Take Me In to the Ballgame

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2013 Jackie Robinson biopic "42." They introduce the film (1:46), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (4:57). Amount of Baseball (7:05) considers the beauty and well-roundedness of the baseball sequences, the feel of the ballgame, and baseball as a character in the film. Baseball Accuracy (14:12) addresses the following *deep breath*: attribution of scouting to Branch Rickey, taking credit from Wendell Smith; Jackie's hallway breakdown scene; the Commissioner change from Kenesaw Mountain Landis to Happy Chandler; the incomplete explanation of Leo Durocher's suspension; the court martial of Jackie Robinson; how Robinson and Clyde Sukeforth actually met; things said in first meeting of Rickey and Robinson; the Robinson gas station story; Jackie and Rachel's wedding; getting bumped off the plane in New Orleans on their way to Daytona; Wendell Smith's actual first meeting with Robinson; Dodgers 1947 spring training in Panama, kind of; erasure of John Wright, Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe and Roy Partlow; Clay Hopper's evolution; the Ed Charles scenes; Robinson in rundowns; the police officer who boots Robinson from the spring training game; Robinson's first game in Jersey City; Gene Hermanski quote stolen for Pee Wee Reese; the date of the on-field side-hug of Robinson and Reese; the evolution of Bobby Bragan's attitude (plus Dixie Walker, Kirby Higbe); fun stuff about Leo Durocher; awful Ben Chapman facts; Herb Pennock's conversation; the game play of the Philadelphia Chapman game (plus Eddie Stanky, Dutch Leonard); Reese only gets one strike; Burt Shotton wearing street clothes; inaccuracies with the Fritz Ostemeuller beanball; Jackie was, in fact, caught stealing, and did not lead the league in HBP (Whitey Kurowski did); Enos Slaughter's motivations; Rickey's story about Charlie Thomas; and the specificity of Rachel's speech. Storytelling (1:03:55) muses about this film as "The Jackie Robinson Story" 2.0, its superhero and religious elements, the impact of the time it was made, and the cleanliness of this depiction. The scouts discuss starting the film with Rickey and the other ways in which he is centered in the film. They love the lighting, homoeroticism with Branca, the emotional wallop, and its well-craftedness in the biopic genre. With the Score Tool (1:20:46), Mark Isham's score understands the assignment. Acting (1:23:40) highlights T.R. Knight and many excellent day players, followed by a long discussion of Harrison Ford's performance, and the meaning of "character actor" and concept of "personalization," and appreciates Andre Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Toby Huss, Alan Tudyk, Nicole Beharie, Hamish Linklater, and Lucas Black. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:53:31) assesses the Negro League catcher seen at the beginning of the film, and Bob Bragan. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:57:41) delights in John McGinley's Red Barber. Lack of Misogyny (2:02:26) considers the depictions of Rachel Robinson and Laraine Day in this film. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (2:05:23), Six Degrees of Baseball (2:09:55), Favorite Moment (2:11:14) Least Favorite Moment (2:13:48), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (2:15:29), Dreamiest Player (2:18:10), Favorite Performance (2:18:18), and Next Time (2:19:27).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1987 baseball film "Long Gone." They introduce the film (1:10), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (7:10). Amount of Baseball (11:43) praises the substance and variety of the baseball scenes, with their good emphasis on defense and attention to detail. Baseball Accuracy (21:13) bemoans the lack of acknowledgement for Cecil Cantrell as the Shohei Ohtani player manager of the Alabama-Florida league. Other things about the Class D Alabama-Florida league are correct, except the existence of the Dothan Cardinals in 1957, and the Browns spring training in 1946. Do pitchers ever become catchers? A historic dive into Smoky Joe Wood, Bob Feller, and the possibility of Stud Cantrell and Stan Musial coming up together. There are both mathematical and factual problems with the number of games that the Class D League played, and Brown's RBI total (w/r/t Hack Wilson record). Joe Lewis Brown resonances with Joe Lewis, Jackie Robinson, and Jack Johnson. This movie has appropriate disdain for the intentional