“The Sandlot” is baseball’s best movie

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Matthew Shaugabay, Reporter

I believe that “The Sandlot” is the greatest baseball movie because it’s known for its classic humor and reminds others how sports like baseball can bring people together and create lifelong friendships. 

According to IMDb.com, there have been 102 movies made that are centered around the game of baseball. As with any movie genre, there are debates about which baseball movie is the greatest of them all.

Although movies like “Major League,” “Field of Dreams,” “A League of Their Own,” “Moneyball,”  and “42” are often brought up in debates about which baseball movie is the best. In my opinion, “The Sandlot” is the best baseball movie.

“The Sandlot” is set in California during the summer of 1962 and is based around the story of a young boy named Scott Smalls, referred to as Smalls, who moves to the suburbs in Los Angeles, California with his family. 

Smalls is the new kid on the block and has trouble making friends in his new neighborhood. He stumbles upon a group of boys around his age who all play baseball at a hidden park they call The Sandlot. After having a hard time fitting in at first, the group of boys take Smalls under their wing and all bond together through baseball. 

“Sandlot is the best baseball movie of all time because of the brotherhood portrayed in the film. I believe the team culture displayed is very relatable and realistic to what actually occurs between players,” said former University of Tampa baseball player Luke Benoit. 

I also believe the bond and the culture portrayed between the kids in the movie is very realistic to a team environment in real life. At the end of the day, any baseball team is just a group of kids getting together and doing what they love. 

“The Sandlot” also contains elements of whole-hearted, family comedy throughout the movie. 

An article on Common Sense Media agreed and said, “The Sandlot is a lighthearted baseball comedy that tweens will love.” 

Some baseball movies like “Bad News Bears” and “The Benchwarmers” include more adult humor throughout the movie that may not be appropriate for all children, even though they are funny. 

“I’d say Sandlot is much more old school than more recent movies like ‘Benchwarmers.’ The old humor and adventures throughout the movie are appealing to all generations. It’s a classic family film,” Benoit said. 

The biggest reason that “The Sandlot” is the best baseball movie of all time is because it shows how sports can create lifelong friendships for kids. 

The Common Sense Media article also said, “Friendship plays a strong role and comes off in a very positive light.” 

Characters in the movie, such as Smalls and Benny, are introduced at around 13 years old and by the end of the movie they are shown as adults still maintaining their friendship. 

Overall, I think that baseball movie lovers could debate forever about which baseball movie is the best ever. There will never be one clear winner, but I will forever believe “The Sandlot” is the best because of the lighthearted, family humor and the friendship that develops between the characters.