Jim Morris never made it out of the minor leagues before a shoulder injury ended his pitching career twelve years ago. Now a married-with-children high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach in Texas, Jim's team makes a deal with him: if they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major-league organization. The bet proves incentive enough for the team, and they go from worst to first, making it to state for the first time in the history of the school. Jim, forced to live up to his end of the deal, is nearly laughed off the try-out field--until he gets onto the mound, where he confounds the scouts (and himself) by clocking successive 98 mph fastballs, good enough for a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Jim's still got a lot of pitches to throw before he makes it to The Show, but with his big-league dreams revived, there's no telling where he could go.
Directed by John Lee Hancock
sports
parent child relationship
baseball
life's dream
growing up
Rank
#109 in 2002·#5941 overall
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.3 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
Dennis Quaid
Jimmy Morris
Rachel Griffiths
Lorri Morris
Jay Hernandez
Joaquin 'Wack' Campos
Beth Grant
Olline
Angus T. Jones
Hunter Morris
Brian Cox
Jim Morris Sr.
Rick Gonzalez
Rudy Bonilla
Chad Lindberg
Joe David West
Royce D. Applegate
Henry
Russell Richardson
Brooks
Raynor Scheine
Frank
Chris Sheffield
Catcher
Crew
John Lee Hancock
Director
Mike Rich
Writer
Carter Burwell
Original Music Composer
John Schwartzman
Director of Photography
Gordon Gray
Producer
Mark Johnson
Producer
Ronna Kress
Casting
Popular Reviews
113 reviews
Tom Knoll
5.0★ · 02/02/26
Great ending, first 1.5hrs of the movie was realllllly slow
Great ending, first 1.5hrs of the movie was realllllly slow
Thomas Rogers
8.0★ · 01/15/26
The fact that this is a true story is further proof that baseball is the best sport of all time without a doubt
The fact that this is a true story is further proof that baseball is the best sport of all time without a doubt
Bronnie2k
6.0★ · 11/09/25
That scene where he throws the ball past the speed indicator on the road echoes in the recesses of my mind
That scene where he throws the ball past the speed indicator on the road echoes in the recesses of my mind
L
6.0★ · 09/06/25
Bro been gooning all those years that’s why he still got it
Bro been gooning all those years that’s why he still got it
Connor JordanPRO
7.0★ · 04/11/25
Even for a movie about a rookie being too old, Dennis Quaid is too old
Even for a movie about a rookie being too old, Dennis Quaid is too old