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It's another Replay Review episode! Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde are joined by Ashley MacLennan, Darby Robinson and Brett Rutherford of "Who's on Worst" to discuss one of the baseball movie genre's worst offerings: "Ed." That's right. They watched it AGAIN. They intro the movie (1:24), and, after some spirited discussion, review the 20-80 scouting scale (21:53). Then, they receive the three other scouts' grades on the following tools: Amount of Baseball (23:36), Baseball Accuracy (28:57), Storytelling (46:01), Score (1:16:27), Acting (1:23:14), Delightfulness of Catcher (1:30:31), Delightfulness of Announcer (1:35:37) and Lack of Misogyny (1:40:08). In "Who's on Worst" fashion, everyone also picks the player they would want for their team (1:50:05) and shares some final thoughts (1:57:12).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2001 movie "Hardball." They introduce the film (1:34), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film, with a new metaphor (8:14). In Amount of Baseball (17:50), the scouts initially disagree, but slightly convince each other. Ellen has two potential player comps. Baseball Accuracy (25:26) compares this Little League play to other films, with just a couple of editorial / geographical issues. Ellen defends Frank Thomas's honor and digs in on Sammy Sosa's consecutive homers, and records by Ken Griffey Jr, Don Mattingly, and Kevin Mench. That is not Wrigley. Those are not NBA games. Luis Garcia's dance step is considered. Storytelling (39:23) is a real challenge, when the entire inveterate gambler storyline does not work. Plus, white savior problems, a very confusing moral, and a complete lack of necessary exposition. There are so many unanswered questions. How does he earn their trust? Why does G-Baby have to die? Eulogy issues, uniform issues. At long last, the Score Tool (1:24:13) is only a partial respite, with some small problems of its own. They consider some of the soundtrack songs, including "Ghetto," "Hardball," "Big Poppa," "Where the Party At," and R. Kelly. Acting (1:30:21) considers the ceiling and floor of a slightly mis-cast Keanu Reeves. Diane Lane was trying, John Hawkes had an impossible task, D.B. Sweeney deserves better. Young actors Michael B. Jordan, Bryan Hearne, Julian Griffith, and DeWayne Warren almost save the movie. Neither Delightfulness of Catcher (1:39:26) or Delightfulness of Announcer (1:40:27) offer much. In Lack of Misogyny (1:41:00), they discuss the insipidity of the lame romantic subplot. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:45:06), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:48:56), Favorite Moment (1:50:43) Least Favorite Moment (1:53:00), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:54:54), Dreamiest Player (1:56:50), Favorite Performance (1:57:09), and Next Time (2:00:32).

To ring in another year of podcasting baseball movies, Eric and Ellen revisit the world of Major League with its direct-to-video second sequel, Major League: Back to the Minors! Please enjoy these festive timestamps: 2:09 – Intro; 7:47 – Review of 20/80 Scouting Scale; 15:36 – Amount of Baseball; 18:59 – Baseball Accuracy; 53:08 – Storytelling; 1:19:00 – Score; 1:24:01 – Acting; 1:31:40 – Delightfulness of Catcher; 1:33:37 – Delightfulness of Announcer; 1:38:51 – Lack of Misogyny; 1:42:19 – Yes or No; 1:46:18 – Six Degrees of Baseball; 1:47:21 – Favorite Moment; 1:48:26 – Least Favorite Moment; 1:51:25 – Scene You'd Like To See; 1:55:33 – Dreamiest Player; 1:55:56 – Favorite Performance; 1:58:22 – Next Time.

On this episode of Take Me In to the Ballgame, Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the iconic Simpsons episode, “Homer at the Bat.” Eric is in charge of writing up this episode copy again and is not the wordsmith that his better half is, so here be the timestamps! 1:27 – Intro; 6:30 – Review of 20/80 Scouting Scale; 13:23 – Amount of Softball; 17:16 – Softball Accuracy; 49:04 – Storytelling; 1:06:16 – Score; 1:09:32 – Acting; 1:13:50 – Delightfulness of Catcher; 1:17:52 – Delightfulness of Announcer; 1:20:08 – Lack of Misogyny; 1:25:15 – A bonus segment???; 1:32:44 – Yes or No!; 1:38:01 – Six Degrees of Baseball; 1:39:41 – Favorite Moment; 1:41:36 – Least Favorite Moment; 1:43:06 – Scene You'd Like to See; 1:44:32 – Dreamiest Player; 1:45:13 – Favorite Performance; 1:46:35 – Next Time. Enjoy, rate and review, please!