walk, but falls victim to a common baseball film error. A rare corresponding roster move doesn't quite pan out. Storytelling (57:55) comments on the skillful exposition and braiding of human and baseball storytelling, along with growth for the major characters, and the classical comedy double wedding ending. Did the Cardinals sign off on this? Delicacy of dealing with racial issues in a comedy. What do they have on Stud? Why wreck the car? Plus other unanswered questions. The Score Tool (1:26:36) suffers from the problem of an 80s score in a movie about the 50s. Eric dives in on Hank Williams' "Long Gone," and the hymns in the film. Acting (1:35:07) discusses the performances of Virginia Madsen, William Petersen, Larry Riley, Dermot Mulroney, Henry Gibson, Teller, Robert Easton, Edward Blatchford, and Ronn Allen. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:45:53) assesses the superb Joe Lewis Brown, played by Larry Riley. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:47:14) is non-zero. Lack of Misogyny (1:48:25) considers the misogyny displayed in the actions and words of Stud Cantrell, and, to a lesser extent, Jamie, as balanced with their growth. Some examination of the film's attitude towards Dixie, and her Boxxstory/backstory. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:59:04), Six Degrees of Baseball (2:04:00), Favorite Moment (2:05:41) Least Favorite Moment (2:07:14), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (2:10:08), Dreamiest Player (2:11:39), Favorite Performance (2:12:32), and Next Time (2:14:50).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1958 baseball movie musical, "Damn Yankees." They introduce the film (1:10), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (6:57). Quick promos for "Cryptid" and the podcast "Sometimes it Rains" (13:47). Amount of Baseball (16:09) is helped by early baseball and a good montage, but there's not a ton here. Baseball Accuracy (23:15) kicks off with some debate on the central premise and impact on score, umpire razzing, and Joe's inconsistent baseball opinions. Does Shoeless Joe Jackson exist in the world of this film? Some Kansas City baseball timeline problems, the six months out of every year fallacy, and goulash vs. Willie Mays. They dive in on Carlos Paula, Angel Scull, Joe Black,the integration of the Washington Senators, and a brief racial history anecdote with the Twins. A Washington Senators overview and look at pennant-less droughts throughout baseball history. How often do you need to hit a homer to save a losing ball club, w/r/t the 1957 Senators pitching rotation. Accuracy in the song "Heart," plus newspaper accuracy. Storytelling (1:01:21) dives in on the confusing terms of the deal with the devil, and who Joe Hardy actually is. "Who's Got the Pain?" These scouts, I guess. They also discuss Joe Hardy's HOF case, games missed in the storytelling, problems with singing a song and writing a letter simultaneously, and songs removed and added from the Broadway version. How old is Lola? How superb is Gwen Verdon in "Whatever Lola Wants"? They wrap up with "Two Lost Souls," Sister Miller's name, the costume design, Mr. Applegate's particular scope of power, and the flatness of the cinematography. The Score Tool (1:42:20) considers the tunes and scoring of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Acting (1:44:00) discusses chiefly the performances of Tab Hunter, Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston and Jean Stapleton, with some discussion of the ensemble and the impact of the cast carrying over from the Broadway run. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:50:19) assesses the character of Smokey, played by Nathaniel Frey. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:53:42) sees a short debate on its existence. Lack of Misogyny (1:55:34) considers wives singing about their husbands' obsessions with baseball as they wait around to be noticed, undermining Sister Miller's baseball fandom, and 1001 issues with "Goodbye Old Girl" and "Empty Chair." There are Misogyny issues with Gloria and Applegate, too. Marie Antoinette injustice. They wrap up with the missing songs' impact on this tool, and Joe and Meg's reunion. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (2:17:20), Six Degrees of Baseball (2:22:00), Favorite Moment (2:24:26) Least Favorite Moment (2:26:20), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (2:28:22), Dreamiest Player (2:30:27), Favorite Performance (2:31:10), and Next Time (2:33:06).

