- Mr. Baseball is also the self-applied nickname of Bob Uecker, who appears in the Major League movies.
Mr. Baseball is a 1992 American film that starred Tom Selleck and was directed by Fred Schepisi.
Plot
Jack Elliot is an aging American baseball player put on the trading block by the New York Yankees in favor of a younger player (played by former Chicago White Sox legend Frank Thomas), and there's only one taker: the Nagoya Chunichi Dragons of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.
Right away, the arrogant Elliot clashes with the Japanese culture and he soon alienates his new teammates. He believes the rules and management style of his new skipper, Uchiyama (Ken Takakura) are ludicrous and continues to do things his way, which leads his already dwindling performance to suffer more. His only ally on the team is another American ballplayer, Max "Hammer" Dubois (Dennis Haysbert), but even he's fed up with Jack's attitude and lack of respect for the game and his team.
At the same time, Elliot develops a relationship with the beautiful Hiroko (Aya Takanashi), whom he later finds out is Uchiyama's daughter.
After one too many outbursts, including punching out his interpreter (during a brawl), Elliot is suspended. He later has to swallow his pride and admit his deficiencies. In a rare show of humility, he apologizes to the team, who rally around him and teach him the value of sportsmanship and respect for hard work. Uchiyama lifts his suspension and begins to work with Elliot on improving his play. The reinvigorated Elliot's enthusiasm for team play is contagious and the mediocre Dragons become contenders for the Central League pennant. In the process, he also utilizes a Japanese tradition of being able to tell off Uchiyama while intoxicated to convince him to encourage his players to be more aggressive and "have a little fun".
Eventually, Elliot gets the opportunity to break Uchiyama's record of seven consecutive games with a home run. His new-found respect for team play becomes apparent in a crucial game against the Yomiuri Giants. With the bases loaded, two outs and his team down 6-5, the team brass expects Uchiyama to signal for a bunt to try and tie the game, even though it would deny Elliot the chance to break the home run record. Elliot goes to Uchiyama and asks if he read the sign correctly. Uchiyama nods and tells him to swing away, knowing that a home run would break his record. Elliot takes a called strike one with a questionable call on the first pitch. Elliot fouls the second pitch back. Faced with a no ball, two strike count, Elliot sees the Giants' infield is playing deep and bunts. The Giants are caught off guard and the bunt is successful in allowing the tying run to cross. As the Giants struggle to field the ball, Elliot runs through and knocks over one of the Giants' players, which causes a throwing error and allows the winning run to score from second base.
With the Dragons winning the pennant, Max and Elliot return to Major League Baseball. Max signs a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, ending his five year career in NPB, and Elliot, who is still romantically involved with Hiroko, becomes a coach with the Detroit Tigers.
Trivia
- Tom Selleck is an avid baseball fan and a former minority owner of his hometown team, the Detroit Tigers.
- Mr. Baseball was based on Leron Lee who played for the Lotte Orions from 1977 to 1987. Although discrimination is touched upon in the film, it ignores the racism against African Americans that Lee faced. He was the first foreign player to marry a Japanese woman and retains the highest lifetime batting average amongst both Japanese and American players in Japanese history.
- Jack's arrival in Japan, eschewing the Nippon style of play and poor performance at the plate, echoes former Yankee Joe Pepitone's behavior in 1973.
- The scene where a frustrated Jack Elliot turns his bat upside down in protest of the opposing team not pitching to him was inspired by a real incident involving American ballplayer Daryl Spencer of the Hankyu Braves. In 1965, Spencer was close to becoming the first American player to win the Pacific League home run title. However, as Spencer closed in on the championship, many teams began refusing to pitch to him and walking Spencer became a fad. During a game, he batted with his bat upside down out of frustration.[1]
- Noted Japanese baseball historian Matthew Jacobs was consulted to ensure authenticity of several aspects of the league and style of the game.
- The scene where a brawl breaks out after a pitcher did not tip his cap is directly taken from Warren Cromartie and Robert Whiting's book Slugging it out in Japan.
- Shigesato Itoi included the item "Mr. Baseball Cap" in the Nintendo SNES cult classic: EarthBound. The item is obtained in Ness' clubhouse in Onett from a boy in a red baseball helmet. The hat is Ness' favorite.
References
- ^ Whiting, Robert, The Chrysanthemum and the Bat. Dodd, Mead & Co.: New York, 1977
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