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Rookie of the Year

  • 1993
  • PG
  • 1h 43m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
32K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,107
192
Gary Busey, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Albert Hall, and Daniel Stern in Rookie of the Year (1993)
Home Video Trailer from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Play trailer2:09
1 Video
16 Photos
BaseballComedyFamilyFantasySport

When an accident miraculously gives a boy an incredibly powerful pitching arm, he becomes a major league pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.When an accident miraculously gives a boy an incredibly powerful pitching arm, he becomes a major league pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.When an accident miraculously gives a boy an incredibly powerful pitching arm, he becomes a major league pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.

  • Director
    • Daniel Stern
  • Writer
    • Sam Harper
  • Stars
    • Thomas Ian Nicholas
    • Gary Busey
    • Albert Hall
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    32K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    2,107
    192
    • Director
      • Daniel Stern
    • Writer
      • Sam Harper
    • Stars
      • Thomas Ian Nicholas
      • Gary Busey
      • Albert Hall
    • 56User reviews
    • 16Critic reviews
    • 53Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Rookie of the Year
    Trailer 2:09
    Rookie of the Year

    Photos16

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    Top cast88

    Edit
    Thomas Ian Nicholas
    Thomas Ian Nicholas
    • Henry Rowengartner
    Gary Busey
    Gary Busey
    • Chet Steadman
    Albert Hall
    Albert Hall
    • Martinella
    Amy Morton
    Amy Morton
    • Mary Rowengartner
    Dan Hedaya
    Dan Hedaya
    • Larry 'Fish' Fisher
    Bruce Altman
    Bruce Altman
    • Jack Bradfield
    Eddie Bracken
    Eddie Bracken
    • Bob Carson
    Robert Hy Gorman
    Robert Hy Gorman
    • Clark
    • (as Robert Gorman)
    Patrick LaBrecque
    Patrick LaBrecque
    • George
    Daniel Stern
    Daniel Stern
    • Brickma
    Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine
    Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine
    • Becky
    Kristie Davis
    • Tiffany
    Tyler Ann Carroll
    • Edith
    Tom Milanovich
    Tom Milanovich
    • Heddo
    Ross Lehman
    • Dr. Kersten
    John Gegenhuber
    • Derkin
    James 'Ike' Eichling
    • Little League Coach
    Joshua Wagner
    • Little League Fielder
    • (as Josh Wagner)
    • Director
      • Daniel Stern
    • Writer
      • Sam Harper
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews56

    6.132.4K
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    Featured reviews

    6quisha-01195

    Overall good movie

    Nice family movie with pretty good actors overall a good movie to watch with the kids
    7g-bodyl

    Not a Bad Sports Movie!

    Rookie of the Year is a pretty good sports movie even though I have seen better. I thought that Daniel Stern as the pitching coach was hilarious but in reality a guy like him would have been fired before the first pitch of the season-at least the late, great Steinbrenner would. It was also nice to see how a young teenager would adapt to the adult world of baseball.

    This is about a 12-year-old who can suddenly throw a hundred miles an hour after he recovered from a broken arm. Once again, that's impossible in real life. Anyway, he is a midseason addition to the Cubs and he makes them more than the mediocre team that they were.

    Overall, this is a pretty solid sports movie. There was great acting by the kids. But the ending is all to predictable. I rate this film 7/10.
    Monika-5

    A fun film for everyone

    Sure, this movie is geared towards the younger generation, but I think that anybody can enjoy it, especially if you are a baseball fan. I don't know why people have criticized Rookie of the Year so much for being unrealistic. Duh! It's supposed to be fictional! What young kid hasn't dreamed of being a star player on a favorite pro sports team, and what Chicago Cubs fan hasn't wanted their team to go all the way? (Personally, I'm a Cleveland Indians fan, so I think you get my point.)

    Yes, Daniel Stern puts in an embarrassing role as a clumsy pitching coach (now, fantasies aside, this clown wouldn't last 10 seconds as a major league coach!), and Thomas Ian Nicholas is OK in the title role but comes off as pretty annoying most of the time. I will say that Gary Busey was very good in this film as the veteran pitcher/father figure. A decent, passable sports flick.
    MovieAddict2016

    The Dreams of Countless Children Come True...

    I was never much into sports. I never fantasized about becoming a huge sports star. However, I realize many adults did dream of such things when they were children, and that is why "Rookie of the Year" may surprise some adults.

    The plot is childish, of course, and the acting -- apart from Daniel Stern and an unbilled cameo from John Candy -- is not Oscar-worthy. Still, it's worth a few bucks, and may transport adults back to their memories and make them fantasize more than children.

    I don't like this film a whole lot, but it's just one of those films that when you see it on TV, you just...watch it! Hard to explain. It's like some cosmic force draws you to it. I think it could be the worst film in the world and I'd still have to watch it every time it's on.

    I give "Rookie of the Year" 3/5 stars. Not great, and not even that good, but there's just something about it...
    8Hitchcoc

    Don't Take It So Seriously

    If you are unwilling to accept the basic premise of the film, that a child who has surgery on a broken arm is suddenly able to throw a pitch over 100 miles per hour, you aren't going to like this movie. I've been a baseball fan for 60 years and I know when a baseball movie is going to present an accurate portrayal of the game. If you read anything about this film and you are a purist, there are probably another ten movie to pick from this day. That said, this is a delightful film with a joyfulness that brings back memories of what it was like to be a mediocre baseball player, still hoping to be a major leaguer someday. The boy in this film is klutzy, so his entrance into a major league game is filled with fear and worry. There are good guys and bad guys, especially the father candidate. At some point, we know that reality will set in and, like "Damn Yankees," someone is going to have to face a real situation. This is just charming and fun. Enjoy it. It was never meant to be a documentary.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Henry has to take his first AB (against the L.A. Dodgers), the pitcher in that scene (Tregoraw) is Tim Stoddard. Stoddard was a technical adviser for the baseball scenes in the movie. Coincidentally, Stoddard was actually a pitcher for the Cubs in real life, he pitched on the '84 Cubs team that won the NL East title (and eventually lost to the San Diego Padres in the NLCS).
    • Goofs
      When Henry is called from the dugout for the first time, the "Rocket" is pitching and everyone seems to act like he had a horrible game. However, after the game, the announcer, says that Henry got the save with a 5-4 win. Henry gave up a Home Run, so the worst that the "Rocket" could have done was throw 7 innings giving up only 3 runs, which is pretty good by anyone's standards.
    • Quotes

      [once taken out of the cast, Henry's arm snaps around and hits Dr. Kersten in the nose]

      Dr. Kersten: [muffled, with hands over his face] Funky, buttloving...!

      George: Did he say "funky buttloving?"

    • Crazy credits
      Special thanks are given to "The people of Chicago who never give up"
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: In the Line of Fire/Son in Law/Rookie of the Year/Free Willy/Jacquot (1993)
    • Soundtracks
      The Second Time Around
      Written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen (as James Van Heusen)

      Performed by Tony Bennett

      Courtesy of Columbia Records

      By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

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    FAQ20

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 7, 1993 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Новачок року
    • Filming locations
      • Westmont, Illinois, USA(little league scene)
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $10,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $53,615,089
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $9,122,714
      • Jul 11, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $56,500,758
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 43 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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