Major League: Back to the Minors
Encyclopedia
Major League: Back to the Minors is a 1998 film, distributed by Warner Bros.
, directed and written by John Warren
, with David S. Ward
taking the co-writer duties. It is the third film in the Major League series.
and Takaaki Ishibashi
reprising their roles from Major League II
. Dennis Haysbert
, Steve Yeager
, Corbin Bernsen
, and Bob Uecker
(as Harry Doyle) appear in all three films. The film also marks a shift in the series, as the featured team is no longer the Cleveland Indians
, but the Minnesota Twins
and their minor league affiliate at the time.
) is now the owner of the Minnesota Twins
. Aging minor league pitcher Gus Cantrell (Scott Bakula
), who plays for the Fort Myers Miracle
, is planning to retire. Then, Roger recruits Gus to be the manager of the South Carolina Buzz, the Twins AAA minor league
affiliate.
Gus's mission is to make a real team out of a bunch of players who include ballet dancer turned ballplayer Lance "The Dance" Pere (Kenny Johnson
), Frank "Pops" Morgan (Thom Barry
), Rube Baker (Eric Bruskotter
), Taka Tanaka (Takaaki Ishibashi
), Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert
), pitcher Hog Ellis (Judson Mills
), home run hitter Billy "Downtown" Anderson (Walton Goggins
), and pitcher Carlton "Doc" Windgate (Peter MacKenzie
) who throws the slowest fastball in the minors.
Gus ends up clashing with Leonard Huff (Ted McGinley
), the snobby manager of the Twins. One night in Minnesota
, Gus and his fiancee Maggie Reynolds (Jensen Daggett
) are having dinner with Roger and Huff at an expensive-looking restaurant, where Huff challenges Gus to a game between the Buzz and the Twins, then Huff starts a fight with Gus, and Gus accepts the challenge.
The game is scheduled to take place at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
in Minnesota. The Twins take a 3-0 lead in the 6th inning, but Billy hits a home run that ties the game at 3-3 in the 8th inning. But in the bottom of the 9th inning, with two outs, while the Twins are up to bat, and Doc is one strike away from striking out home run hitter Carlos Liston (Lobo Sebastian), Huff has the stadium's lights turned off so the game can end with a tie rather than give the Buzz a chance to win in extra innings. However, the media says that the Twins were still outplayed by the Buzz.
Huff now wants to bring Billy up to the Twins, even though Billy is not yet ready to go up to the Twins. Billy jumps on the opportunity, and turns his back on Gus. Without Billy, the Buzz start losing again. With the Twins, Billy starts hitting poorly, proving Huff wrong about Billy.
Gus manages to get the Buzz back on track and Billy is sent back down to the Buzz where Gus teaches Billy how to get more hits. Gus leads the Buzz to a division title in their league.
Gus issues a challenge for Huff to bring the Twins to Buzz Stadium for another game. If the Twins win, Gus will give his salary for the year to Huff. If Gus and the Buzz beat the Twins, Gus can take over as the manager of the Twins. Huff accepts the challenge and takes the Twins to South Carolina
to play against the Buzz. This time, the Twins take a 4-0 lead in the 6th inning, but the Buzz still manage to come from behind with three runs, and then win the game, 5-4, thanks to a game-winning two-run home run by Billy. Gus decides that he wants to stay with the Buzz so he can continue to work with minor league players on their skills and hopefully turn them into stars.
, the writer and producer of the original Major League, has announced that he is working on new film, which he calls Major League 3, and hopes to cast the original stars Charlie Sheen
, Wesley Snipes
and Tom Berenger
. The plot would see Sheens's character Ricky 'Wild Thing' Vaughn coming out of retirement to work with a young player.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, directed and written by John Warren
John Warren
John Warren may refer to:*John Warren, 3rd Baron de Tabley , third and last Baron de Tabley*John Warren , retired NBA player*John A...
, with David S. Ward
David S. Ward
David Schad Ward is an American film director and screen writer.-Life and career:Ward was born in Providence, Rhode Island, the son of Miriam and Robert McCollum Ward. Ward has degrees from Pomona College , as well as both USC and the UCLA Film School...
taking the co-writer duties. It is the third film in the Major League series.
