Take Me In To The Ballgame

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1987 baseball film "Long Gone." They introduce the film (1:10), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (7:10). Amount of Baseball (11:43) praises the substance and variety of the baseball scenes, with their good emphasis on defense and attention to detail. Baseball Accuracy (21:13) bemoans the lack of acknowledgement for Cecil Cantrell as the Shohei Ohtani player manager of the Alabama-Florida league. Other things about the Class D Alabama-Florida league are correct, except the existence of the Dothan Cardinals in 1957, and the Browns spring training in 1946. Do pitchers ever become catchers? A historic dive into Smoky Joe Wood, Bob Feller, and the possibility of Stud Cantrell and Stan Musial coming up together. There are both mathematical and factual problems with the number of games that the Class D League played, and Brown's RBI total (w/r/t Hack Wilson record). Joe Lewis Brown resonances with Joe Lewis, Jackie Robinson, and Jack Johnson. This movie has appropriate disdain for the intentional walk, but falls victim to a common baseball film error. A rare corresponding roster move doesn't quite pan out. Storytelling (57:55) comments on the skillful exposition and braiding of human and baseball storytelling, along with growth for the major characters, and the classical comedy double wedding ending. Did the Cardinals sign off on this? Delicacy of dealing with racial issues in a comedy. What do they have on Stud? Why wreck the car? Plus other unanswered questions. The Score Tool (1:26:36) suffers from the problem of an 80s score in a movie about the 50s. Eric dives in on Hank Williams' "Long Gone," and the hymns in the film. Acting (1:35:07) discusses the performances of Virginia Madsen, William Petersen, Larry Riley, Dermot Mulroney, Henry Gibson, Teller, Robert Easton, Edward Blatchford, and Ronn Allen. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:45:53) assesses the superb Joe Lewis Brown, played by Larry Riley. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:47:14) is non-zero. Lack of Misogyny (1:48:25) considers the misogyny displayed in the actions and words of Stud Cantrell, and, to a lesser extent, Jamie, as balanced with their growth. Some examination of the film's attitude towards Dixie, and her Boxxstory/backstory. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:59:04), Six Degrees of Baseball (2:04:00), Favorite Moment (2:05:41) Least Favorite Moment (2:07:14), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (2:10:08), Dreamiest Player (2:11:39), Favorite Performance (2:12:32), and Next Time (2:14:50). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1958 baseball movie musical, "Damn Yankees." They introduce the film (1:10), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (6:57). Quick promos for "Cryptid" and the podcast "Sometimes it Rains" (13:47). Amount of Baseball (16:09) is helped by early baseball and a good montage, but there's not a ton here. Baseball Accuracy (23:15) kicks off with some debate on the central premise and impact on score, umpire razzing, and Joe's inconsistent baseball opinions. Does Shoeless Joe Jackson exist in the world of this film? Some Kansas City baseball timeline problems, the six months out of every year fallacy, and goulash vs. Willie Mays. They dive in on Carlos Paula, Angel Scull, Joe Black,the integration of the Washington Senators, and a brief racial history anecdote with the Twins. A Washington Senators overview and look at pennant-less droughts throughout baseball history. How often do you need to hit a homer to save a losing ball club, w/r/t the 1957 Senators pitching rotation. Accuracy in the song "Heart," plus newspaper accuracy. Storytelling (1:01:21) dives in on the confusing terms of the deal with the devil, and who Joe Hardy actually is. "Who's Got the Pain?" These scouts, I guess. They also discuss Joe Hardy's HOF case, games missed in the storytelling, problems with singing a song and writing a letter simultaneously, and songs removed and added from the Broadway version. How old is Lola? How superb is Gwen Verdon in "Whatever Lola Wants"? They wrap up with "Two Lost Souls," Sister Miller's name, the costume design, Mr. Applegate's particular scope of power, and the flatness of the cinematography. The Score Tool (1:42:20) considers the tunes and scoring of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Acting (1:44:00) discusses chiefly the performances of Tab Hunter, Gwen Verdon, Ray Walston and Jean Stapleton, with some discussion of the ensemble and the impact of the cast carrying over from the Broadway run. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:50:19) assesses the character of Smokey, played by Nathaniel Frey. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:53:42) sees a short debate on its existence. Lack of Misogyny (1:55:34) considers wives singing about their husbands' obsessions with baseball as they wait around to be noticed, undermining Sister Miller's baseball fandom, and 1001 issues with "Goodbye Old Girl" and "Empty Chair." There are Misogyny issues with Gloria and Applegate, too. Marie Antoinette injustice. They wrap up with the missing songs' impact on this tool, and Joe and Meg's reunion. