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Would it Be Natural for a League of Their Own to Play on a Field of Dreams?

Industry Trends and Research

Baseball season is in full swing (get it?) – in fact, this week, the 90th Major League Baseball All-Star game was played. But a reader has asked for some help in identifying the best movie about the national pastime – and we heard from a record number of NAPA-Net readers!

Speaking of the All-Star game, 40% of this week’s respondents planned to watch, 34% had no plans to do so, 18% weren’t sure as to their plans, and the rest said that it might be “on,” but they wouldn’t be watching. Among the respondents, 42% were pulling for the American League (and thus, should be happy this week), 36% were rooting for the National League (and are probably telling themselves the game doesn’t really mean much), and the rest – were anxious for the beginning of football season! 

All-Star Comments 

Speaking of which, we had a number of reader comments on baseball, and the All-Star game:

Better than the NBA All-Star game, but that isn’t saying much!

Get rid of the Home Run Derby. Why take a group of guys who can hit a 100 mph fastball 500 feet, and see what happens when the pitch comes in like it was thrown by a fourth grader? It’s a silly, high-injury-risk, money-grabbing mockery for non-baseball fans.

Still America’s pastime. Always fun to go to a game and still love watching a game on TV or listening on the radio.

As for the All-Star Game, I will likely watch part of it. I continue to believe that basing home field advantage in the World Series on an exhibition game is the single most ridiculous decision MLB has ever made. It makes as much sense as basing it on aggregate league spring training records. The argument that they can’t base it on the respective teams’ regular season records rings exceedingly hollow.

Baseball is timeless in so many ways. It doesn’t get much better than a beautiful summer evening.

Football is the national past time, not baseball.

Love the game... but Tigers stink. And make it faster....

Love to watch in person, not so much on TV except in a sports bar when nothing else is on! It’s a long season, especially into the fall when college football starts. But, if a good team is in the hunt, then it’s better to watch. Not much of a NL fan but follow AL more.

I love softball more than baseball. My daughter plays D1 BIG10 softball and the Women's college world series has more viewers than baseball - just saying! :-)

Baseball is the best sport due to its combination of action, strategy & relative simplicity.

In baseball and in life, I can’t help rooting for the underdog. And I hate the designated hitter rule and agree with Crash Davis that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent over-rated crap.

I love the game. Mostly the game on 90 ft bases. The under-12-year-old game on the small field is a different game.

Life is like baseball: win some, lose some, and gotta play all the innings.

Baseball is life!!!!

We'll probably see at least some of the all-star game and related events before the Tigers get back to losing. My son is especially interested in the home-run derby. We just enjoyed visiting the Reds’ ballpark last week, and it was nice to see the team we were rooting for actually win! (Though the last time I checked the Reds were last in their division (and when we attended defeated the first in their division Brewers), they were a heck of a lot closer to first than the Tigers.) I don't know how long this “rebuilding” takes, but it’s taking too long...

Diehard Tribe Fan. “Major League” was not fiction. :-)

‘Moving’ Pictures?

And speaking of Major League, as for those movies, nearly every respondent (97%) had seen “A League of Their Own,” and nearly as many (92%) had checked out “Field of Dreams” with “The Natural” (86%), “Bull Durham” (82%) and “The Bad News Bears” (81%) not far behind.

Not only that, but NAPA-Net readers have seen these classics more than once; 86% had seen “Field of Dreams” more than once, as had:

65% - A League of Their Own

63% - Major League

58% - Bull Durham 

52% - The Natural

50% - The Sandlot

Reader 'Reviews'

We also got a number of comments about those movies. Here’s a sampling:

I am ashamed of the low number of those baseball movies I’ve seen. How did I get to be this age and have seen so few? Baseball was my life as a kid. Oh, well. I'm an NFL guy now. I can't even tell you who the baseball players are anymore, not even the major stars. The thrill is gone. Perhaps my innocence is, too.

Major League is hands down the best baseball movie. It’s not nostalgic like some of the other classics that most people vote for, but it's fairly realistic and funny as hell. I could quote that movie, and often do, all day long. The 2nd one isn't bad but not as good as the original. The 3rd one? Yeah, that never happened.

Seen Major League at least 10 times, and it always makes me laugh!

A League of Their Own is the favorite because I watch it with my daughters. It’s best when you share with your loved ones. But now I have 2 grandsons, let’s see what happens. Baseball season is too long.

I first saw Major League in the TV-edited version on USA. When I saw the unedited version, I was quite surprised. 

There are sooo many good baseball movies. But I’m from heaven, I mean Iowa, so Field of Dreams always wins. Also, as far as baseball movies NOT to watch, the Sandlot 2 is at the top of the list. They should have left well-enough alone.

Everyone should watch The Sandlot, just a great wholesome movie. When you watch it more than once, it's hilarious some of the things the kids do and say... love it!

Rookie of the Year has to be the best baseball movie – the Cubbies win the World Series!

Top 10

In fact, when it came to favorites the top 10 were:

The Rookie

The Pride of the Yankees

Trouble with the Curve

Major League

The Sandlot

The Natural

Moneyball

Bull Durham

A League of Their Own 

But the movie readers rated the best baseball movie was: Field of Dreams. Apparently if you “build” it, they do come.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this week’s NAPA-Net Reader Poll!

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