Editor’s note: In the spirit of holiday movie-watching, we asked NESN.com readers to vote for their favorite sports film of all time. The debate was fierce, but the votes spoke for themselves. Coming in at No. 9 on NESN.com’s No. 10 sports movie of all time: “Major League.”
Why it’s a top-10 sports movie: Hands down one of the funniest sports movies ever, “Major League” introduced viewers to some of the most memorable and colorful characters the genre has ever seen. Proof of its staying power: You’d be hard-pressed to find a baseball broadcast or “SportsCenter” episode that doesn’t drop at least one reference to Ricky Vaughn, Willie Mays Hayes or the rest of the silver-screen Cleveland Indians.
Biggest star: Charlie Sheen as Indians pitcher Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn, a flame-throwing, glasses-wearing bad boy who honed his craft in the California Penal League.
Marquee moment: It’s tough to pick only one, but Bob Uecker’s legendary “Juuuuust a bit outside” call remains one of the most-quoted sports movie lines of all time, even 25 years after the film’s release.
Did you know? Pedro Cerrano’s home run in the final game wasn’t movie magic. Actor Dennis Haysbert, later of “24” and Allstate commercial fame, actually hit the pitch in question out of Milwaukee County Stadium, the former Brewers home where much of the movie was filmed.
Check back Wednesday for NESN.com’s No. 8 sports movie
Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Major League
