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Little Big League

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Little Big League
Little Big League theatrical poster
Directed byAndrew Scheinman
Bill Pohlad
Written byGregory K. Pincus
Produced bySteven Nicolaides
Andrew Bergman
Mike Lobell
StarringLuke Edwards
Timothy Busfield
John Ashton
Ashley Crow
Kevin Dunn
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing
Showtime Networks
Release dates
July 1, 1994
Running time
119 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Little Big League  is a 1994 film about an 11-year-old (later turns 12) who suddenly becomes the owner and then manager of the Minnesota Twins baseball team.

Plot

The start of the film explains about the life of Billy Heywood (Luke Edwards), a preteen son to a widowed single mom, Jenny (Ashley Crow). He and his two friends, Chuck and Joey, play on the same Little League Baseball team. Billy's grandfather is Thomas Heywood (Jason Robards, Jr.), owner of the Minnesota Twins. They are a last-place team (the real-life Twins finished second in the American League West in 1992 and were World Series champs the year before the year principal photography was shot, but finished poorly and began an eight-year slump in the spring of 1993), but Billy and his grandfather absolutely love each other, the Twins, and the game of baseball. When Thomas dies, it is revealed that he wanted Billy to inherit the franchise and specified that if Billy was still a minor, Thomas' aides would help him along until Billy was old enough to run the team himself.

Eventually, after firing current manager George O'Farrell (Dennis Farina) (because Billy thought O'Farrell was too hard on the players) he decides to name himself the new manager after one of his friends points out, "It's the American League! They have the DH! How hard can it be?" The players are very skeptical of Billy as manager, but Billy promises that if he does not improve the team's standings within a few weeks, he'll resign as manager. But the team improves considerably and move up to division race contention. Unfortunately, not all is going smoothly for Billy, as his friend and star first baseman Lou Collins (Timothy Busfield) takes a romantic interest in Billy's mother. Billy picks up bad habits on the road, is ejected from a game (and later given a one game "suspension" by his mother) for swearing at an umpire, and must release his personal favorite Twins player, Jerry Johnson (Duane Davis), who is "past his prime". He ends up making Jerry feel worse about it when Billy immaturely tries to illustrate his own distress by pointing out he has his baseball card. Furthermore, Billy's friends do not like how Billy's managerial responsiblites are keeping him away from being with them--even when he's there. Lou goes into a slump and the jealous Billy benches him, sending the Twins into a losing skid. Billy later tells his mom that he's tired of being a "grown-up" and decides to quit as manager after the end of the season.

At the climax, they are set to play the final game of the season, against Ken Griffey, Jr. and the Seattle Mariners, with the American League Wild Card playoff spot on the line. Eventually, with two outs in the bottom of the twelfth inning, losing by a run with a man on base, Lou tells Billy he asked his mom to marry him. He says she replied to ask Billy. Billy says if he hits a homer, he will. But then he changes his mind, and lets him marry Jenny anyway. The film strays from the traditional sports movie formula by having the Twins lose the big game thanks to Griffey taking away Lou's home run by way of a spectacular catch. After the game, Billy offically tells the players he is stepping down as manager, and that pitching coach Mac Macnally (John Ashton) will become the new manager as well as bringing back Jerry as the new hitting coach. He then reassures the players that he will still be the owner, and says that he might come back as manager if junior high doesn't work out. But not before he gets a standing ovation from everyone in Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

Cast

Trivia

  • Arthur Goslin's surname is a reference to legendary Washington Senators player Goose Goslin (the Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961 to become the Twins).
  • The trick play Bowers (Jonathan Silverman) executes towards Griffey in the final game is difficult to achieve legally. Though his feet aren't visible, it shows him 'coming set' to deliver a pitch, and faking a throw to first base (where Griffey is standing as the base runner). Baseball rules state a throw must be made to first base during a pickoff move or the throw is a balk. If Bowers' foot was not on the pitching rubber, the play is ostensibly legal. Furthermore, it is also a balk to "come set" while off the pitching rubber. However, base runners tend not take their lead off of first base until the pitcher places his foot on the rubber. A right-handed pitcher, moreover, must break with the rubber (remove his back [right] leg) before throwing to first. It is feasible that Bowers 'came set,' then, in one motion, took his back leg off the rubber, and made the throw. Experienced runners will be off the base once the pitcher is in the 'set position,' then dive back at any motion of the back leg. When runners dive back to first, they normally face the outfield (to avoid getting hit with the baseball in the face). Thus, it can be argued that, although legal, Griffey would have seen the ball sailing down the right field line. However, the play was used successfully in real life in the 1982 College World Series by Miami against Wichita State.
  • In the final game against Seattle, Micky Scales homerun goes over the left field wall that also includes a glass fence. But, when Lou Collins hits the ball that Ken Griffey, Jr. robs in left center, the glass fence is no longer visible.
  • Historical baseball players referenced include Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, Fred Lindstrom, Jackie Robinson, Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson, and Roger Clemens.
  • Little Big League is given an oblique reference in the 1998 film Major League: Back to the Minors, which also features the Twins. A #4 Lou Collins Twins jersey hangs framed in the owner's suite at the Metrodome.
  • Baseball ruled in the 1950s that managers having a financial stake in the team they manage was a conflict of interest, and after Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner named himself manager in May 1977, the rule was reiterated and Turner compelled to step down.
  • The starting pitcher of the playoff game is named as Bill Wegman who was in fact a right handed pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. When the unnamed actor pitches for the Twins he is pitching left handed.
  • Before becoming an actor, Scott Patterson (Mike McGrevey) played on the minor league affiliates of the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and Texas Rangers.
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