Rookie of the Year (film)
 |
| Rookie of the Year | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Daniel Stern |
| Written by | Sam Harper |
| Produced by | Robert Harper |
| Starring | Thomas Ian Nicholas Gary Busey Neil Flynn Daniel Stern Dan Hedaya |
| Cinematography | Jack N. Green |
| Edited by | Donn Cambern Raja Gosnell |
| Music by | Bill Conti |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date | July 7, 1993 |
Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | Template:Film US |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $56,500,758 |
Rookie of the Year is a 1993 American film comedy with a baseball theme starring Thomas Ian Nicholas and Gary Busey.
The cast also includes Albert Hall, Dan Hedaya, Eddie Bracken, Amy Morton, Bruce Altman, John Gegenhuber, Neil Flynn, Daniel Stern and John Candy, and the film was directed by Stern.
Plot
Henry Rowengartner (Nicholas), a 12-year-old Little Leaguer, has dreams of playing in the major leagues.
One day, Henry breaks his arm trying to catch a fly ball and has to wrap it in a cast. Once the arm is healed, the doctor removes the cast and discovers Henry's tendons have healed "a little too tight," thus enabling Henry to cock his arm back and fire it forward with incredible force.
In celebration of the cast's removal, Henry's mom presents him and two friends with tickets to the day's Chicago Cubs game. At the ballpark, Henry and his friends catch a home run hit by a player from the visiting team. To keep with the Wrigley Field tradition, which states that when an opponent's home run ball is thrown the ball back onto the field, Henry launches it from the outfield bleachers all the way to the catcher standing at home plate, which is about 435 feet. Everybody in the stadium stares in astonishment at the throw.
The Cubs sign him, making him the youngest-ever major leaguer. Henry's mother's boyfriend, Jack (Bruce Altman), whom Henry dislikes, signs on as Henry's agent. Henry is awestruck to be in the presence of some of his heroes, including his idol Chet "Rocket" Steadman (Gary Busey), an irascible pitcher in the twilight of his career.
Henry's first appearance as a relief pitcher comes against the New York Mets and it is almost a disaster. He gives up a home run on his first pitch to Alejandro "Butch" Heddo, who mocks the kid pitcher as he trots the bases. Henry hits the next batter, then throws a wild pitch, and is only able to get the game's final out when a runner tries unsuccessfully to advance to third base on the wild pitch, earning Henry the save despite not throwing a single strike in the game.
Steadman gives him advice on becoming a better pitcher. Henry struggles with his control in another game, so Steadman goes to the mound and gives him a nonsensical pep talk, encouraging him to "use your have-to." Henry nods as Chet talks but doesn't understand him. Regardless, Henry saves the game, the Cubs keep winning and he keeps earning saves.
Henry endorses several products, including Diet Pepsi, where he replaces Ray Charles in the popular "You Got the Right One, Baby" campaign. However, he and Jack have a falling out when Jack reveals a plot to sell his contract to the New York Yankees. As a result, Henry fires him. Henry's mother also breaks up with Jack and throws him out of the house because he is more obsessed with making money off Henry than his well-being.
The final game of the season pits the Cubs against the Mets with a division title on the line. Henry announces to the Cubs' owner that it will be his final (and only) season with the team. He also tells of Jack's and General Manager Larry Fisher's scheme to sell him to the Yankees, and eventually Larry is demoted to hot dog vendor.
It also proves to be Steadman's last game. At first he pitches like he hasn't pitched in years. However, his arm is blown out on his last pitch of the sixth inning. Henry completes the seventh and eighth innings. However, as the boy walks out to the field in the ninth, he trips on a baseball and falls on his side. He is all right, but he can no longer throw a 100-mile-per-hour fastball.
After letting his teammates know what happened, Henry must rely on his wit and their help. He intentionally walks two consecutive Mets batters but gets the first runner out by doing a hidden ball trick.
Henry finally must face "Butch" Heddo again. Henry can no longer throw fast, so his pitch is effectively a changeup. Heddo, expecting a much faster pitch, swings very early and misses for the first strike. Heddo is not fooled by Henry's next slow pitch and sends it skyrocketing toward the fence. It has enough distance, but barely curves foul, leaving Heddo with two strikes.
A rattled Henry bides his time and walks around on the mound. After pulling at some tape he discovers that his baseball glove belonged to his mother. She mouths to him from the stands: "Float it." Henry lobs a palm-down underhanded floater pitch. Everyone watches as the ball flies high in the air and then down toward home plate. Heddo is surprised, then swings wildly and misses for the final out, throwing a tantrum in frustration. The Cubs and their fans celebrate.
Henry tosses the game ball toward his mother's seat. We then see him winning a Little League championship game, with his mother and Chet Steadman cheering him on. Henry flashes a ring with blue stones, the Cubs' team color. The inscription reads: WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS.
Cast
- Thomas Ian Nicholas as Henry Rowengartner
- Gary Busey as Chet "Rocket" Steadman
- Neil Flynn as Okie
- Daniel Stern as Phil Brickma
- Dan Hedaya as Larry "Fish" Fisher
- Amy Morton as Mary Rowengartner
- Albert Hall as Sal Martinella
- W. Earl Brown as Frick
- Ian Gomez as Odd Bellman
- John Candy (uncredited) as Cliff Murdoch
Location
The Dodger Stadium scenes were filmed at U.S. Cellular Field, then known as Comiskey Park.
Variations with Novelization
A young adult novelization of the film was written by Todd Strasser in 1993. At one point, Henry hits a grand slam due to his incredible arm strength. However, this stands in contrast to what occurs in the film, as Henry is not shown to be a competent hitter.