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (2:17:20), Six Degrees of Baseball (2:22:00), Favorite Moment (2:24:26) Least Favorite Moment (2:26:20), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (2:28:22), Dreamiest Player (2:30:27), Favorite Performance (2:31:10), and Next Time (2:33:06). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2002 family film, "Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch," and all of its ramifications, grading it on the 20-80 scouting scale. This is Ellen's favorite episode that Ellen + Eric ever did. They introduce the film (1:05), with an overview of the story, cast, and director. If you're just joining, a review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (7:09). Then, they grade "Air Bud" on Amount of Baseball (16:25), Baseball Accuracy (24:19), Storytelling (55:22), Score (1:43:16); Acting (1:49:28); Delightfulness of Catcher Character (1:54:28), Delightfulness of Announcer (1:56:29), and Lack of Misogyny (2:02:56). No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (2:12:03), Six Degrees of Baseball (2:15:05), Favorite Moment (2:15:45), Least Favorite Moment (2:18:57), Scene You’d Like To See (2:20:12), Dreamiest Player (2:24:03), Favorite Performance (2:25:41) and Next Time (2:28:32). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Ben Lindbergh discuss "Charlie Brown's All Stars," grading it on the 20-80 scouting scale. Ellen welcomes Ben, who discusses his lifelong love of "Peanuts" and getting to meet creator Charles M. Schulz! They introduce and summarize the cartoon (8:31) and review the 20-80 scouting scale (11:45) before hearing about Ben's fictional scouting director and real-life experience with the Sonoma Stompers (12:51). With Amount of Baseball (15:35), Ben favorably considers that there is more baseball in this 25 minute cartoon than hockey in six episodes of "Heated Rivalry," and discusses the "Effectively Wild" tradition of dubbing films "baseball movies." Ellen finds this cartoon does the little things right. In Baseball Accuracy (19:31), they discuss the lack of an opposing team and float competing theories, whether it is magical realism charged by Charlie Brown's emotional life, or perhaps baseball ghosts. They also discuss the very long hang time for the ball in the initial sequence, and the implications for Charlie Brown's range. Ellen dives deep into the stats Linus provides, considering them on an imagined per-game basis. They discuss clutch-ness and the power of belief at various levels. In Storytelling (38:20), they discuss various non sequiturs, editing oddities, and the interlude to Snoopy's imaginative plane. They also examine the depiction of various different kinds of baseball fans, and the lack of hustle on Charlie Brown's team, and some inconsistencies in character point of view. An intermission with Ben Lindbergh features his answers to the Nine Things (56:20) , including his choice three baseball players and three baseball moments--no spoilers! Our intrepid scouts return with the Score Tool (1:28:20), enjoying the music provided by the Vince Guaraldi Sextet. In Acting (1:31:40), they discuss the quality of the distinctive charm of the performances, which as a whole are truly creative of a style rather than interpretive of life. Particular shout-out to Peter Robbins as Charlie Brown, Christopher Shea's liquid l's, Sally Dryer's pronunciation of "uniform," and Director Bill Melendez as decades of Snoopy and Woodstock. In the Delightfulness of Catcher Character (1:38:22) the scouts parse a fondness for Schroeder with his excellence as a lovable team leader or helpfulness to his pitcher. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:43:21) offers no announcer, but some discussion of the possible existence of an official scorer. Lack of Misogyny (1:44:26) balances Charlie Brown standing up to a misogynist league policy with the blame for the all-gender ridicule of Charlie Brown landing solely at the girls' feet. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:50:49), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:56:01), Favorite Moment (1:58:11), Least Favorite Moment (2:00:31), Scene That We'd Like to See (2:05:34), and Dreamiest Player and Favorite Performance (2:12:06). Find Ben on Effectively Wild, Hang Up and Listen, Button Mash, and the new Plot Hole or Not Hole on YouTube. The (evergreen) Ella Black episodes of Effectively Wild are 2309-2311. Find Ellen on @ellenadair.bsky.social and @ellenadairg on IG. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1985 film, “The Slugger’s Wife.,” written by Neil Simon and directed by Hal Ashby. It’s a doozy of an episode that once again sends our hosts to their mental and emotional limits. The magical timestamps are as follows: 1:24 – Intro; 6:41 – Review of 20/80 Scouting Scale; 14:00 – Amount of Baseball; 20:10 – Baseball Accuracy; 47:31 – Storytelling; 1:26:58 – Score; 1:33:22 – Acting; 1:38:19 – Delightfulness of Catcher Character; 1:39:11 – Delightfulness of Announcer; 1:40:18 – Lack of Misogyny; 1:50:06 – Yes/No; 1:52:36 – Six Degrees of Baseball; 1:53:10 – Favorite Moment; 1:54:18 – Least Favorite Moment; 1:55:32 – Scene You’d Like to See; 1:57:53 – Dreamiest; 1:58:21 – Favorite Performance; 2:01:06 – Next Time. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1992 film "Mr. Baseball." They introduce the film (1:07), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (5:31). Amount of Baseball (14:02) has a good variety, and they contrast the unnecessary Yankee stadium with the real Japanese baseball stadiums, plus the Frank Thomas appearance and a player comp. Baseball Accuracy (19:52) is strong, although the MLB and NPB do not trade, and you shouldn't bring your top hand over. A dive into the shuuto pitch (Yu Darvish, Aaron Nola, Shohei Ohtani) and Ricky Davis's debut (Frank Thomas, JP Arencibia). There are timeline issues with MLB/NPB seasons and the Dodgers series, there are problems with Doc the Agent, the nightmare as a hitter's nightmare, and some poor scouting practices. But there are fun references to the hotfoot tradition (Roger McDowell?) and John Kruk. A brief history of the Chunichi Dragons franchise and their most famous player Michio Nishizawa, plus Larry Doby, Don Newcombe and Matt Stairs. NPB home run records include discussion of Sadaharu Oh, Randy Bass, Tuffy Rhodes, Alex Cabrera and Wladimir Balentien. Cultural differences between Japanese baseball and American baseball, including facial hair (Bob Horner, Eric Thames), the "Gaijin strikezone," extra innings, and the cap-tipping tradition (Osamu Higashio, Dick Davis). Also the Brett Myers/Kyle Kendrick prank, Don Mattingly comparisons, and Tom Selleck's athleticism. Storytelling (50:30) discusses how a formula is good for reversals but bad for long scenes, the bunting trope in baseball movies, the film's cultural in/sensitivities, Cleveland/Nagoya comparisons, the bath scene, and problems with the Lame Romantic Subplot. The Score Tool (1:15:37) discusses this 1992 timepiece from Jerry Goldsmith, which slightly divides our scouts. Acting (1:19:18) considers the performances of Tom Selleck, Ken Takakura, Toshi Shioya, Aya Takanashi, and the baseball team ensemble. Neither Delightfulness of Catcher (1:26:08) or Delightfulness of Announcer (1:27:18) offer much. In Lack of Misogyny (1:27:56), they consider the believability of the Lame Romantic Subplot, Hiroko's own issues, and the repairing of the father/daughter relationship. But why does Hiroko like Jack? No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:40:23), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:44:12), Favorite Moment (1:45:26) Least Favorite Moment (1:47:44), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:49:42), Dreamiest Player (1:51:03), Favorite Performance (1:51:27), and Next Time (1:53:15). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2001 film "61*." They introduce the film (1:10), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (5:51). In Amount of Baseball (14:41), they discuss the use of actual Mark McGwire footage, the strength of this tool throughout, and the impact of the authenticity. There is a player comp. Baseball Accuracy (20:39) starts off with discussion of Billy Crystal as Mantle's friend and "Rain Man" on set, and then delves into the history, talking about Ford Frick, Fay Vincent, and the asterisk itself, Roger Maris and Babe Ruth plate appearances, Maris and Mantle's relationship with the press, Pascual or Ramos, the imbalanced AL/NL in 1961, Babe Ruth breaking Ned Williamson's record, Maris trade rumors, Mantle running to first in three seconds, Joe DiMaggio Jerk-o-meter, Moose Skowron, Elston Howard, Billy Martin escapades, Maris signing an X on a ball, Rogers Hornsby, Casey Stengel and Mantle, the slick nickname, Mantle's arm injury, Hoyt Wilhelm and Tom Candiotti. Storytelling (54:16) considers everything added by the inclusion of the McGwire framing device, the function of Claire Ruth and Pat Maris in the story, the opening day scene, and the handling of exposition. There are a few small instances of Shakespearing. The scouts discuss the nuanced depiction of male friendship, the character of the media, the character of Bob Cerv, and the cinematography and lighting. The Score Tool (1:24:53) discusses the main theme, the volume of the score, and songs by The Ventures, Bobby Darin, and the Shirelles. Why TF is there a Lyle Lovett song? Acting (1:31:20) pretty much worships Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane, Bruce McGill, Michael Nouri, Richard Masur, Peter Jacobson, Seymour Cassel, Chris Bauer, Anthony Michael Hall, Christopher McDonald and Joe Grifasi, plus the rest of the ensemble. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:51:17) considers 17% of Yogi Berra and not enough Elston Howard. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:52:44) revels in both the accuracy and the high delight of the depictions of Phil Rizzuto, with all of his Rizzuto catchphrases and digressions, and Mel Allen trying to reign him in. Ellen has a (Rizzuto-esque?) digression into a comparison with "Eight Men Out." In Lack of Misogyny (1:59:51), they discuss Mantle's womanizing, and how it's tempered with Maris's point of view, consideration of Pat's perspective, and the existence of female fans. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (2:04:31), Six Degrees of Baseball (2:07:28), Favorite Moment (2:08:09) Least Favorite Moment (2:11:04), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (2:12:52), Dreamiest Player (2:15:49), Favorite Performance (2:16:30), and Next Time (2:19:05). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s another Replay Review episode! Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde are joined by Ashley MacLennan, Darby Robinson and Brett Rutherford of “Who’s on Worst” to discuss one of the baseball movie genre’s worst offerings: “Ed.” That’s right. They watched it AGAIN. They intro the movie (1:24), and, after some spirited discussion, review the 20-80 scouting scale (21:53). Then, they receive the three other scouts’ grades on the following tools: Amount of Baseball (23:36), Baseball Accuracy (28:57), Storytelling (46:01), Score (1:16:27), Acting (1:23:14), Delightfulness of Catcher (1:30:31), Delightfulness of Announcer (1:35:37) and Lack of Misogyny (1:40:08). In “Who’s on Worst” fashion, everyone also picks the player they would want for their team (1:50:05) and shares some final thoughts (1:57:12). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2001 movie "Hardball," starring Keanu Reeves. They introduce the film (1:34), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (8:14). In Amount of Baseball (17:50), the scouts initially disagree, but slightly convince each other. Ellen has two potential player comps. Baseball Accuracy (25:26) compares this Little League play to other films, with just a couple of editorial / geographical issues. Ellen defends Frank Thomas's honor and digs in on Sammy Sosa's consecutive homers, and records by Ken Griffey Jr, Don Mattingly, and Kevin Mench. That is not Wrigley. Those are not NBA games. Luis Garcia's dance step is considered. Storytelling (39:23) is a real challenge, when the entire inveterate gambler storyline does not work. Plus, white savior problems, a very confusing moral, and a complete lack of necessary exposition. There are so many unanswered questions. How does he earn their trust? Why does G-Baby have to die? Eulogy issues, uniform issues. At long last, the Score Tool (1:24:13) is only a partial respite, with some small problems of its own. They consider some of the soundtrack songs, including "Ghetto," "Hardball," "Big Poppa," "Where the Party At," and R. Kelly. Acting (1:30:21) considers the ceiling and floor of a slightly mis-cast Keanu Reeves. Diane Lane was trying, John Hawkes had an impossible task, D.B. Sweeney deserves better. Young actors Michael B. Jordan, Bryan Hearne, Julian Griffith, and DeWayne Warren almost save the movie. Neither Delightfulness of Catcher (1:39:26) or Delightfulness of Announcer (1:40:27) offer much. In Lack of Misogyny (1:41:00), they discuss the insipidity of the lame romantic subplot. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:45:06), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:48:56), Favorite Moment (1:50:43) Least Favorite Moment (1:53:00), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:54:54), Dreamiest Player (1:56:50), Favorite Performance (1:57:09), and Next Time (2:00:32). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde revisit the world of Major League with its direct-to-video second sequel, Major League: Back to the Minors! 2:09 – Intro; 7:47 – Review of 20/80 Scouting Scale; 15:36 – Amount of Baseball; 18:59 – Baseball Accuracy; 53:08 – Storytelling; 1:19:00 – Score; 1:24:01 – Acting; 1:31:40 – Delightfulness of Catcher; 1:33:37 – Delightfulness of Announcer; 1:38:51 – Lack of Misogyny; 1:42:19 – Yes or No; 1:46:18 – Six Degrees of Baseball; 1:47:21 – Favorite Moment; 1:48:26 – Least Favorite Moment; 1:51:25 – Scene You’d Like To See; 1:55:33 – Dreamiest Player; 1:55:56 – Favorite Performance; 1:58:22 – Next Time. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Take Me In to the Ballgame, Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the iconic Simpsons episode, “Homer at the Bat.” 1:27 – Intro; 6:30 – Review of 20/80 Scouting Scale; 13:23 – Amount of Softball; 17:16 – Softball Accuracy; 49:04 – Storytelling; 1:06:16 – Score; 1:09:32 – Acting; 1:13:50 – Delightfulness of Catcher; 1:17:52 – Delightfulness of Announcer; 1:20:08 – Lack of Misogyny; 1:25:15 – A bonus segment???; 1:32:44 – Yes or No!; 1:38:01 – Six Degrees of Baseball; 1:39:41 – Favorite Moment; 1:41:36 – Least Favorite Moment; 1:43:06 – Scene You’d Like to See; 1:44:32 – Dreamiest Player; 1:45:13 – Favorite Performance; 1:46:35 – Next Time. Enjoy, rate and review, please! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Eric Gilde and Ellen Adair discuss the 1985 comedy, “Brewster’s Millions,” starring Richard Pryor and John Candy. Introduction to the film (1:28); Review of the 20/80 Scouting Scale (7:10); Amount of Baseball (17:04); Baseball Accuracy (23:29); Storytelling (41:29) Score (1:16:03); Acting (1:20:49); Delightfulness of Catcher Character (1:27:02); Delightfulness of Announcer (1:32:26); Lack of Misogyny (1:35:19); Yes or No (1:41:44); Six Degrees of Baseball (1:45:15); Favorite Moment (1:46:52); Least Favorite Moment (1:48:35); Scene We’d Like to See (1:49:56); Dreamiest Player (1:52:05); Favorite Performance (1:52:54); Next Time (1:54:29). We hope you enjoy! