I thought Dwight's wicked curve was an april fools joke in itself. How could anyone hit that thing?

I can tell it's already starting. I wore my Yankee hat to pick up some take out last night and I already started hearing shit (which of course I gave back in due measure) about Sunday night. Despite all the scandals, baseball seems to be getting better and better (at least for me!)

Looking forward to Sunday.

I don't know how to feel about my ol' pal Wells. I was with my Dad at the Stadium for the perfect game against the Twins, so he'll always have a soft spot in my heart, but I can't say I'll be totally thrilled if the Yankees fans give him a warm ovation on Sunday. I know he was great for the Yanks -- but I can't get that Game Five in the 2003 World Series outing out of my head.

I'll be watching Sunday night's game from home, but I'll be keenly interested in the fan's response to Wells. I'd like to say I would cheer him were I there in person -- but I don't know.

Richard Linkletter is remaking the movie and will star Billy Bob Thorton. I'm suspicious but both of those guys are decent so it could still be good, dirty fun.

Yeah, I don't think that filmmakers have ever been able to capture the game on the field in any kind of realistic or interesting way. It's always about the clubhouse. I think it's too bad because baseball is an interesting game visually. But basketball and football are more suited to the highlight-mentality of most filmmakers. It's just plain boring to most baseball fans to watch slow motion home runs and strike outs. But the worst sin is that movie makers haven't been able to convey the sense of space that exists on a baseball field. Not to mention the speed, danger and pyschology of the pitcher-batter confrontation.

You'd either the ultimate insider along with perhaps the ultimate outside to be able to make a baseball movie truly interesting. But these movies don't make money. And unless Jim Jarmush--who is a big baseball fan--decides to make one, the independent/art house film community isn't dying to make the dream baseball flick.

There was another baseball movie - I have to think of the name - that had a lot of real players in it for the game footage. I want to say that Phil Lombardi was it in - and maybe Rudy Law? It could have been "Talent for the Game"? Let me check on that.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0103036/fullcredits

Bobby Tolan .... 'Angel' Baseball Player
Derrel Thomas .... 'Angel' Baseball Player
Lenny Randle .... 'Angel' Baseball Player
Barry Moss .... 'Angel' Baseball Player
Frank Mendoza .... 'Angel' Baseball Player
John E. Coleman .... 'Angel' Baseball Player
Danny Davidsmeier .... 'Angel' Baseball Player
Sean Collins .... Baseball Player
Todd Cruz .... Baseball Player
John D'Aquisto .... Baseball Player
Damon Farmar .... Baseball Player
Charles Fick .... Baseball Player
Victor Hithe .... Baseball Player
Lee Lacy .... Baseball Player
Rudy Law .... Baseball Player
Phil Lombardi .... Baseball Player
Steve Ontiveros .... Baseball Player
Tony Tarasco .... Baseball Player
Dejon Watson .... Baseball Player

Now, come to think of it, For Love of the Game had some too, IIRC. I think Ricky Ledee was in that one.

Of course, there is the new Farrelly brothers movie with the Red Sox. But you can count on me skipping that one. I'm not a fan of their movies--though "Kingpin" was entertaining--and Jimmy Fallon is about as cute and boring as they come.

"The Bad Lt." Ah yes, vintage Mad Dog Russo on the soundtrack. You know, I've been meaning to go back and see that again just for the Russo stuff. Grim movie, but the betting on the Mets stuff was good.

Speaking of the Bad News Bears movies, when I was a kid, they rarely, if ever, showed the original on free TV (too difficult to bleep all of Tanner's lines, I guess), so I grew up seeing The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, like, three dozen times. As an adult, I can see everything that's wrong with it -- for starters, why on earth would you actually let the Bears get good? -- but as a kid I thought it was awesome.

"Let them play! Let them play! Let them play!"

That's OK. Let it hit tsunami levels. The higher the head, the louder the eventual thud.

Ps. What about Major League as well?

Besides that, it's just a bad movie:
http://espn.go.com/page2/movies/s/halloran/020826.html

The guy who really should have been cast in a baseball movie when he was younger was Kurt Russell, who was a minor league player.

I didn't really care for *61 but the two leads were cast very well, especially Maris. I know Allen Barra loves that movie though. If you look in Salon.com's archives I'm sure you could find his review.