The Rookie (2002) on Netflix
Jim Morris gave up his pitching dream after a shoulder injury. Now a Texas high school science teacher and baseball coach, he makes a deal with his unmotivated players.
- Netflix3.7/5
- IMDb6.9/1039,802 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes84%
Trailer
Plot summary
Jim Morris grew up the son of a Navy man and pitched well enough to be drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, until a shoulder injury ended his pitching career. Years later he teaches science at Big Lake High School in Texas and coaches the Owls, a team with talent but little motivation. The town cares far more about football than baseball, so Jim never got to play in high school. After practice one day the catcher offers to play catch, and Jim discovers his fastball has returned. The players propose a deal: if they win district and reach the state playoffs, Jim will go to a professional tryout. He accepts, and starts throwing his fastball in batting practice.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about The Rookie (2002)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The film omitted the fact that the real Jim Morris and his wife, whose marriage was a focal point of the plot, were separated by the time his MLB career ended. They were undergoing divorce by his 2001 Los Angeles Dodgers spring training, and Morris remarried in 2002.
- Neighbouring Thrall High School in Thrall, Texas was dressed for several scenes, including away baseball games shot on its field, while its old football field, dressing rooms and recreation pavilion were dressed as an oil refinery for a deleted scene.
- Most of the population of Big Lake, Texas portrayed in the movie was fictional. Only the baseball team and those directly connected to it were based on real people.
