(intense music)
(upbeat music)
(turning pages)
- [Nicholas] "Don't look to men for Help."
"Their greatest leaders fail, but happy is the man whose
hope is in the Lord, his God."
"How puny is the strength of man?"
(relaxing wacky music)
- [Voiceover] Are you tired of being a 90-pound little
noodle, or nothing, tired of bullies kicking sand in
your face.
Well now you can be that hulking he-man you've always
dreamed of.
Yes, now for only a dollar 98,
you can own the famous
Jack Lamebrain Pop Tart Beach Body Workout.
(crash)
That's right, for just 29.95,
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Just think, only 89.95 buys you all this happiness.
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First, you'll get the mighty bicep builder.
now twist the strings together,
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And that's not all, you'll also get the tummy tuner.
(ring bell)
And look at the revolutionary new advanced
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With this simple resistance exercise,
you'll see results instantly.
It also has an extra feature for advanced students.
(tah-dah)
So send your 3398 dollars now,
and start being the beach party funk buddy today!
(crash)
(wacky trombone music)
(relaxing music)
- [Nicholas] In Eastfield, you can find lots of
things to do in the summer.
See a movie, miniature golf, but most of all it's the
home of the Braves, the Eastfield Braves that is,
we're the hometown hopefuls,
and leading cause of my dad's heartburn.
(disappointed crowd)
- You gotta keep your eye on the ball, Roger.
- [Announcer] Bottom of the ninth, two A,
and the next batter from Braves is pitcher Thurman Miller.
(cheering)
(serious music)
- Alright, Thurman, bring em home!
The trophy's ours!
(cheering)
- It's in the bag.
- A walk in the park.
- Hit em home, and we've got the trophy.
(cheering)
Yes, yes, yes!
Go, go, go!
(triumphial music)
- [Nicholas] We'd seen Thurman's home run trot
a lot this season.
This one took us from being hopefuls to being heroes.
- Yes, woo hoo!
Hey, I wonder if this means a bonus for the bat boy.
(upbeat music)
(cheering)
- Alright, listen up everybody.
Hey guys, great game.
We are the Eastfield Champs.
(cheering)
- Regional Finals, here we come.
- Alright, Thurman's gonna take us to the
Little League World Series.
(cheering)
- I knew we had another Hank Aaron on our hands, huh.
- You were great. A wonderful team.
- Yeah!
- Hey think I should do some pics for
the Eastfield Daily News?
- Nah, let's give Sports Illustrated first crack.
(cheering)
- Alright, let's celebrate. Come on.
- Hey Nick let's see the old knuckleball,
come on let's see the old slider, the old fastball,
the old curveball, the old...
(bomb dropping)
(thunk)
Screwball.
- [Nicholas] We didn't get a big locker room celebration,
but we got the next best thing.
- If you knock the ball right,
it takes that thing so far out.
- I know it's great. - Way out.
- I can't believe you tred to throw me a curve.
- Look, I'll trade you Guerrero, Robin Yount, and Goulding,
for Will Clark's rookie card.
- Nah, that's a decent offer Louis,
but I'm not willing to part with Will Clark,
not at any price, no reason, no how, no way.
- Hey, what you guys got there?
- Alright!
A Will Clark rookie for me?
Thanks. - Sure, it's yours big guy.
- Now with that last pitch, huh?
No way I'm gonna let bozo get a fastball by me,
I made him pay, huh?
- You said it, no way, right Louis?
- No way.
- Oh, I forgot the walnuts.
- Well look at the All-Stars.
- Hey Martin, what's with the outfit?
Is your girl scout troupe on a field trip, or what?
- Lay off Cryder, we happen to be celebrating,
we're the All-City champs.
- You mean chumps, right?
Is your hat full of mush, like your head?
- Knock it off, give that back.
Give me back my hat.
Come on Derrick, give it back.
- You and what army?
- Hey I bet it hurt real bad if you were to lose
this earring, know what I mean?
Now beat it!
Hey of you guys want to get me a napkin?
- Yeah, I got it. - No, I got it.
- [Nicholas] Who knows, if I gave Thurman my
Willie Mays card, maybe he'd keep Derrick off my
case for life.
Thurman will probably be signed right out of high school
with a major league contract.
- Okay enough about Thurman Munster already.
