector, but when his hardest pitch only registers 76-mph, he decides that the doctors were right. What he didn't know was that the machine was broken and the 76mph was really 96mph! While trying to grow grass on the home field, the team was practicing in another place. One man short, he decides to pitch batting practice. He had no pain so he continued. His players challenged him to start pitching hard to them so that they could sharpen their batting skills. They began to start hitting and winning. Their confidence grew and they challenged Jimmy to go try out for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays who's spring training camp was nearby. They bet him that they could win Division if he would tryout. They won Division. He went to tryout and to everybody's surprise he threw 98mph. A month later Jimmy Morris is pitching in the Florida League on a Devil Rays minor league team. Not making hardly any money, and missing his wife and kids, with debts rising he almost quits. Then the big day happens, and he is sent to the big club. He is to meet the Rays in Dallas - he's in the Major Leagues. Jimmy Morris stayed in the majors for two more seasons and did well. Today, he is teaching back where he started.

The Rookie (2002)

This movie was based on a true story, and was very well done. It's about a high school teacher who coaches baseball, and whose students incourage him to try out for the big leagues because none of them can a hit any ball he pitches. To humor them, he agrees to try out provided his team wins the sectionals, figuring they would never do so. (They only got one win the previous year.)Incredibly, his team wins,and so he is forced to honor his agreement and attempt to try out for the majors. He finds out to his surprise that he has a 98 mile an hour fast ball and the scouts become interested in him. His old dream of playing major league ball begins to become realized. Acting was good, and the movie is a joy to watch, and will hold any baseball fan to his seat, even non baseball fans! Highly recommended. Russ

Great baseball move for the whole family

If you are looking for a family movie with some action and sports (baseball), then The Rookie is a great choice. Inspired by a true story, it is a great story about going after your dreams no matter what your age. I think one of the things I love most about this movie is the way the movie stresses having a good, strong support system around you throughout your life.

It is a good balance between sports action scenes (for the guys) and emotional/feel-good scenes (for the gals). The acting is pretty good for a family-focuses movie and the baseball is authentic.

We kept coming across this movie on TV and found ourselves watching it almost every time. I said enough of this, let's just get the movie so we can watch it whenever we want. So we did. You will not be disappointed.

Encouraging Film

Being based on a true story, this film addressed many day to day challenges we all face (financial difficulties, small children not understanding adult decisions, mom struggling to balance children, daddy and work, etc.). This film portrayed the inner struggles of a man who dearly loves his family while wondering what could have been. As his wife encourages him, he follows his dream, but faces many temptations and longs to be beside her at home. The rest is a must see, but I will say that this film develops good family morals that are so many times torn down by other films in today's market. This movie also reminds viewers that it is never too late to pursue a dream. All who watch will be encouraged and entertained-an exceptional combination.

Great family film

This entertaining and touching story shows how dreams, even really big ones, sometimes come true. A caring husband and father in his thirties may have the chance to follow his dream of pitching for major league baseball--if the highschool baseball team he coaches can pull it together and win the district championship.

Wonderful acting and lots of laughs!! Great for the entire family.