Skunkyrate Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Peereddi I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Kinley This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

SnoopyStyle California Angels scout Virgil Sweet (Edward James Olmos) goes down a mine shaft to try out a pitcher. He travels all over looking for the next phenom. His girlfriend Bobbie (Lorraine Bracco) also works for the team. New owner Gil Lawrence is going to fire every scout in the field. While Virgil is on the road with Bobbie, his car breaks down and they encounter Sammy Bodeen pitching in a dusty town. Sammy's parents allow him to go with Virgil to L.A. His mother asks Virgil to look out for him. Sammy impresses with his 102 mph fastball and Lawrence rushes him to start for the promotional opportunity.Edward James Olmos has such a stand up persona that when he starts to lose his way, it's actually quite disconcerting. Of course, it's Olmos and he cannot be anything but a stand up guy. He and Bracco have a fun older chemistry. On the other hand, Jeff Corbett is not much of an actor or at least not in this movie. It's his theatrical debut. Maybe he was an athlete-turned-actor. The big baseball game is a bit hokey. The whole movie is a bit hokey but that is sometimes baseball.

NoTalentHack What stood out for me was the first half of the film, which has collected a number of apocryphal baseball scouting stories (read "Prophet of the Sandlots" and "Dollar Sign on the Muscle" where some of them appear in print). Edward James Olmos is quietly effective as veteran scout Virgil Sweet, traveling across the country evaluating prospects in an assortment of the usual and unusual places. But the story becomes formulaic as Sweet finds the Holy Grail of scouting: a heretofore unknown pitcher with all the tools to become a superstar in the big leagues. Although Sweet is employed by the Anaheim Angels, the ending is all Hollywood. While not in the pantheon of great baseball movies, it is an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes.

raycatch9 Do not understand baseball. This is a gem. Yes the scenario where Sammy is exploited by the major lague team owner is a bit hokey - but.....don't let that ruin the great job that this movie does of capturing the feel of minor league baseball and the struggle, even the most talented have, to make it to the big leagues and succeed. And the longing of Virgil to catch a major league pitcher is conveyed perfectly by Edward James Almos - anyone who has the longing to play baseball but not quite enough talent will get the lump in their throat. Much the same as another flawed but good baseball movie - the Rookie.

walter_gibson I'd switched on the TV because I couldn't sleep, and a film had just started. It was around 1am, and they don't usually show this kind of feel good movie around that time, so the film was very welcome. I'd never seen James Edward Olmos in a film before this one, or I didn't remember him because I must have seen him in Bladerunner. So I didn't realise that he was such a decent actor. He's got such a common face, like a farmer, so this charismatic performance was surprising. Anyway, it was a cute little film, and it is worth watching if you've got nothing better to do.