- That's Miller, I just call em like I see em.
- Alright, you two.
The kid is amazing though no one can deny that.
- Yeah.
- Nick's probably right about the pros,
Thurman is definitely major-league material.
- Oh yes just think the next step is real
greatness, and they name a candy bar after him.
(telephone ringing)
- Hello.
Oh sure, hold on.
It's for you coach.
- Hello.
Oh hi Harvey.
- Who's that mom.
- Well it ain't Elvis.
- [Dad] What,
you're kidding.
Oh sure, I can hardly wait.
Oh, be just like old times.
Yeah.
Right.
See you next week.
So long you big bag of wind.
- David!
- Of all the rotten luck...
Harvey Stover the biggest blowhard in the league,
he's managing the team we're playing in the regionals.
- So?
- So, he's the guy who managed the team that beat us
last year.
- Oh yeah.
I promise you one thing,
not this year, no siree buddy,
this year I get even,
this year it's payback time
this year Harvey...
I've got Thurman Miller.
- Tell me again what's the point of all this?
- Strength.
If you're strong, you can't lose,
just look at Thurman, he hit that home run today,
because of the power from his forearms.
- [McGee] Forearms?
No wonder I can't lift this thing,
I've only got two.
- See training really helps, you've already improved your
reach. - Ho, ho.
(door knocks)
- Oh, hi dad. - Hi.
Well how's the weight training.
- Fine.
- Put another couple of books in this thing.
- Sure.
- You know, Nick, this game is really important to me,
well, to all of us, and, no go ahead stack em up,
anyway in a game like this, everybody's really got to pull
their own weight, and they really--
I'll help you with the weights later.
What I'm saying is you and the other guys really
have to turn it up a notch,
Thurman's really gotta have more support on the
mound and at bat.
I mean that's why I really want you to give it all
you got this week and the other guys too.
- Alright, Dad.
- Alright, that's the spirit.
Nick I really want to win this one.
(upbeat music)
- [Nicholas] Practice is the most important part of
our team, it's how we learn exactly what to do,
which of course is whatever Thurman does.
- [Dad] Okay, guys everybody in.
Thurman take some batting practice.
Alright Anthony, you know what to work on.
TJ, remember both hands on the flies,
alright going out there work on your fundamentals.
Nick, Louis, the outfield work on some flies.
- Hey Dave, how's the second best manager in the league?
- Fine, fine, good to see you Harvey.
- You know Dave, considering the last couple of years,
nobody would really blame you if you just forfeited the game
on Saturday, I mean you'll save us all a lot of trouble.
- Hey, that's nice hitting, who's your assistant?
- Oh, that's Thurman Miller, he's my pitcher.
- Your what?
- Hey, you look a little pale, Harv,
I hope you're not coming down with something like
chicken pox.
- Hey what are you trying to pull here, Martin?
That guy played triple-a for the Cards last season,
and I'm sure of it. - He's 13 years old,
he meets all the League requirements,
anything else you want to know, Sherlock?
- Hey you want to get ugly,
I can get ugly. - I'll bet.
- I got a few surprises too Martin,
and we'll see who gets the last laugh,
just like last year.
- Hey, last year's history pal ,
just like your winning streak.
- See that cloud, it's the shape of the trophy
we're gonna win.
- Man I wish I could hit like that.
- Yeah.
(cheering)
- [Announcer] What an incredible afternoon for baseball
ladies and gentlemen and now, stepping up to the plate,
it's Slam-the-man Martin, one of the great home run hitters,
and on the mound it is none other than
Orel "the Bulldog" Hershiser, what an incredible matchup.
Boy, look at that face would you.
Two future Hall-of-Famers about to battle it out
here in the bottom of the ninth of this championship game.
Slam looks determined and confident.
Orel seems just a little bit tense, who can blame him, huh?
Two men on, no outs.
Orel looks in for the sign.
Here's the pitch.
Oh, a fastball out on the plate.
Wow line drive to short, he makes the catch.
Then makes the tag, over to first.
A triple play, I can't believe that Slam-the-man
has hit into a triple play, unbelievable
ladies and gentlemen.
- Hey, don't feel so bad Slam.
Remember there's more to life than winning,
besides no single player can expect to
do it all, it takes a whole team to win a game.
