More Baseball Movies for Josh Reddick to Avoid

According to the Boston Herald, former Red Sox outfielder Josh Reddick knew nothing about the Oakland A's when he was traded this offseason.

So what did he do?  He did exactly what every 25-year-old male would do...he turned to movies.  That's right, dude apparently watched "Moneyball" on his flight out West to expand his knowledge.

Was it helpful?

"Not really," the outfielder said. 

Now, not to rain on Reddick's parade, but if he's looking for baseball realism on his laptop when flying cross country, there is better source material than "Moneyball"...six Oscar nominations or not, the movie is littered with errors.

That said, here are some more baseball movies that he might want to avoid and why.

"The Stratton Story" (1949)
In Monte Stratton's 1934 pitching debut versus the New York Yankees, Joe DiMaggio is shown circling the bases in stock footage. Two problems, DiMaggio didn't debut himself until 1936 and Stratton...well, he first took the mound against the Detroit Tigers.

"The Winning Team" (1952)
In "The Winning Team", Grover Cleveland Alexander (played by Ronald Reagan) is shown leading the Phillies to the pennant in 1916.  The correct year was 1915.

"Fear Strikes Out" (1957)
In "Fear Strikes Out", Hall of Famer Joe Cronin was not the manager of the Red Sox when Jimmy Piersall played. Mike "Pinky" Higgins was. Cronin was the General Manager.

"Field of Dreams" (1989)
Not only was "Shoeless" Joe Jackson incorrectly shown as being a right-handed batter, he was also shown as being a left-handed thrower.  In real life, the outfielder batted left and threw right.

"The Babe" (1992)
When Babe Ruth calls his shot at Wrigley Field during the 1932 World Series, you can see the famed ivy on the bleacher walls. Unfortuantely, the ivy wasn't planted until 1937.

"The Rookie" (2002)
Several of the players shown in the movie were not with their respective team at the time Jim Morris made his big league debut.  Most notably...Alex Rodriguez.  The slugger was still hitting home runs in Seattle in September 1999.

Mickey Rourke Blasts "Moneyball"

A few weeks back, on the eve of the Academy Awards, there was news (for some reason) that Lady Gaga was a fan of "Moneyball".

And because this is how random the world we live in is now, Mickey Rourke decided to share his thoughts on the Oscar nominated movie.

This...according to the Thirty Mile Zone:

Rourke was leaving the gym in L.A. yesterday when he joked about using the movie as a torture device..."I'm gonna tie you to a chair and make you watch 'Moneyball' all f*cking night."

Now, until dude can explain why he willingly paid someone to cut his face into a shape that looks like it got beat with a bag of fungoes, I really don't care what Randy "The Ram" Robinson thinks about anything.

So, naturally, I reached out to my buddy Casey Bond (he played pitcher Chad Bradford in the film) to see what he had to say and, wisely, he declined to comment.

Smart man.

Friday 5: Casey Bond

Let's say you're in a movie (we'll call it "Moneyball") nominated for an Academy Award...where do you watch the Oscar telecast if your name isn't Brad Pitt?

I was curious, so I caught up with Casey Bond, the actor that played Chad Bradford in the Oscar-nominated movie, and asked him just that.

HOVG:  Before we get into anything else...where did you watch the Academy Awards Sunday night?

BOND:  I watched the Academys with some friends at a small gathering.

HOVG:  Are you surprised that "Moneyball" got shut out?

BOND:  I was hoping we would step away with something, no doubt. However, there were some great contenders, so it's just a good feeling to be in the mix even though we didn't win.

HOVG:  I'm sure everyone has asked, but what was it like working with Brad Pitt? Did you learn anything from the four-time Oscar nominee?

BOND:  Brad is simply the man. He was so great to work with and just a solid dude. We were together for two months on set and he was very gracious to me. I learned plenty from him...from different acting tips to how to operate on set. He is a great example and I truly enjoyed working alongside him.

HOVG:  Switching gears...I saw your most recent Facebook post that showed you all decked out in full Royal Guard get up (see the picture below). Can you divulge what that was for?

BOND:  Hmmm...well, I can say that it was for a commercial.  And an ice cream commercial at that. I don't want to get into any legalities with spilling the beans on what company it was for unfortunately. I'm hoping you will all find out by watching it on a TV near you soon! I had a blast working on it. It will be a funny one, that’s for certain.