Cast
The film features a mostly new cast, with Eric BruskotterEric Bruskotter
- Career :Bruskotter started acting in the mid-80's appearing in television shows like Mr. Belvedere and Amazing Stories. He gained notoriety when he appeared in the film Can't Buy Me Love in 1987...
and Takaaki Ishibashi
Takaaki Ishibashi
is a Japanese owarai artist, singer and actor.Born in Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan, Ishibashi moved to Narimasu, Itabashi after his father's bankruptcy in his first grade at an elementary school. He attended Teikyo Junior & Senor High School and is best known as a member of Tunnels with his partner...
reprising their roles from Major League II
Major League II
Major League II is a 1994 sequel to the 1989 film Major League. Major League II stars most of the same cast from the original, including Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Corbin Bernsen. Absent from this film is Wesley Snipes, who played Willie Mays Hayes in the first film and who by 1994 had become...
. Dennis Haysbert
Dennis Haysbert
Dennis Dexter Haysbert is an American film and television actor. He is known for portraying baseball player Pedro Cerrano in the Major League film trilogy, President David Palmer on the American television series 24, and Sergeant Major Jonas Blane on the drama series The Unit, as well as his work...
, Steve Yeager
Steve Yeager
Stephen Wayne "Steve" Yeager is an American right-handed former major league baseball catcher. Yeager spent 14 of the 15 seasons of his Major League Baseball career, from through , with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His last year, , he played for the Seattle Mariners...
, Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Dean Bernsen is an American actor and director, known for his work on television. He is best known for his roles as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series L.A. Law, and as retired police detective Henry Spencer on the USA Network comedy-drama series Psych...
, and Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker
Robert George "Bob" Uecker is an American former Major League Baseball player, later a sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Uecker was given the title of "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson...
(as Harry Doyle) appear in all three films. The film also marks a shift in the series, as the featured team is no longer the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, but the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and their minor league affiliate at the time.
Plot
Roger Dorn (Corbin BernsenCorbin Bernsen
Corbin Dean Bernsen is an American actor and director, known for his work on television. He is best known for his roles as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series L.A. Law, and as retired police detective Henry Spencer on the USA Network comedy-drama series Psych...
) is now the owner of the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. Aging minor league pitcher Gus Cantrell (Scott Bakula
Scott Bakula
Scott Stewart Bakula is an American actor, known for his role as Sam Beckett in the television series Quantum Leap, for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama in 1991 and was nominated for four Emmy Awards. He also had a prominent role as Captain Jonathan...
), who plays for the Fort Myers Miracle
Fort Myers Miracle
The Fort Myers Miracle is the Class A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball club, currently managed by Jake Mauer. Home games are played at the Lee County Sports Complex in Hammond Stadium, which has a capacity of 7,500, and opened in...
, is planning to retire. Then, Roger recruits Gus to be the manager of the South Carolina Buzz, the Twins AAA minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
affiliate.
Gus's mission is to make a real team out of a bunch of players who include ballet dancer turned ballplayer Lance "The Dance" Pere (Kenny Johnson
Kenny Johnson
Kenneth "Kenny" Johnson is an American actor well known for his portrayal of Detective Curtis Lemansky on the American drama The Shield and Detective "Ham" Dewey on Saving Grace.- Early career :...
), Frank "Pops" Morgan (Thom Barry
Thom Barry
Thom Barry is an American actor, notable for playing Detective Will Jeffries in Cold Case since its first episode in 2003.Barry is from Cleveland, and in the early 1980s he was a DJ in Cincinnati...
), Rube Baker (Eric Bruskotter
Eric Bruskotter
- Career :Bruskotter started acting in the mid-80's appearing in television shows like Mr. Belvedere and Amazing Stories. He gained notoriety when he appeared in the film Can't Buy Me Love in 1987...
), Taka Tanaka (Takaaki Ishibashi
Takaaki Ishibashi
is a Japanese owarai artist, singer and actor.Born in Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan, Ishibashi moved to Narimasu, Itabashi after his father's bankruptcy in his first grade at an elementary school. He attended Teikyo Junior & Senor High School and is best known as a member of Tunnels with his partner...
), Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert
Dennis Haysbert
Dennis Dexter Haysbert is an American film and television actor. He is known for portraying baseball player Pedro Cerrano in the Major League film trilogy, President David Palmer on the American television series 24, and Sergeant Major Jonas Blane on the drama series The Unit, as well as his work...