Eric Gilde and Ellen Adair discuss the 1985 comedy, “Brewster's Millions,” starring Richard Pryor and John Candy. We're cutting to the chase on this one, so here are your delicious, delicious timestamps: 1:28 – Intro; 7:10 – Review of 20/80; 17:04 – Amount of Baseball; 23:29 – Baseball Accuracy; 41:29 – Storytelling; 1:16:03 – Score; 1:20:49 – Acting; 1:27:02 – Delightfulness of Catcher; 1:32:26 – Delightfulness of Announcer; 1:35:19 – Lack of Misogyny; 1:41:44 – Y/N; 1:45:15 – Six Degrees of Baseball; 1:46:52 – Favorite Moment; 1:48:35 – Least Favorite Moment; 1:49:56 – Scene You'd Like to See; 1:52:05 – Dreamiest; 1:52:54 – Favorite Performance; 1:54:29 – Next Time. We hope you enjoy!

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1952 Grover Cleveland Alexander biopic, "The Winning Team." They introduce the film (1:36), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (7:00). Amount of Baseball (11:53) reveals a new take on this tool from Eric. Ellen has a player comp. Neither scout can refrain from getting into Baseball Accuracy in this category, but when it finally does come around, Baseball Accuracy (17:35) is a doozy. They discuss Alexander's Hall of Fame plaque, his nicknames (Alex, Pete, Dode, and later "Down and Away Alexander") Bill Killefer and David Ross comps, Galesburg team accuracy, old timey team names, and geography issues. How long was Alexander knocked out? When was he sold to the Phillies? Unsurprisingly, Ellen looks at how bad the Phillies usually were in the first half of the 20th century. They also discuss Eddie Plank, Eddie Collins, Rogers Hornsby, Alexander in WWI, his drinking, tragic Christy Mathewson inaccuracy, and the complete mess of the timeline of Alexander's career, as depicted. Oh, and the relationship with Aimee is a complete fabrication. Some accuracy issues with the 1926 World Series, and the famed Lazzeri at bat. Storytelling (53:47) essentially considers the following question: is this the worst thing that these scouts have ever seen? Ellen has some theories about some of the reasons it's bad, which only serve to make it worse. Score (1:16:51) is a relief, by comparison. Acting (1:17:14) considers various insufferable and unbelievable moments from Ronald Reagan, Doris Day, Gordon Jones, and others. How did Ronald Reagan become President? In Delightfulness of Catcher (1:26:32), Bill Killefer and James Millican do fine. Brief mention of catcher archetypes in "Game of Thrones." Delightfulness of Announcer (1:31:31) discusses whether the World Series announcer was a secret producer of the film, how many times he blinks, and why these scouts are obsessed. In Lack of Misogyny (1:37:17), they discuss some early Aimee story points and the general pre-feminism of the film. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:43:11), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:47:17), Favorite Moment (1:47:46) Least Favorite Moment (1:49:28), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:50:27), Dreamiest Player (1:51:48), Favorite Performance (1:52:13), and Next Time (1:54:30).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2002 Disney film "The Rookie." They introduce the film (2:02), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (5:07). Amount of Baseball (13:02) revels in this embarrassment of riches, and the excellence of the District Championship Game. Baseball Accuracy (20:35) cites Jim Morris's own opinion of the film's accuracy, and his relationship to his father, along with the radar sign scene, and the St. Rita story. There are oil rig gameplay questions. Did he try out in jeans? Did his dad get the baseball? Steve Cox erasure and some other accuracies with Jim Morris's MLB debut, Royce Clayton's foul ball, Morris pitching "for two seasons," and his tryout in the rain. The scouts also discuss his teammates Jose Canseco, Wade Boggs, and Kevin Stocker, the 1999 Devil Rays. The casting of the RuffNecks is hilarious, including the batter Carlton Fisk-ing the ball in the wrong direction. Randy Quaid's pitching motion, plus smart use of his pitching double Jeff Dowdy. Eric fact-checks Texas distances, and there is an Ellen Adair Breakdown on pitchers hitting 98 MPH in 1999 and today (h/t Nick Pollack). Can Ellen name more than five who threw more than 98 MPH in 99? Storytelling (49:34) dissects the interesting film structure created by its central bargain, the function of the nuns, and the Disney veneer balanced with excellent editing and cinematography. Ellen appreciates attention being paid to the football/baseball disparity, and both laud the excellent storytelling with the early scene with the father. But where is the middle child for the first hour of the film? They discuss the first minor league game sequence, the child's questions about the Devil Rays, and the relief pitcher as hero (w/r/t Seranthony Dominguez, JoJo Romero and Ranger Suarez). Brief St. Patrick's Day Accuracy. Score (1:11:22) addresses Carter Burwell's use of flute and John Bissell's music supervision, including Guy Clark's "Stuff That Works," Willie Nelson's "Nothing I Can Do About It Now," Elvis Presley's "Run On," and House of Pain's "Jump Around." Acting (1:17:14) discusses the performances of Dennis Quaid, Rachel Griffiths, Brian Cox, Angus T. Jones and Blue Deckert. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:21:24) praises the perfect catcher behavior of Owls catcher Joel de la Garza, along with great acting by Angelo Spizzirri. The catcher at the try-out and at Jim Morris's debut also do not disappoint. