by G.K. Dickey

Created on: August 12, 2009   Last Updated: September 16, 2009

"Pride of the Yankees" is perhaps the most inspirational baseball story detailing the wonderful career of Lou Gerhig, his heartbreaking love affair with his wife, Eleanor. Walter Brennan played a great role in this movie about Mr. Gerhig, "The Iron Man" until he came afflicted by a neurological disease that forced his retirement in 1939.

He will always be remembered for his heart-wrenching farewell speech in Yankee Stadium when he said, "Some people say I've had a bad break, but I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

Gary Cooper won a best actor award for his portrayal of Mr. Gerhig, the first baseman for the Yankees in the 1920s and 1930s. Cooper, a righthander, studied under Lefty O'Doul for the role as Gerhig, a lefthander. Aside from Ty Cobb and Pete Rose, and players to be named later, Lou Gerhig must be considered the toughest gentlemen in the history of the game of baseball, and the movie "The Pride of the Yankees ' gave him his just due.

"Field of Dreams," starring Kevin Costner, must rate among a healthy bunch of great baseball movies simply because this story embodies the history and spirit of what the game is all about. This story, filmed in 1989, brought forth the dark side of the scandal of the "black sox" but the hopes and wonders of a special sport.

Costner (Ray Kinsella) creates a ballfield out of a cornfield in Iowa and somehow the likes of "Shoeless Joe Jackson" emerges to play a game out of history, maybe to redeem himself. "If you build it, they will come" and they did, ballplayers from the past and a whole field-full of fans.

"Angels in the Outfield", starring Mr. Mean Guy manager Guffy McGovern, played by Paul Douglas,who got religion when an angel decided to help him be nice. This particular story is good because it takes a newspaper reporter, Jennifer Paige in the movie who was played by Janet Leigh, exposed the existence of the "divine light" that prompts Guffy to quit arguing with the umpires.

Of course there are other baseball movies out there, like "The Babe Ruth Story", filmed in 1948, with William Bendix portraying "The Sultan of Swat." But given the long history of America's pastime there are not enough stories or movies to really give due regard to the sport that captures the hearts and minds of so many young and old.

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