HOVG:  Outside of the commercial that shall not be named...what else do you have cooking?

BOND:  I just booked a lead role in a film and will be shooting it for the full month of March in Florida. But again, that's all I can say about it at the moment.

Before being cast in "Moneyball", Casey Bond was no stranger to baseball. Dude was actually drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2007. You can follow him on Twitter at @CaseyBond, keep tabs on him over at Facebook or, imagine that...check out his personal website.

Also, if you're curious as to what Bond's favorite baseball movies are...here's the answer!

Friday 5 (Oscar Edition): Casey Bond

Tonight's the night, baseball fans.  Soon, we'll know if "Moneyball" will go six-for-six (a even Derek Jeter has never accomplished), or, well...come home with anything at all.

Enter Casey Bond. 

Like Stephen Bishop, who played David Justice in "Moneyball" , Bond also played a former member of the Oakland Athletics in the Oscar nominated film.  Bond played submarine-throwing reliever Chad Bradford. 

I caught up with Bond on the eve of the Academy Awards and asked him how he would rank his all-time favorite baseball movies.

1.  Moneyball  (2011, directed by Bennett Miller)

2.  Bull Durham  (1988, directed by Ron Shelton)

3.  The Sandlot  (1993, directed by David M. Evans)

4.  Field of Dreams  (1989, directed by Phil Alden Robinson)

5.  For Love of the Game  (1999, directed by Sam Raimi)

Casey Bond is no stranger to baseball.  The actor was actually drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2007.  You can follow him on Twitter at @CaseyBond, keep tabs on him over at Facebook or, imagine that...check out his personal website.

Lastly, I'm a big "Bull Durham" guy...but what about you?  What are your favorite baseball movies?

Friday 5: Stephen Bishop

This Sunday, "Moneyball" will either be the first baseball-related movie given the Best Picture Award at the Academy Awards...or the most recent to not deliver.

One of the actors featured prominently in the film is Stephen Bishop.  And while you might not know his name (yet), you definitely are aware of him...dude played David Justice.

I had a chance to catch up with the actor, and while he hasn't shared the big screen with Justice's ex-wife (yet), I was curious if he had some favorite Halle Berry movies.

Here's how he responded.

1.  Boomerang  (1992, directed by Reginald Hudlin)

2.  Losing Isaiah  (1995, directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal)

3.  Swordfish  (2001, directed by Dominic Sena)

4.  Die Another Day  (2002, directed by Lee Tamahori)

5.  Monster's Ball  (2001, directed by Marc Forster)

Stephen Bishop can currently be see in "Safe House" and, on May 18, "Battleship".  You can follow him on Twitter at @stephencbishop.     

Jose Canseco Reviews "Moneyball" and, Naturally, Begs For a Job

When the Academy Award nominations are handed out Tuesday morning, "Moneyball" looks to nominated in a number of categories.

Sure, it was shut out at the Golden Globes, but it does have its fair share of supporters.

Including Jose Canseco...who took to Twitter Sunday night after seeing the film.

Just saw the movie money ball .it was awesome congrats billy I especially loved the part about you and your daughter.ps I would have played for you back then for free.I was one of those misfits who needed a second chance

And in 1997, Canseco was granted that second chance by Oakland.

Prior to the season, Canseco signed with the Athletics for a second tour of duty.  He was the second highest paid player on the team behind Mark McGwire...taking home a cool $4.225 million.

On October 17, Billy Beane took over as Oakland's General Manager.  Two weeks later...Canseco was granted his free agency in what was to be one of Beane's first cost cutting measures. 

So, it's particularly interesting that Canseco is now saying he would have played for free even though Beane had a complete lack of interest in the 1988 American League MVP. 

Enter that classic Canseco desperation.

Billy beane call me would love to dh for you just give me a tryout that's all I ask

Ugh.

I've gotta think there's an easier way for Canseco to get in touch with Beane.  Heck...the two even shared outfield space for the 1989 World Champions.

Friday 5: Nick Digilio

Well, stat nerds...today is the big day.

"Moneyball" hits the big screens.

Even though the reviews around the blogosphere have been mixed, the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer is sitting at 92%, so, who can you believe?