In this episode, Eric and Ellen discuss the 2002 family film, “Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch.” This is a doozy of an episode and so were gonna cut straight to the timestamps! 1:05 – Intro; 7:09 – Review of 20/80 Scouting Scale; 16:25 – Amount of Baseball; 24:19 – Baseball Accuracy; 55:22 – Storytelling; 1:43:16 – Score; 1:49:28 – Acting; 1:54:28 – Delightfulness of Catcher Character; 1:56:29 – Delightfulness of Announcer; 2:02:56 – Lack of Misogyny; 2:12:03 – Yes or No; 2:15:05 – Six Degrees of Baseball; 2:15:45 – Favorite Moment; 2:18:57 – Least Favorite Moment; 2:20:12 – Scene Youd Like To See; 2:24:03 – Dreamiest; 2:25:41 – Favorite Performance; 2:27:37 – Review Thank You; 2:28:32 – Next Time

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2016 Richard Linklater film "Everybody Wants Some!!" They introduce the film (1:23), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (5:42). Amount of Baseball (15:28) discusses the non-baseball sports activity and the storytelling in the baseball action. Stickball, cutting a baseball in half with an axe are ruled upon, plus a player comp. Baseball Accuracy (23:20) considers hitters viewing pitchers on their own team as adversaries, Jay Nile throwing 95 (or not), the history of pitch speed measurement (Bob Feller, Nolan Ryan), and the Astros and the 1980 World Series. Ellen gives some highlights of the Phillies-Astros 1980 NLCS, Eric discusses Arizona Wildcat baseball history. The scouts also discuss college roster sizes and average incoming class size, Charlie Pride, and the athletic history of Wyatt Russell, Tyler Hoechlin, and Austin Amelio. Rod McKuen vs Walt Whitman discussion comes here. What was the process for Willoughby's transfer? Storytelling (47:23) discusses the exploration of the college athlete's psyche, and their awareness (or lack thereof) of their life in baseball coming to an end. They consider the themes of competition, and the privilege of a task with impossible odds. Nez making bad bets, nostalgia, the development of the script and excellence of the dialogue, Finn's ethos. Does everyone have a spare cowboy hat? The plausibility of the various parties. Twilight Zone and Tegwar missed connections. Baseball players' superstitions, the pretend scout. Finally, the theme of frontiers and expectation. The Score Tool (1:19:34) reviews this truly epic musical curation, with music from Van Halen, Frank Zappa, Blondie, ZZ Top, Pat Benatar, Patti Smith, Donna Summer, Cheap Trick, and So Much More, with particular considerations of "My Shaarona" (The Knack), "Rapper's Delight" (Sugarhill Gang), "Give Up the Funk" (Parliament), "Fearless" (Pink Floyd), "Another One Bites the Dust" (Queen), "Whip It" (Devo), "Pop Muzik" (M), "Cotton-Eyed Joe." Acting (1:28:25) includes some discussion of the rehearsal process, and comparison to structure in "Dazed and Confused," but mostly they wax poetic about the entire cast, including Glen Powell, Tyler Hoechlin, Wyatt Russell, Blake Jenner, Zoey Deutch, Temple Baker, Ryan Guzman, Will Britain, J. Quinton Johnson, Juston Street, Austin Amelio, Forrest Vickery and Tanner Kalina. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:43:46) is an opportunity to just focus on the extreme delightfulness of Temple Baker as Ty Plummer. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:47:07) is an opportunity to move on to the next category. Lack of Misogyny (1:47:15) is a challenge, given the general attitude of the men depicted towards women in the film, and the paucity of large female characters. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:52:25), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:55:30), Favorite Moment (1:56:03) Least Favorite Moment (1:57:58), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:59:58), Dreamiest Player (2:01:29), Favorite Performance (2:01:52), and Next Time (2:03:26).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1985 film, “The Slugger's Wife.” It's a doozy of an episode that once again sends our hosts to their mental and emotional limits. The magical timestamps are as follows: 1:24 – Intro; 6:41 – Review of 20/80 Scouting Scale; 14:00 – Amount of Baseball; 20:10 – Baseball Accuracy; 47:31 – Storytelling; 1:26:58 – Score; 1:33:22 – Acting; 1:38:19 – Delightfulness of Catcher Character; 1:39:11 – Delightfulness of Announcer; 1:40:18 – Lack of Misogyny; 1:50:06 – Yes/No; 1:52:36 – Six Degrees of Baseball; 1:53:10 – Favorite Moment; 1:54:18 – Least Favorite Moment; 1:55:32 – Scene You'd Like to See; 1:57:53 – Dreamiest; 1:58:21 – Favorite Performance; 2:01:06 – Next Time.