- [Dad] Wake up, up there, it takes a whole team
to win a game, Nick, everybody heads up ball.
(soft guitar music)
- Brother, who's that supposed to be?
- Are you kidding, the guy on that card is headed for the
Hall of Fame.
- Right the geek Hall of Fame.
- Look I got Oxo Numbkins,
Slats Felldo, hey I tell you what,
In trade for your Ryan Sandberg,
you could be the proud owner of a Otho Mounds,
a legend in his own grime.
- McGee, get a brain.
- Boy, Otho had a great swing.
(crack)
(riccochet)
- Lookout!
(conk, birds tweet)
- Take me out of the ballgame.
- I hope you have baseball out of your system now,
pine tar breath.
- Are you kidding, and give up all that fame and fortune?
Big leagues mean big bucks just in commercials alone.
- [Announcer] And here's the pitch.
Oh that's gonna be out of here folks.
He goes back, and he makes the catch.
- That was me back in 1962,
when I was known as Say-what-kid.
These days I call the big plays
behind the mic, and in the press box,
and after a hard day,
(phew)
I like to freshen up with a little splash of Old Lice.
♪ So splash on some Old Lice today ♪
You know, these days when I work up a big
thirst I like to quench it with a nice cold Canine Cola.
(slurp)
Woof.
- Hey, say little fella, you got any threes?
Go fish. - [Baseball Player] Oh phooey.
♪ Drink Canine Cola today
- Woof.
- You know when I played ball it was a tough game,
but not as tough as the payments on my new Shimmy truck.
(tires screeching)
And you talk about tough.
(grinding gears)
You ought to see the way this baby handles.
(ahhhhhh)
I can't hold it!
(crash... Aheeee)
♪ So, drive a Shimmy today.
(crash)
- [Nicholas] As the big game approached,
Thurman and I started watching our diet,
in other words he ate and I watched.
- More ice. (mouth filled)
- Hi. - Hi.
- Sarah. - Right.
Some more pound cake? - Yeah sure.
Hey, cleaned my cleats like I asked?
- Yeah.
You could eat off these cleats.
- But don't try you might chip a tooth.
- Uh-huh, yeah right, well I gotta go.
See you later Nick and see you later, Karen.
- That was unbelievable. - Yeah, that guy sure can eat,
huh? - I'll say,
he practically--
no I don't mean what he ate.
Nick, it's the way you fawn all over him,
it just doesn't seem right.
- Thurman is a star, okay,
should even be proud you came by for a bite.
- A bite, Godzilla did less damage.
Nick isn't it possible that you're so caught up with
Thurman as a baseball player that you can't see what
he's like as a person.
I mean it's okay to admire someone, but you,
you worship him like he's some kind of Idol,
if he were nice.
- What's being nice got to do with it?
You're just jealous, because we're about to become regional
champs.
- I'm not jealous Nick, that's not the point.
God is supposed to be the center of our attention.
The one we trust, remember?
- Sure.
But you just wait after tomorrow, you're gonna be telling
all your friends that Thurman Miller actually spoke to you,
Karen.
("Take Me Out To The Ballgame" on guitar)
- [Announcer] What a great day for baseball.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the
Allstate Regional Championship.
(cheering)
- Play ball!
(upbeat music)
- [Announcer] Today's game features the Freeland Dodgers,
and the Eastfield Braves.
The winner is on the road to the Little League World Series.
- [Dad] Okay guys, stay loose, stay focused,
make them play your game.
- We beat them last year, and we're gonna do it again
this year. (cheering)
- You can beat these guys. Let's get em.
(cheering)
- One, two, three!
Dodgers!
Let's go!
- [Announcer] And the Braves takes the field.
(cheering)
- [Umpire] Strike!
- [Announcer] Bottom of the third, and still no score.
(cheering)
- Out... no he's safe! Safe.
- Come on, you guys, lets go!
I can't do this myself.
- [Announcer] Top of the fifth, Dodgers lead two to nothing.
- You can hit em, you can hit em!
- [Umpire] You're out!
(crack)
(cheering)
- [Announcer] How about that?
Two home runs for pitcher, Thurman Miller,
Braves tying the score.
- Second base, Nick!
- I don't believe this.
- [Announcer] So with three runs with four hits,
the Dodgers take commanding six to two lead.