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:24:56) considers the benefits of the announcer being a character in the rest of the film, and the great performance by David Blackwell. Good storytelling with the Orlando Rays announcer. Lack of Misogyny (1:27:32) considers the strength of Lori the character versus her story function, and some disappointment on the gendered role of the children and the impetus for Lori's reversal. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:33:01), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:38:59), Favorite Moment (1:40:58) Least Favorite Moment (1:42:08), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:44:30), Dreamiest Player (1:46:44), Favorite Performance (1:47:42), and Next Time (1:49:03).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the baseball portions of "Twilight." They introduce the film (1:49), with an overview of the story, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (6:01). Amount of Baseball (10:35) opens with a true conundrum: what is the amount of baseball in the baseball portion of "Twilight"? Do we consider the "first Mariners game" and spring training? Baseball Accuracy (15:30) considers the viability of a four-vampire baseball team and a three-vampire baseball team, with the varying degree of problems that arise. Discussion of vampires' familiarity with John Fogarty's "Centerfield," seventh-wheel vampires, and the Mike Fiers of vampires (?). Ellen has issues with the lack of analytical positioning, and Eric queries the notion of thunder from an aluminum bat. Is Alice tipping her pitches? A brief history of baseball gloves (w/r/t Charlie Waitt, Albert Goodwill Spalding, Bill Doak, Rawlings). Some baserunning headscratchers with Carlisle. There is no spring training in Jacksonville (h/t Meg Rowley), but there ARE spring training/regular season timeline issues in this film. Storytelling (40:11) digs in on the substance of the vampire feud, Ellen's annoyance with the notion of the Cullens as "vegetarians," and Eric's annoyance with the sparkliness. Are they good at baseball? Would putting Bella's hair down really help mask her human scent? Some discussion of the directorial style and costume choices. Score (55:39) addresses the use of Radiohead, the Black Ghosts, Muse, and the squealing guitars. Acting (1:00:03) discusses the performances of Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, and Edi Gathegi, with shout-outs to Anna Kendrick and Gil Birmingham. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:04:57) weighs the Moment of Utmost Delight, Elizabeth Reaser's line deliveries, and the matriarch as catcher, while Delightfulness of Announcer (1:07:28) doesn't offer so much. Lack of Misogyny (1:08:01) considers the strength of female players, the film's upgrade over the book, with only a brief foray into the misogyny of the whole premise. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:14:20), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:19:52), Favorite Moment (1:22:01) Least Favorite Moment (1:23:50), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:26:37), Dreamiest Player (1:28:12), Favorite Performance (1:29:41), Review Thank You (1:30:41) and Next Time (1:32:39).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1940 Warner Brothers cartoon, "Porky's Baseball Broadcast." They introduce the cartoon (1:23), with an overview of the script, the cast, and creators, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the cartoon (5:10). (Again, the lawyers advise that this is a cartoon, and nothing in this podcast can be used to relitage Posnanski v. Sepinwall.) Amount of Baseball (11:10) once again relies on this being a ratio and not counting stat for a seven-minute cartoon, some which even feels padded for time. Baseball Accuracy (15:00) digs in on the truly most confusing question in this cartoon: which, and how many, teams are even playing in this World Series, with the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs and Giants all being candidates. The colorization doesn't help. The two-headed pitcher has a flaw in his/their plan, plus do they use a Pat Venditte glove? Some discussion of the 1940 World Series, including Willard Hershberger, Ernie Lombardi and Jimmy Wilson, along with the Carl Hubbell reference. Storytelling (36:45) grapples with the unsatisfying nature of the baseball play as a story, and discusses the many simple jokes. The scouts debate the pros and cons of the "round dog looking for his seat" storyline. Eric reveals the recycled material from "Boulevardier from the Bronx," and they discuss the screamingly problematic section of the cartoon. Score (50:27) addresses Carl W. Stalling's handiwork, including the tick method and musical references. In Acting (53:19), they discuss whether or not Mel Blanc is responsible for all of the voice acting, and if that impacts the score. Delightfulness of Catcher (55:18) presents our scouts with a conundrum, given the derivation of the turtle catcher. The rabbit catcher is unquestionably adorable. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:00:49) weighs the notion that the eponymous Porky Pig is the star of the show. Are the double-entendres part of his delightfulness, or just the cartoon? Lack of Misogyny (1:04:29) had the scouts scouring the background of every single frame, and coming up disappointed. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:07:32), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:13:18), Favorite Moment (1:13:57) Least Favorite Moment (1:14:53), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:18:01), Dreamiest Player (1:20:09), Favorite Performance (1:22:52) and Next Time (1:22:52).