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 | baseball | baseball movie | doctor | locker room | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Except for once, Martinella gets Henry's last name wrong. He calls him the following: Rulingfurter, Gardenhoser, Raviboozer, Rosinbagger, Runnamucker, Rowengartner, Rulengruder.

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Goofs

When he catches the ball in the stands and then throws it straight to home plate at the beginning of the movie the umpire calls the runner safe. There is no reason for the umpire to call the runner safe since it was a home run.

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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 The Cinema Snob Movie (2012)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

This movie is clearly made only for children living in the 90s.

Not people who ONCE were children in the 90s, but actual children living in the actual 90s. I was one of those kids, & I used to LOVE this movie; unfortunately, that love stayed back with that decade. This has the worst tendencies of a sports film: emotionally over-the-top, cheap plot mechanics, & an obnoxiously predictable story. Still, Candy is great, the humor has more than a few good moments, & Busey proves that he can be normal.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 July 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rookie of the Year

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,122,714, 11 July 1993

Gross USA:

$53,615,089

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$56,500,758

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1