The movies can capture moments in time that can stir an audience to excitement or fear. A well made movie can make an audience laugh or cry. This is no more apparent than in the way the movies can capture the feel of a baseball game.

From the roar of a crowd to the sound of a ball hitting the bat, movies about baseball are almost as good as the game itself. The following is a list of the best baseball movies of all time.

Starring Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes and Tom Beringer, Major League was released in 1989 and tells the story of the Cleveland Indians, a major league franchise that hadn’t seen the playoffs in decades and its new owners’ attempt to field a team so bad that she can move the team to Florida. Of course, the team finds out about the plan and bond together to win to keep the owner from getting her wish.

Major League is a funny movie but it is also a great baseball movie. The characters are similar to what you would find on any baseball team from the Veteran Catcher in the twilight of his career to the punk rookies who must learn what it means to be a big league ball player. The game sequences are realistic and the final game brings a moment of excitement rarely seen in movies.

Released in 1976, the Bad News Bears takes a look at baseball from the standpoint that is most familiar to those who actually played baseball; the Little League Team. Bad News Bears stars Walter Matthua who is the cranky rude manager of a gang of misfits who all ended up on the baseball team. Tatum O’Neal played the star pitcher who also happened to be female.

The Bad News Bears is simply a fun movie about baseball. It shows with some reality what playing little league baseball was actually like but most importantly, the Bad News Bears shows what baseball is supposed to be; Fun.

Released in 1988, Eight Men Out tells the story of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. The Black Sox was the name given to the Chicago White and the eight players who conspired with gamblers to throw the World Series. Eight Men Out stars John Cusack, Charlie Sheen and Christopher Lloyd.

Eight Men Out tells a story about the dark days of baseball. The Black Sox were considered one of the best teams ever put together. But the movie is an eloquent look at the players and the game. The baseball scenes are very realistic and is perhaps the most realistic of all baseball movies. It is well acted and stays to the truth. There is very little good that can be taken from the story of the Black Sox, but at least it produced a great movie.

Starring Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon, Bull Durham was released in 1988 and tells the story of the Durham Bulls. The Bulls are a triple A minor league baseball team and Costner’s character, Crash Davis, is a veteran of the minor league circuit and is brought in to teach a young hot shot pitcher how to be a major leaguer.

Bull Durham does not depict the glamour of major league baseball, but rather the hardship and charm of the minor leagues. The players are not gods, but regular guys who appear that they could actually be baseball players. Of course, the best scene is the meeting on the mound and the discussion about what makes the best wedding gifts.