- It looked extremely rocky for the Eastfield nine
that day, the score stood five to seven with an inning
left to play.
So in Eddie died at second, and Peter did the same,
a pallor reached the features of the patrons of the game.
Then Nick let drive a single to the wonderment of all,
and the understated Louis tore the cover off the ball,
and when the dust had lifted and they saw what had occurred,
there was Louis safe in second, and Nick a huggin third.
There was ease in Thurman's manner,
as he stepped up to his place.
There was pride and Thurman's bearing,
and a smile up on his face; and when responding to the cheers,
he lightly tipped his hat, no stranger in the crowd
could doubt.
- It's Thurman at bat.
- [McGee] Then from the pitchers twisted arm the
fiery baseball sped.
- That ain't my styles.
- [McGee] said Thurman...
- Strike one!
- [McGee] The umpire said.
From the benches full of people there
went up a muffled roar.
Like the beating of the storm waves on the stern
and distant shore...
- Kill em, kill the umpire.
- - [McGee] Shouted someone on the stands,
and it's likely they'd have killed him,
had not Thurman raised his hand.
With a smile of noble charity, great Thurman's visage
shown, he stilled the rising tumult.
He made the game go on, he signaled to the pitcher,
and once more the spheroid flew,
but Thurman still ignored it, and the umpire said...
- Strike two!
- [McGee] The snare is gone from Thurman's lips,
his teeth are clenched in hate,
he pounds with cruel vengeance his bat upon the plate,
and now the pitcher holds the ball,
and now he lets it go, and now the air is shattered
by the force of Thurman's blow.
(a church bell tolls)
Oh, somewhere in this favored land,
the sun is shining bright, the band is playing somewhere,
and somewhere hearts are light,
and somewhere men are happy,
and somewhere children shout,
but there is no joy in Eastfield,
mighty Thurman has struck out.
(melancholic music)
- How're we doing?
- Still losing.
- I guess I didn't show it but...
I'm real proud of the way you and the other guys
played today.
I've been thinking about how bad I wanted this game.
You know beat, Harvey Stover...
manage a championship team...
conquer the world
It seemed like we had all the ingredients.
- Especially Thurman.
- Yeah.
- Well pal, I guess we both learn that...
When you dream without the Lord,
You better dream again.
- Someone tried to tell me that,
but...
- Hey, you guys okay?
- Yeah
- Come on.
(Dad sighs)
- We got a little worried when you didn't show at home.
- Oh...
How're you doing coach?
- Oh feeling better by the minute.
- You okay? - Yeah.
Look...
I'm sorry about the other day I--
- no problem
- We'll get em next year.
- Next year? - Yeah,
and I'm gonna play softball next year,
so maybe you could...
- Uh no, wait a minute, let's talk this over.
Think I may take another job.
- it's like I always say,
it's not over till the bat boy sings.
♪ Cause it's one
♪ Two
♪ Three strikes , you're out of the old ball game ♪
(screeching): GAME!
♪ Game begins...
♪ and you want to win
♪ It's a lifelong dream
♪ Don't lose sight, cause there's more to life ♪
♪ than victory
♪ It doesn't matter if you want to be a superstar ♪
♪ He doesn't care who the winners and the losers are ♪
♪ You gotta hold on
♪ To what you're dreaming of
♪ Set your sights on heaven
♪ And reach for the skies
♪ You gotta hold on
♪ Why do it on your own
♪ Put your trust in Him
♪ Cause he's on your side, so hold on ♪
(rock rendition of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game")
♪ You can't rely on
♪ And the strength of men
♪ To pull you through
♪ He'll put you up and he'll let you down
♪ and in the end you'll loose
♪ Put your faith in the one who is in control ♪
♪ He'll help you make it to your highest goal ♪
♪ So hold on
♪ To what you're dreaming of
♪ Set your sights on heaven
♪ and reach for the sky
♪ You gotta hold on
♪ Why do it on your own
♪ Put your trust in him,
♪ Cause he's on your side
♪ You gotta hold on
♪ To what you're dreaming of.
♪ Set your sights on heaven
♪ and reach for the sky
♪ You gotta hold on
♪ Why do it on your own
♪ Put your trust in him
♪ Cause he's on your side
♪ So hold on