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:

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:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chet "Rocket" Steadman is based on popular Major League Baseball player Roger Clemens, whose nickname is Rocket.

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Goofs

Many indications of being filmed in October, not in the summer.

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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

Special thanks are given to "The people of Chicago who never give up"

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Michael Jackson's This Is It/The House of the Devil/Gentlemen Broncos (2009)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Another good "kid-in-the-big-leagues" movie

For some reason, I get a kick out of movies like "Rookie of the Year." I guess the fact that so many young boys, myself included, fantasize about playing professional sports contributes to the popularity of this genre. I think Daniel Stern did a good job directing this movie because he doesn't ever let it become too kiddy and childish. Sure there are a lot of funny moments, but they can be funny to adults as well as children. The setting of this movie cannot be beat: Wrigley Field. It doesn't get any better than that. "Rookie of the Year" is a fun movie to watch with the family.