), pitcher Hog Ellis (Judson Mills
Judson Mills
Judson Mills is an American actor. His nickname is J The Kid. He is perhaps best known for the role as Francis Gage on Walker, Texas Ranger from 1999 to 2001. On the show, he had a partner named Sydney Cooke ; each had a crush on the other, but they never showed their love on the show...
), home run hitter Billy "Downtown" Anderson (Walton Goggins
Walton Goggins
Walton Sanders Goggins, Jr. is an American actor best known for his roles on the FX Networks series The Shield and Justified, portraying Detective Shane Vendrell and Boyd Crowder, respectively. He is also known for his character roles in the films Miracle at St. Anna and Predators...
), and pitcher Carlton "Doc" Windgate (Peter MacKenzie
Peter Mackenzie
Peter MacKenzie is an American actor. His first major role was on Herman's Head. He is a character actor. He also played "Mr. Firestein" in the season 3 episode of The Drew Carey Show titled "The Sex Drug", as Mimi Bobeck's counsel in her sex harassment case against Nigel Wick, and co-starred in...
) who throws the slowest fastball in the minors.
Gus ends up clashing with Leonard Huff (Ted McGinley
Ted McGinley
Theodore Martin "Ted" McGinley is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jefferson D'Arcy on the television series Married... with Children and as Charley Shanowski on the ABC sitcom Hope & Faith...
), the snobby manager of the Twins. One night in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Gus and his fiancee Maggie Reynolds (Jensen Daggett
Jensen Daggett
Jensen Daggett is an American film and television actress. Standing 5' 6", she performed as a comedic and dramatic actress.-Biography:After studying theater at Agoura High School in in Agoura Hills, California, Daggett moved to Los Angeles after her 18th birthday to study at the Stella Adler...
) are having dinner with Roger and Huff at an expensive-looking restaurant, where Huff challenges Gus to a game between the Buzz and the Twins, then Huff starts a fight with Gus, and Gus accepts the challenge.
The game is scheduled to take place at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
in Minnesota. The Twins take a 3-0 lead in the 6th inning, but Billy hits a home run that ties the game at 3-3 in the 8th inning. But in the bottom of the 9th inning, with two outs, while the Twins are up to bat, and Doc is one strike away from striking out home run hitter Carlos Liston (Lobo Sebastian), Huff has the stadium's lights turned off so the game can end with a tie rather than give the Buzz a chance to win in extra innings. However, the media says that the Twins were still outplayed by the Buzz.
Huff now wants to bring Billy up to the Twins, even though Billy is not yet ready to go up to the Twins. Billy jumps on the opportunity, and turns his back on Gus. Without Billy, the Buzz start losing again. With the Twins, Billy starts hitting poorly, proving Huff wrong about Billy.
Gus manages to get the Buzz back on track and Billy is sent back down to the Buzz where Gus teaches Billy how to get more hits. Gus leads the Buzz to a division title in their league.
Gus issues a challenge for Huff to bring the Twins to Buzz Stadium for another game. If the Twins win, Gus will give his salary for the year to Huff. If Gus and the Buzz beat the Twins, Gus can take over as the manager of the Twins. Huff accepts the challenge and takes the Twins to South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
to play against the Buzz. This time, the Twins take a 4-0 lead in the 6th inning, but the Buzz still manage to come from behind with three runs, and then win the game, 5-4, thanks to a game-winning two-run home run by Billy. Gus decides that he wants to stay with the Buzz so he can continue to work with minor league players on their skills and hopefully turn them into stars.
Possible sequel
David S. WardDavid S. Ward
David Schad Ward is an American film director and screen writer.-Life and career:Ward was born in Providence, Rhode Island, the son of Miriam and Robert McCollum Ward. Ward has degrees from Pomona College , as well as both USC and the UCLA Film School...
, the writer and producer of the original Major League, has announced that he is working on new film, which he calls Major League 3, and hopes to cast the original stars Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
, Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
and Tom Berenger
Tom Berenger
Tom Berenger is an American actor known mainly for his roles in action films.-Early life:Berenger was born as Thomas Michael Moore in Chicago to an Irish Catholic family. Berenger's father was a printer for the Chicago Sun-Times. Berenger has a sister, Susan...
. The plot would see Sheens's character Ricky 'Wild Thing' Vaughn coming out of retirement to work with a young player.