Enter my old friend, WGN radio personality, film critic and baseball fan Nick Digilio.  I caught up with Digilio and asked him what he thought of "Moneyball" and where he would rank it among his all-time favorite baseball movies.

1. The Bad News Bears  (1976, directed by Michael Ritchie)

2. Field of Dreams  (1989, directed by Phil Alden Robinson)

3. Eight Men Out  (1988, directed by John Sayles)

4. Moneyball  (2011, directed by Bennett Miller)

5. Bang the Drum Slowly  (1973, directed by John D. Hancock)

Personally, I'm a big "Bull Durham" guy...but what about you?  What are your favorite baseball movies?

And if you've never listened...you can check out Digilio every weekend on WGN Radio (and online), Friday from 10:00pm until 2:00 am and again on Saturday from 6:00 to 11:00pm.

The "Moneyball" Reviews Are In! Who to Believe?

This past week, critics hit the theaters to see the latest Brad Pitt vehicle.

But this is no ordinary Pitt movie, friends, this is the big screen adaptation of the stats nerds' bible Moneyball...and if the early reviews are any indication, this thing is going to polarize the baseball blogging world.

Most vocal about the movie's quality (or lack thereof) is ESPN.com's senior baseball writer Keith Law.

Says Law:

Moneyball, the movie, is an absolute mess of a film, the type of muddled end product you’d expect from a project that took several years and went through multiple writers and directors. Even good performances by a cast of big names and some clever makeup work couldn’t save this movie, and if I hadn’t been planning to review it, I would have walked out.

Pretty harsh words, really, but then again, I really wouldn't expect anything less from Law.

I can't say that I'm not a fan of the guy, but as a regular listener of the Baseball Today podcast...I can say that I appreciate the times when he isn't on versus the times that he is.

On the other side of the fence is Hardball Talk's Aaron Gleeman...a fan of the Michael Lewis-penned tome.  Dude even considers it "some of the best, most important baseball writing of all time".

I came into the movie with low expectations and was bothered by some of the poetic license taken in telling a tale I’m very familiar with, but the underdog story is compelling, the individual performances are mostly very good, the Aaron Sorkin-penned dialogue is funny and charming, and “Moneyball” is absolutely worth seeing.

So why is he agreeing with the critics (the movie is currently at 83% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer) and not Law?

Is it overall objectivity?

Or is it that Gleeman, while also a baseball fan and writer, isn't as close to the subject matter as Law, who was interviewed for the book?

Either way, I don't think "Moneyball" was put together to get Law's approval or the approval of his scout buddies that he so adamantly defends.

"They are set up as dim-witted bowling pins for Beane and Brand to knock down with their spreadsheets," Law writes. "It’s cheap writing, and unfair to the real people being depicted".

This move was made to get asses in the seats.

The filmmakers want to fill the theatres with movie goers who have casual knowledge of the sport.  People who will stare blankly at the screen for two-plus hours and, on the way out, give it a simple "thumbs up" or "thumbs down".

This thing was not made for the sabermetrics zealots.

And besides, if you've ever had an argument with the SABR crowd, you know that making a simple "up" or "down" decision doesn't come that easily. Most are long, drawn out diatribes that make getting hit in the head with a Randy Johnson heater a welcome option.

My favorite quote about the film comes from Slant Magazine's Joseph Jon Lanthier who wrote that the movie is "about as concerned with baseball management as Sports Night was with sports broadcasting".

And, honestly, that's how I think we, baseball fans, need to go to into this thing.

Your First Look at "Moneyball"

Time to come clean, troops...I only read books written by my friends and I haven't watched "Entertainment Tonight" since John Tesh was in the anchor chair.

So, until Michael Lewis hits me up on Facebook or the "ET" producers honor the thousands of pro-Tesh emails I've written...I'm left with "reading" my books on the big screen and watching "the most watched entertainment newsmagazine in the world" on the internet.

Thank you anonymous internet user for posting the trailer for "Moneyball" over on YouTube. And thank you Hollywood for finally realizing that Scott Hatteberg is worthy of being captured on the big screen.

And hey, Mark Steines...I realize you might be from Dubuque, but only an idiot would try and wrestle "Field of Dreams" from the fine folks in Dyersville, Iowa.