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1952 Grover Cleveland Alexander biopic, "The Winning Team." They introduce the film (1:36), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (7:00). Amount of Baseball (11:53) reveals a new take on this tool from Eric. Ellen has a player comp. Neither scout can refrain from getting into Baseball Accuracy in this category, but when it finally does come around, Baseball Accuracy (17:35) is a doozy. They discuss Alexander's Hall of Fame plaque, his nicknames (Alex, Pete, Dode, and later "Down and Away Alexander") Bill Killefer and David Ross comps, Galesburg team accuracy, old timey team names, and geography issues. How long was Alexander knocked out? When was he sold to the Phillies? Unsurprisingly, Ellen looks at how bad the Phillies usually were in the first half of the 20th century. They also discuss Eddie Plank, Eddie Collins, Rogers Hornsby, Alexander in WWI, his drinking, tragic Christy Mathewson inaccuracy, and the complete mess of the timeline of Alexander's career, as depicted. Oh, and the relationship with Aimee is a complete fabrication. Some accuracy issues with the 1926 World Series, and the famed Lazzeri at bat. Storytelling (53:47) essentially considers the following question: is this the worst thing that these scouts have ever seen? Ellen has some theories about some of the reasons it's bad, which only serve to make it worse. Score (1:16:51) is a relief, by comparison. Acting (1:17:14) considers various insufferable and unbelievable moments from Ronald Reagan, Doris Day, Gordon Jones, and others. How did Ronald Reagan become President? In Delightfulness of Catcher (1:26:32), Bill Killefer and James Millican do fine. Brief mention of catcher archetypes in "Game of Thrones." Delightfulness of Announcer (1:31:31) discusses whether the World Series announcer was a secret producer of the film, how many times he blinks, and why these scouts are obsessed. In Lack of Misogyny (1:37:17), they discuss some early Aimee story points and the general pre-feminism of the film. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:43:11), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:47:17), Favorite Moment (1:47:46) Least Favorite Moment (1:49:28), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:50:27), Dreamiest Player (1:51:48), Favorite Performance (1:52:13), and Next Time (1:54:30). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2002 Disney film "The Rookie." They introduce the film (2:02), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (5:07). Amount of Baseball (13:02) revels in this embarrassment of riches, and the excellence of the District Championship Game. Baseball Accuracy (20:35) cites Jim Morris's own opinion of the film's accuracy, and his relationship to his father, along with the radar sign scene, and the St. Rita story. There are oil rig gameplay questions. Did he try out in jeans? Did his dad get the baseball? Steve Cox erasure and some other accuracies with Jim Morris's MLB debut, Royce Clayton's foul ball, Morris pitching "for two seasons," and his tryout in the rain. The scouts also discuss his teammates Jose Canseco, Wade Boggs, and Kevin Stocker, the 1999 Devil Rays. The casting of the RuffNecks is hilarious, including the batter Carlton Fisk-ing the ball in the wrong direction. Randy Quaid's pitching motion, plus smart use of his pitching double Jeff Dowdy. Eric fact-checks Texas distances, and there is an Ellen Adair Breakdown on pitchers hitting 98 MPH in 1999 and today (h/t Nick Pollack). Can Ellen name more than five who threw more than 98 MPH in 99? Storytelling (49:34) dissects the interesting film structure created by its central bargain, the function of the nuns, and the Disney veneer balanced with excellent editing and cinematography. Ellen appreciates attention being paid to the football/baseball disparity, and both laud the excellent storytelling with the early scene with the father. But where is the middle child for the first hour of the film? They discuss the first minor league game sequence, the child's questions about the Devil Rays, and the relief pitcher as hero (w/r/t Seranthony Dominguez, JoJo Romero and Ranger Suarez). Brief St. Patrick's Day Accuracy. Score (1:11:22) addresses Carter Burwell's use of flute and John Bissell's music supervision, including Guy Clark's "Stuff That Works," Willie Nelson's "Nothing I Can Do About It Now," Elvis Presley's "Run On," and House of Pain's "Jump Around." Acting (1:17:14) discusses the performances of Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, Brian Cox, Angus T. Jones and Blue Deckert. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:21:24) praises the perfect catcher behavior of Owls catcher Joel de la Garza, along with great acting by Angelo Spizzirri. The catcher at the try-out and at Jim Morris's debut also do not disappoint. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:24:56) considers the benefits of the announcer being a character in the rest of the film, and the great performance by David Blackwell. Good storytelling with the Orlando Rays announcer. Lack of Misogyny (1:27:32) considers the strength of Lori the character versus her story function, and some disappointment on the gendered role of the children and the impetus for Lori's reversal. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:33:01), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:38:59), Favorite Moment (1:40:58) Least Favorite Moment (1:42:08), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:44:30), Dreamiest Player (1:46:44), Favorite Performance (1:47:42), and Next Time (1:49:03). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Brennan Brown talked so much during their review of EEPHUS (the episode before this one) that some of their baseball-related chatter had to be cut out. But now it's an episode of its own! They talk about Ellen's fundamentalist hatred of the Yankees and Brennan's crush on Bryce Harper. In "Nine Innings with Brennan Brown," Brennan talks about riding motorcycles, playing drums, and his upcoming Netflix series, THE BEAST IN ME, opposite Claire Danes, Jonathan Banks (and other heroes). In innings 4-9, Brennan gives many Yankees-related answers -- no spoilers here -- which Ellen forbears. They conclude by talking about the origins of Brennan's Yankees fandom, and issues with the Phillies, Yankees, and their chances this year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Brennan Brown talk about the brand-new instant-classic baseball film EEPHUS. Ellen introduces Brennan (0:40), and then the film (3:50) overviewing its festival appearances, the director Carson Lund, and some of the cast. They summarize the film (10:40) and review the 20-80 scouting scale (13:25) and talk about the scouting director to whom Brennan will be reporting Eephus's grades (14:30). They begin with Amount of Baseball (18:50), discussing this film's tool-defining wealth of baseball in numerous ways. Baseball Accuracy (26:37) delves into the baseball ability as depicted, and some of the questionable ball/strike calls that end the game. Ellen brings up an apparent What Inning Is It discrepancy that is not what it seems, and Graham as the MIA third base coach. They discuss Franny's paraphrasing of the baseball quotes in the film from Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Branch Rickey, Rickey Henderson and Yogi Berra. Ellen, scarred from REVERSE THE CURSE, has some trauma around the amount of Yankee content in a Massachusetts-based movie, which gets the scouts into a heated conversation. They talk about the definition and history of the eephus pitch, discussing Rip Sewell, Maurice van Robays, Ted Williams, Fernando Abad, Luis Tiant, Yu Darvish, Steve Hamilton, Phil Niekro, Dave LaRoche, Carlos Zambrano, Vicente Padilla, Satchel Paige, Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Zack Greinke, Brock Holt, and, of course, Bill Lee. A small sidebar on position players pitching, and a longer dive into some delightful Easter eggs with Bill Lee's appearance, and some of the magic realism of his existence. In Storytelling (1:03:45), our scouts discuss the tradition of slow cinema and how that applies to EEPHUS. They marvel at the way information is skillfully planted for the audience to put together, and appreciate the even-handedness of the depictions of the teams, if with some disagreements about the way the audience's empathy is guided. The fact that no one else besides the men involved care much about the game feels important, as does the fall setting, and this season as a thematic character. They discuss the film's relationship of comedy to tragedy. Brennan brings up GOODBYE DRAGON INN, and thinking about transcendental filmmaking leads to a conversation about being present, acting, baseball, time, mortality, and the spiritual exercise of play. The metaphor of the fireworks is explored. The Score Tool (1:51:26) discusses Carson Lund's percussive score and the use of radio as background scoring. In Acting (1:56:56) they discuss the performances of Russell J. Gannon, Cliff Blake, Keith William Richards, David Torres Jr., Ray Hryb, Peter Minkarah, David Pridemore, Theodore Bouloukos, Ethan Ward, Patrick Garrigan, Conner Marx, Brendan Burt, and the commendable evenness of tone across the whole ensemble. Delightfulness of Catcher Character (2:09:28) discusses the performances of John R. Smith, Jr, as John and Chris Goodwin as Garrett. Brennan is vulnerable with a personal trial that mirrors a moment in the film. Delightfulness of Announcer (2:22:23) considers the presences of Frederick Wiseman and Joe Castiglione. Lack of Misogyny (2:26:00) addresses Bobby's light moment of misogyny, balancing the film's intent with lack of full female characters. They also discuss the film's view of male friendship and male loneliness. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (2:36:26) Six Degrees of Baseball (2:40:49) Favorite Moment (2:41:10) Least Favorite Moment (2:45:50) Scene We'd Like to See (2:46:01) Dreamiest Player (2:48:20) Favorite Performance (2:49:40). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the baseball portions of "Twilight." They introduce the film (1:49), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (6:01). Amount of Baseball (10:35) opens with a true conundrum: what is the amount of baseball in the baseball portion of "Twilight"? Do we consider the "first Mariners game" and spring training? Baseball Accuracy (15:30) considers the viability of a four-vampire baseball team and a three-vampire baseball team, with the varying degree of problems that arise. Discussion of vampires' familiarity with John Fogarty's "Centerfield," seventh-wheel vampires, and the Mike Fiers of vampires (?). Ellen has issues with the lack of analytical positioning, and Eric queries the notion of thunder from an aluminum bat. Is Alice tipping her pitches? A brief history of baseball gloves (w/r/t Charlie Waitt, Albert Goodwill Spalding, Bill Doak, Rawlings). Some baserunning headscratchers with Carlisle. There is no spring training in Jacksonville (h/t Meg Rowley), but there ARE spring training/regular season timeline issues in this film. Storytelling (40:11) digs in on the substance of the vampire feud, Ellen's annoyance with the notion of the Cullens as "vegetarians," and Eric's annoyance with the sparkliness. Are they good at baseball? Would putting Bella's hair down really help mask her human scent? Some discussion of the directorial style and costume choices. Score (55:39) addresses the use of Radiohead, the Black Ghosts, Muse, and the squealing guitars. Acting (1:00:03) discusses the performances of Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, and Edi Gathegi, with shout-outs to Anna Kendrick and Gil Birmingham. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:04:57) weighs the Moment of Utmost Delight, Elizabeth Reaser's line deliveries, and the matriarch as catcher, while Delightfulness of Announcer (1:07:28) doesn't offer so much. Lack of Misogyny (1:08:01) considers the strength of female players, the film's upgrade over the book, with only a brief foray into the misogyny of the whole premise. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:14:20), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:19:52), Favorite Moment (1:22:01) Least Favorite Moment (1:23:50), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:26:37), Dreamiest Player (1:28:12), Favorite Performance (1:29:41), Review Thank You (1:30:41) and Next Time (1:32:39). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1940 Warner Brothers cartoon, "Porky's Baseball Broadcast." They introduce the cartoon (1:23), with an overview of the script, the cast, and creators, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the cartoon (5:10). (Again, the lawyers advise that this is a cartoon, and nothing in this podcast can be used to relitage Posnanski v. Sepinwall.) Amount of Baseball (11:10) once again relies on this being a ratio and not counting stat for a seven-minute cartoon, some which even feels padded for time. Baseball Accuracy (15:00) digs in on the truly most confusing question in this cartoon: which, and how many, teams are even playing in this World Series, with the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs and Giants all being candidates. The colorization doesn't help. The two-headed pitcher has a flaw in his/their plan, plus do they use a Pat Venditte glove? Some discussion of the 1940 World Series, including Willard Hershberger, Ernie Lombardi and Jimmy Wilson, along with the Carl Hubbell reference. Storytelling (36:45) grapples with the unsatisfying nature of the baseball play as a story, and discusses the many simple jokes. The scouts debate the pros and cons of the "round dog looking for his seat" storyline. Eric reveals the recycled material from "Boulevardier from the Bronx," and they discuss the screamingly problematic section of the cartoon. Score (50:27) addresses Carl W. Stalling's handiwork, including the tick method and musical references. In Acting (53:19), they discuss whether or not Mel Blanc is responsible for all of the voice acting, and if that impacts the score. Delightfulness of Catcher (55:18) presents our scouts with a conundrum, given the derivation of the turtle catcher. The rabbit catcher is unquestionably adorable. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:00:49) weighs the notion that the eponymous Porky Pig is the star of the show. Are the double-entendres part of his delightfulness, or just the cartoon? Lack of Misogyny (1:04:29) had the scouts scouring the background of every single frame, and coming up disappointed. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:07:32), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:13:18), Favorite Moment (1:13:57) Least Favorite Moment (1:14:53), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:18:01), Dreamiest Player (1:20:09), Favorite Performance (1:22:52) and Next Time (1:22:52). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1992 Babe Ruth biopic, "The Babe." They introduce the film (1:36), with an overview of the script, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (4:05). Amount of Baseball (10:01) is surprisingly baffling for a relatively objective tool, but our scouts try to parse the true amount given the unsatisfying, nothing-but-dingers nature of the gameplay. There is a sad player comp. Baseball Accuracy (15:00) dives in on this film's Babe Ruth pitcher erasure, including striking out Ty Cobb, and inaccuracies with Ruth's first career game and his performance in the 1916 World Series. His time with the Orioles and Jack Dunn also elided, with some unfortunate consequences including the creation of his nickname. Some examination of very young George as a rapscallion, his home life, and his time at St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, plus Brother Matthias accuracy. Did Babe Ruth ever come late to a game drunk? There are many, many timeline problems, particularly with Claire and Helen. Ellen plays a game of What Year Is It. Discussion of Joe Dugan, Dorothy, Ruth punching an umpire, Ernie Shore's "combined" no-hitter, Eddie Bennett, Harry Frazee's sale of Ruth, the Called Shot, the Johnny Sylvester story, the feud with Lou Gehrig, and Ruth's "milk." Ruth's relationship with Miller Huggins, and his desire to become a manager himself, including anecdotes with Frank Navin and Connie Mack, are examined. WTF is up with the depiction of Ruth's athleticism, (including his purported use of a courtesy runner)? The final game has as many problems as the rest of the film. Storytelling (1:04:02) highlights this film's main problems: the classic biopic problem of trying to tell the entire life story, timeline jumbles, and the depiction of Ruth as a dumb man-child. Yankee Stadium propaganda. Ellen has a list of Unanswerable Questions. Score (1:20:10) envisions the scenario in which consummate professional Elmer Bernstein was asked to compose the music for this film. Acting (1:23:13) discusses this disappointing John Goodman performance, backed by a whole lot of It's Fine. Ellen uplifts one Trini Alvarado moment. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:29:00) had so many good catcher names and Ruth's own catcher feats as possible fodder, but nothing is made of them. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:30:31) considers the culpability of the announcers for the inaccuracies. Lack of Misogyny (1:33:40) has much to contend with given Ruth's biographical philandering, but somehow this movie makes it so, so much worse. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:40:39), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:44:42), Favorite Moment (1:45:22) Least Favorite Moment (1:46:45), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:47:47), Dreamiest Player (1:49:50), Favorite Performance (1:50:28) and Next Time (1:51:36). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2005 film "Game 6," about the 1986 World Series. They introduce the film (2:01), with an overview of this Don DeLillo script, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (8:35). Amount of Baseball (14:25) considers the dilution of watching someone watch baseball, and reviews the game six events pictured, including the Dwight Evans RBI, Roger Clemens being lifted from the game and the Greenwell pinch hit, Lee Mazilli scoring to tie, Dave Henderson's homer, Wade Boggs scoring on Marty Barrett's hit, and the tenth inning implosion. Sad player comp. Baseball Accuracy (17:40) considers the references to Bob Ojeda and Daryl Strawberry, the quality of Mets vs. Red Sox losses, a brief Red Sox postseason rundown, the 1949 Red Sox, the 1946 Series vs. the Cardinals featuring Enos Slaughter's mad dash and Johnny Pesky's late throw. Why is there a Red Sox broadcast talking about Roger Clemens in a New York cab? Storytelling (31:08) delves in on the Screenplay by a Novelist issues, and some tone and style disconnect. What's up with the character of Lone Eagle? What is the function of so many taxi rides? They also discuss how the film plays post-2004, DeLillo's understanding of work shifts, scheduling, and existence in a capitalist society, Nick Rogan's arc, and theatrical accuracy. Score (1:08:82) debates how much Yo La Tengo's mystical non-sports-movie score helps tell this story. Acting (1:13:10) praises the ensemble as a whole, with discussion of Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr. and Griffin Dunne, with a shout-out to some legendary actors in smaller roles, such as Arnie Burton, Nadia Dajani, Roger Rees, Harris Yulin, and Bobby Steggert. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:21:39) weighs what we receive from Rich Gedman and Gary Carter, while Delightfulness of Announcer (1:22:47) comes down to an Amount of Vin Scully debate. Lack of Misogyny (1:25:19) balances Nicky and Stephen's treatment of women with the very large number of female characters, who are not all simply defined by the men in the film. Some discussion of repeating "alla puttanesca." No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:31:00), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:35:11), Favorite Moment (1:36:21) Least Favorite Moment (1:39:14), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:40:40), Dreamiest Player (1:42:41), Favorite Performance (1:43:28) and Next Time (1:45:21). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.