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1992 Babe Ruth biopic, "The Babe." They introduce the film (1:36), with an overview of the script, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (4:05). Amount of Baseball (10:01) is surprisingly baffling for a relatively objective tool, but our scouts try to parse the true amount given the unsatisfying, nothing-but-dingers nature of the gameplay. There is a sad player comp. Baseball Accuracy (15:00) dives in on this film's Babe Ruth pitcher erasure, including striking out Ty Cobb, and inaccuracies with Ruth's first career game and his performance in the 1916 World Series. His time with the Orioles and Jack Dunn also elided, with some unfortunate consequences including the creation of his nickname. Some examination of very young George as a rapscallion, his home life, and his time at St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, plus Brother Matthias accuracy. Did Babe Ruth ever come late to a game drunk? There are many, many timeline problems, particularly with Claire and Helen. Ellen plays a game of What Year Is It. Discussion of Joe Dugan, Dorothy, Ruth punching an umpire, Ernie Shore's "combined" no-hitter, Eddie Bennett, Harry Frazee's sale of Ruth, the Called Shot, the Johnny Sylvester story, the feud with Lou Gehrig, and Ruth's "milk." Ruth's relationship with Miller Huggins, and his desire to become a manager himself, including anecdotes with Frank Navin and Connie Mack, are examined. WTF is up with the depiction of Ruth's athleticism, (including his purported use of a courtesy runner)? The final game has as many problems as the rest of the film. Storytelling (1:04:02) highlights this film's main problems: the classic biopic problem of trying to tell the entire life story, timeline jumbles, and the depiction of Ruth as a dumb man-child. Yankee Stadium propaganda. Ellen has a list of Unanswerable Questions. Score (1:20:10) envisions the scenario in which consummate professional Elmer Bernstein was asked to compose the music for this film. Acting (1:23:13) discusses this disappointing John Goodman performance, backed by a whole lot of It's Fine. Ellen uplifts one Trini Alvarado moment. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:29:00) had so many good catcher names and Ruth's own catcher feats as possible fodder, but nothing is made of them. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:30:31) considers the culpability of the announcers for the inaccuracies. Lack of Misogyny (1:33:40) has much to contend with given Ruth's biographical philandering, but somehow this movie makes it so, so much worse. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:40:39), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:44:42), Favorite Moment (1:45:22) Least Favorite Moment (1:46:45), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:47:47), Dreamiest Player (1:49:50), Favorite Performance (1:50:28) and Next Time (1:51:36).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 2005 film "Game 6." They introduce the film (2:01), with an overview of this Don DeLillo script, the cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (8:35). Amount of Baseball (14:25) considers the dilution of watching someone watch baseball, and reviews the game six events pictured, including the Dwight Evans RBI, Roger Clemens being lifted from the game and the Greenwell pinch hit, Lee Mazilli scoring to tie, Dave Henderson's homer, Wade Boggs scoring on Marty Barrett's hit, and the tenth inning implosion. Sad player comp. Baseball Accuracy (17:40) considers the references to Bob Ojeda and Daryl Strawberry, the quality of Mets vs. Red Sox losses, a brief Red Sox postseason rundown, the 1949 Red Sox, the 1946 Series vs. the Cardinals featuring Enos Slaughter's mad dash and Johnny Pesky's late throw. Why is there a Red Sox broadcast talking about Roger Clemens in a New York cab? Storytelling (31:08) delves in on the Screenplay by a Novelist issues, and some tone and style disconnect. What's up with the character of Lone Eagle? What is the function of so many taxi rides? They also discuss how the film plays post-2004, DeLillo's understanding of work shifts, scheduling, and existence in a capitalist society, Nick Rogan's arc, and theatrical accuracy. Score (1:08:82) debates how much Yo La Tengo's mystical non-sports-movie score helps tell this story. Acting (1:13:10) praises the ensemble as a whole, with discussion of Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr. and Griffin Dunne, with a shout-out to some legendary actors in smaller roles, such as Arnie Burton, Nadia Dajani, Roger Rees, Harris Yulin, and Bobby Steggert. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:21:39) weighs what we receive from Rich Gedman and Gary Carter, while Delightfulness of Announcer (1:22:47) comes down to an Amount of Vin Scully debate. Lack of Misogyny (1:25:19) balances Nicky and Stephen's treatment of women with the very large number of female characters, who are not all simply defined by the men in the film. Some discussion of repeating "alla puttanesca." No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:31:00), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:35:11), Favorite Moment (1:36:21) Least Favorite Moment (1:39:14), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:40:40), Dreamiest Player (1:42:41), Favorite Performance (1:43:28) and Next Time (1:45:21).