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1992 film "Mr. Baseball." They introduce the film (1:07), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (5:31). Amount of Baseball (14:02) has a good variety, and they contrast the unnecessary Yankee stadium with the real Japanese baseball stadiums, plus the Frank Thomas appearance and a player comp. Baseball Accuracy (19:52) is strong, although the MLB and NPB do not trade, and you shouldn't bring your top hand over. A dive into the shuuto pitch (Yu Darvish, Aaron Nola, Shohei Ohtani) and Ricky Davis's debut (Frank Thomas, JP Arencibia). There are timeline issues with MLB/NPB seasons and the Dodgers series, there are problems with Doc the Agent, the nightmare as a hitter's nightmare, and some poor scouting practices. But there are fun references to the hotfoot tradition (Roger McDowell?) and John Kruk. A brief history of the Chunichi Dragons franchise and their most famous player Michio Nishizawa, plus Larry Doby, Don Newcombe and Matt Stairs. NPB home run records include discussion of Sadaharu Oh, Randy Bass, Tuffy Rhodes, Alex Cabrera and Wladimir Balentien. Cultural differences between Japanese baseball and American baseball, including facial hair (Bob Horner, Eric Thames), the "Gaijin strikezone," extra innings, and the cap-tipping tradition (Osamu Higashio, Dick Davis). Also the Brett Myers/Kyle Kendrick prank, Don Mattingly comparisons, and Tom Selleck's athleticism. Storytelling (50:30) discusses how a formula is good for reversals but bad for long scenes, the bunting trope in baseball movies, the film's cultural in/sensitivities, Cleveland/Nagoya comparisons, the bath scene, and problems with the Lame Romantic Subplot. The Score Tool (1:15:37) discusses this 1992 timepiece from Jerry Goldsmith, which slightly divides our scouts. Acting (1:19:18) considers the performances of Tom Selleck, Ken Takakura, Toshi Shioya, Aya Takanashi, and the baseball team ensemble. Neither Delightfulness of Catcher (1:26:08) or Delightfulness of Announcer (1:27:18) offer much. In Lack of Misogyny (1:27:56), they consider the believability of the Lame Romantic Subplot, Hiroko's own issues, and the repairing of the father/daughter relationship. But why does Hiroko like Jack? No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:40:23), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:44:12), Favorite Moment (1:45:26) Least Favorite Moment (1:47:44), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:49:42), Dreamiest Player (1:51:03), Favorite Performance (1:51:27), and Next Time (1:53:15).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2012 film "Trouble with the Curve." They introduce the film (1:25), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (9:07). They find Amount of Baseball (17:03) both surprisingly and unsurprisingly disappointing, considering this film. Baseball Accuracy (21:43) kicks off with this film's complete and multi-faceted misunderstanding of the timeline and personpower of the scouting process. Also, you cannot hear what this movie thinks you can hear, and a hitch is a neutral thing. Gentry absolutely does not have five tools. They discuss the screamingly stupid anti-analytics story points, and the baseball terminology word salad. Gus is bad at his job, and besides, could not have scouted Ralph Garr, Dusty Baker, Tom Glavine, Dale Murphy, and Chipper Jones. Trouble with the rotator cuff injury, the scout-to-broadcasting pipeline, and the purported draft-and-trade deal. A brief dive on Jair Jurrjens' pitch mix and the recent no-hitters from Reid Detmers, Wade Miley, Tyler Gilbert, and Spencer Turnbull. Fun fact about Mickey's, and Mickey Mantle's namesake, plus inaccuracies on the high school team. The Storytelling (53:06) is at best, boring and predictable, and at worst, riddled with holes. Ageism versus "early retirement," really?! There are issues with the storyline of Mickey's job as a lawyer, and with character timelines and backstories. Eric has problems with the Rigoberto storyline (Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton, and Randy Johnson aside). Ellen hates the Lame Romantic Subplot. A consideration of parent/child baseball stories. That Bo Gentry is a terrible person has no story payoff, and why do the Grizzlies need to also be awful human beings? The Score Tool (1:23:01) discusses the Marco Beltrami score, plus music by Ray Charles, Gary Clark Jr., the Walkmen, Josh White, and Carey Bell. Acting (1:26:03) considers the performances of Amy Adams, Clint Eastwood, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Matthew Lillard, Chelcie Ross, plus the rest of the ensemble. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:29:23) evaluates a non-zero amount of Rigo's brother and Mickey as catcher. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:30:25) sees our scouts disagree on the plausibility of Johnny announcing the unknown children and the Bernie Carbo homer. In Lack of Misogyny (1:34:28), they allow the structural anti-misogyny and the positive points for troweling misogyny onto the antagonists, but it is offset by problems in the lame romantic subplot. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:39:24), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:41:33), Favorite Moment (1:42:41) Least Favorite Moment (1:44:22), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:47:23), Dreamiest Player (1:50:44), Favorite Performance (1:52:17), and Next Time (1:54:02).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2001 film "61*." They introduce the film (1:10), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (5:51). In Amount of Baseball (14:41), they discuss the use of actual Mark McGwire footage, the strength of this tool throughout, and the impact of the authenticity. There is a player comp. Baseball Accuracy (20:39) starts off with discussion of Billy Crystal as Mantle's friend and "Rain Man" on set, and then delves into the history, talking about Ford Frick, Fay Vincent, and the asterisk itself, Roger Maris and Babe Ruth plate appearances, Maris and Mantle's relationship with the press, Pascual or Ramos, the imbalanced AL/NL in 1961, Babe Ruth breaking Ned Williamson's record, Maris trade rumors, Mantle running to first in three seconds, Joe DiMaggio Jerk-o-meter, Moose Skowron, Elston Howard, Billy Martin escapades, Maris signing an X on a ball, Rogers Hornsby, Casey Stengel and Mantle, the slick nickname, Mantle's arm injury, Hoyt Wilhelm and Tom Candiotti. Storytelling (54:16) considers everything added by the inclusion of the McGwire framing device, the function of Claire Ruth and Pat Maris in the story, the opening day scene, and the handling of exposition. There are a few small instances of Shakespearing. The scouts discuss the nuanced depiction of male friendship, the character of the media, the character of Bob Cerv, and the cinematography and lighting. The Score Tool (1:24:53) discusses the main theme, the volume of the score, and songs by The Ventures, Bobby Darin, and the Shirelles. Why TF is there a Lyle Lovett song? Acting (1:31:20) pretty much worships Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane, Bruce McGill, Michael Nouri, Richard Masur, Peter Jacobson, Seymour Cassel, Chris Bauer, Anthony Michael Hall, Christopher McDonald and Joe Grifasi, plus the rest of the ensemble. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:51:17) considers 17% of Yogi Berra and not enough Elston Howard. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:52:44) revels in both the accuracy and the high delight of the depictions of Phil Rizzuto, with all of his Rizzuto catchphrases and digressions, and Mel Allen trying to reign him in. Ellen has a (Rizzuto-esque?) digression into a comparison with "Eight Men Out." In Lack of Misogyny (1:59:51), they discuss Mantle's womanizing, and how it's tempered with Maris's point of view, consideration of Pat's perspective, and the existence of female fans. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (2:04:31), Six Degrees of Baseball (2:07:28), Favorite Moment (2:08:09) Least Favorite Moment (2:11:04), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (2:12:52), Dreamiest Player (2:15:49), Favorite Performance (2:16:30), and Next Time (2:19:05).

It's another Replay Review episode! Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde are joined by Ashley MacLennan, Darby Robinson and Brett Rutherford of "Who's on Worst" to discuss one of the baseball movie genre's worst offerings: "Ed." That's right. They watched it AGAIN. They intro the movie (1:24), and, after some spirited discussion, review the 20-80 scouting scale (21:53). Then, they receive the three other scouts' grades on the following tools: Amount of Baseball (23:36), Baseball Accuracy (28:57), Storytelling (46:01), Score (1:16:27), Acting (1:23:14), Delightfulness of Catcher (1:30:31), Delightfulness of Announcer (1:35:37) and Lack of Misogyny (1:40:08). In "Who's on Worst" fashion, everyone also picks the player they would want for their team (1:50:05) and shares some final thoughts (1:57:12).