Funky Buttloving! I am hoping that there wasn’t some weird uptick of young kids breaking their shoulders in 1993 when this movie came out. I mean the appeal of breaking your shoulder and getting the ability to throw a baseball at ungodly speed and accuracy seems cool and all until you realize it’s a movie and you are drafted by the Chicago Cubs. They haven’t won a World Series in forever, so hold out for the Yankee’s contract. Don’t let that crushing reality stop you from enjoying a bit of escapism in the form of a young kid getting mentored by his pitching idol, who happens to be Gary Busey.
12-year-old Henry Rowengartner, whose late father was a minor league baseball player, grew up dreaming of playing baseball, despite his physical shortcomings. Although he’s close to his mother Mary, Henry hates Mary’s latest boyfriend, Jack Bradfield. After Henry’s arm is broken while trying to catch a baseball at school, the tendon in that arm heals too tightly, allowing Henry to throw pitches that are as fast as 103 mph. Henry is spotted at nearby Wrigley Field by Larry “Fish” Fisher, the general manager of the struggling Chicago Cubs, after Henry throws an opponent’s home-run ball all the way from the outfield bleachers back to the catcher, and it seems that Henry may be the pitcher that team owner Bob Carson has been praying for. At first, Cubs manager Sal Martinella doesn’t like Henry being on the team, but despite the rawness of his talent, Henry revives everyone’s team spirit and reignites the enthusiasm of the fans. (source)
I am still a fan of Rookie of the Year, mainly cause I used to watch this and Little Big League like all the damn time when it came out on home video. Rookie of the Year appealed to a lot of us youth baseball league players, dreaming that one day we too might make it to the big leagues via a terrible accident that somehow defies medical explanation by the tightening of tendons that turn our arm into a living cannon. Sure it is dumb fun, but there was still this tinge of jealousy that we couldn’t achieve our goal of pitching super fast.
Rookie of the Year, from a film standpoint, was a lot more entertaining than I give it credit for. Daniel Stern, who directed the film, turns in a funny performance as Phil Brickma, hamming it up as the movie went along. You get a pretty tame performance from Busey who isn’t going off the meds with Native American spirituality or whatever goes on in his head since that motorcycle accident. Gary plays Chet Steadman (really…Chet?) the grizzled veteran pitcher who is upstaged by some young punk, but comes to the father figure he needs in the Major Leagues. What is even more impressive is that Dan Hedaya, John Candy (RIP), and Albert Hall all turn up in this movie. Pretty sweet cast of character actors if you don’t mind me saying.
While a family film, it was enjoyable watching the comedy unfold in more situational and kid-centric jokes. From the old school sandlot tactics to win the big game, to the kids just living the dream of being a pro ball player. It gave us chumps that wish fulfillment of seeing ourselves pitching in the big leagues. That is of course if you weren’t like a catcher or something. Now that I think about it, this movie is really only meant for kids who were pitchers, which in that case fuck this movie for not being about some jack of all trades baseball player. Still, regardless of that notion, Rookie of the Year brought some laughs, was fun to watch and really just a good,family film that starred the kid who would grow up to be in those American Pie movies. Not the pie fucker or jock one or even the milf hunter one. You know, the one that was the friend to all of them and not the Stifler guy. Anyone remember him? Whatever.
