Rookie of the Year (1993)

When an accident miraculously gives a boy an incredibly powerful pitching arm, he becomes a major league pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.

Director:

Daniel Stern

Writer:

Sam Harper

Stars:

Thomas Ian Nicholas, Gary Busey, Albert Hall

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Thomas Ian Nicholas	...	Henry Rowengartner
Gary Busey	...	Chet Steadman
Albert Hall	...	Martinella
Amy Morton	...	Mary Rowengartner
Dan Hedaya	...	Larry 'Fish' Fisher
Bruce Altman	...	Jack Bradfield
Eddie Bracken	...	Bob Carson
Robert Hy Gorman	...	Clark (as Robert Gorman)
Patrick LaBrecque	...	George
Daniel Stern	...	Brickma
Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine	...	Becky
Kristie Davis	...	Tiffany
Tyler Ann Carroll	...	Edith
Tom Milanovich	...	Heddo
Ross Lehman	...	Dr. Kersten

Storyline

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. While money hungry Jack pulls strings behind the scenes to ...

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Plot Keywords:

child protagonist | doctor | locker room | baseball | pitcher | 

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Taglines:

A kid with an impossible dream. All he needed was a lucky break!

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 July 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Az év újonca

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$53,579,269

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

23 years after the film's release, the Chicago Cubs would go on to win the 2016 World Series in seven games against the Cleveland Indians, coming back from a 3-1 series deficit to win the series 4-3 (including a 8-7 win in 10 innings in Game 7 at Progressive Field in Cleveland). It marked the Cubs' first World Series championship 108 years. Thomas Ian Nicholas celebrated the win on Twitter by posting the final shot from the film, showing Henry holding up his Cubs World Series ring to the camera.

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Goofs

In the final game, everyone is saying that this is the Cubs last inning to keep their 2-1 lead over the Mets. While this is true, the home team always has the bottom of the inning; had Heddo hit the home run and the next batter got out, it would've been the bottom of the ninth, not the end of the game.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Cliff Murdoch - Announcer: Opening Day at Wrigley, and oh what a sight! The diamond, the decorations, and the dread of yet another losing season.

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Crazy Credits

The actual major leaguers that strike out in the film (from 58:25 to 58:37) are listed under "Three Big Whiffers"

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Connections

Referenced in My 600-lb Life: Brandi and Kandi's Story (2017)

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Soundtracks

You Got the Right One Baby, Uh Huh
Performed by Ray Charles
Courtesy of Pepsi Cola

User Reviews

Bringing the fun back to baseball

This movie asks the question: "What if pro baseball was fun again, like in little league, and not so taken so seriously?" The device of Henry's miraculous arm allows the story to inject a kid's eye view into a somewhat cynical world. Juxtaposing the sleazy Dan Hedaya's attempted $25 million trade of Henry to the Yankees with the Henry and his buddies taking a day trip on a boat, as well as Henry's adolescent antics on the field, director Daniel Stern is trying to get us to look at baseball, and maybe sports, maybe life, like we did when we were ten.

I think Roger Ebert, although I agree with his review, took pretty poor notes while reviewing this film. From his article: "When the cast comes off, his dad takes him to Wrigley Field, and he catches a home run ball while he's out in the bleachers, and then he throws it back - all the way to the catcher behind the plate." Actually, he went with his friends, he doesn't even know his dad. And he didn't catch it, his friends pick it up from nearby, and hand it to him because they're scared to throw it on TV and embarrass themselves. Doesn't he have a fact-checker to proof his reviews?

Second, he writes: "Henry becomes an overnight celebrity, and is signed to the Cubs by the team's genial owner." This ignores the desperation of Dan Hedaya, the would-be owner of the team, who sees the publicity and marketing windfall in having a kid on the team. The sell-out crowd is an important story element, as it reinforces the idea that we are all hungry for baseball to be fun again.

There's are lots of laughs to be had in this film, although Stern seems to want to indulge in over-the-top hysterics from time to time, such as with the character he was playing. Also, the bilious "Jack" who gets Henry's mom to sign a contract without telling her it's a trade to NY, is downright spastic in his final scene. Stern shows a lot of promise as a comedy director if he could tone it down just a touch with the tangential characters. Understatement can be funny, as Busey shows with a few choice glares at the right moments. I loved Stern's allusion to the Wizard of Oz, likening the Emerald City gates to the Wrigley stadium gates, when Henry first arrives to play.

The Cubs haven't won a Series since 1909. "And a little child shall lead them..." Every kid should see this movie.