Ellen Adair and Eric Gilde discuss the 1994 version of "Angels in the Outfield." They introduce the film (0:56), with an overview of the story, cast, and filmmakers, and review the 20-80 baseball scouting grades for rating the film (8:30). Amount of Baseball (17:28) appreciates the variety and the strong finish, with a couple of possible player comps. Baseball Accuracy (20:45) delves in on various issues with Mel Clark's last-minute activation, and the film's pitcher use in general. Bass gets no respect. Real-life baseball dives into consecutive shutouts (w/r/t Cliff Lee, Orel Hershheiser and Don Drysdale) and the record of the Cincinnati Reds. Knox's MVP award raises some questions, as does Mel's pitch count in the final game, leading to discussion of Tim Wakefield, Leon Cadore, Joe Oescher, Nolan Ryan, Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer. The Angels' losing streak brings up the 1889 Louisville Colonels, the 1961 Phillies, and the 2021 Orioles. There are also some issues with Hemmerling's "home run" and Ben Williams' outfield positioning. Eric dives in on Gene Autry, while Ellen considers precedent for chucking the ball into the stands (Dave Righetti, Rob Dibble, David Wells, Byung-Hyun Kim, Carlos Zambrano, Fernando Rodney, Chris Perez, and Jeremy Guthrie) and broken-bat homers (Jack Howell, Bill Haselman, Glenallen Hill, Damian Jackson, Barry Bonds, Mark Teixeira, Justin Upton, Chris Davis, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Napoli, Nelson Cruz, Joey Gallo, Yandy Diaz, and Bryce Harper). What's with the Blue Jays erasure, White Sox? Angels in outfield, yes, kids in the dugout, no. Plus, what percentage of pitches would an angel need to help a pitcher with for an effective start? Storytelling (52:51) takes on this central premise of angels as cheats. What is the angels' motivation? There are many issues with the angels' rules, as set out, including, but not limited to, God picking a side, with a line-reading from Shakespeare's "Henry V." Some moments are overly goofy (angels love crotch shots!). What is up with deciding not to believe in angels in act four? And the court timing? And the sandlot game? And people in this Christian-dominated country freaking out about seeing angels? Trusting your defense might be the real miracle. The Score (1:21:09) does its job, plus "The Hippy Hippy Shake" and Curtis Mayfield. Acting (1:23:03) praises this ensemble (including four Oscar winners) put together by Pam Dixon, specifically enjoying Neal McDonough, Ben Johnson, Milton Davis Jr., Joseph Gordon Levitt, Danny Glover, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd, Brenda Fricker, Jay O. Sanders, and Diane Amos. Delightfulness of Catcher (1:31:34) considers Triscuitt Messmer and a bonus catcher, while Delightfulness of Announcer (1:34:41) weighs Jay O. Sanders' performance vs. Ranch's inaccuracies and antagonism. Lack of Misogyny (1:40:28) considers how embarrassed this film should be that the 1951 film was infinitely better, regards this tool. Lack of female roles--even for angels! No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:44:30), Six Degrees of Baseball (1:46:01), Favorite Moment (1:47:00) Least Favorite Moment (1:49:17), Scene We Would Have Liked to See (1:50:05), Dreamiest Player (1:53:04), Favorite Performance (1:54:42) and Next Time (1:57:03).