A fine story about following your dreams and actually taking a stab at Doing something about them when the chance strikes. Nothing was easy for Morris either-he had a family, job, job opps elsewheres, a mortgage, etc-it wasn't like he could just drop what he was doing and blithely hop on the greyhound to play AAA ball for 4 months. It took guts. I am glad that they showed his indecision, almost up 'til he got the callup to the majors.

I can remember seeing him pitch against the Red Sox(I think...),it was a great story. Though Morris actually looks more like John Kruk or a Mills Watson than Quaid-that's okay.

Quaid does a very good job playing the man, the teacher, coach and 'oldest rookie'.... As someone who is in the the same age group, I certainly can ID with his plight. You're not Quite too old to do what you had dreamed of as a kid, but it's getting there. You have to do it sooner than lator.

Believably told, nicely edited, paced, acted, good to see the familiar faces of the late Royce Applegate, Brian Cox and Rachel Griffiths here.

Good job all around, glad to see it hit.

*** outta ****...who woulda thought that the Tampa Devil Rays woulda been the subject of such a good movie early on?

Dennis Quaid stars in this biographical film about Jim Morris, once a promising prospect originally in the Milwaukee Brewer system who had several chances with a few teams and never quite made the Big Show as they call the Major Leagues. Now he's settled down being a full time science teacher and part time baseball coach at his small town Texas high school with wife Rachel Griffiths and their kids.

But through some mysterious alchemy the arm trouble that washed him out seems to have gone away. Quaid is back throwing the high heat of his high school days. And soon more than his team notices.

The Rookie is a great film in the sense that it shows people that every now and then dreams do come true. After long years Jim Morris got his chance to pitch in the Major Leagues, the dream of everyone who draws a paycheck playing a kid's game.

His record isn't much for the Tampa Bay Rays and Morris managed to get there because this was an expansion team in existence for only a couple of years. But he's in the baseball encyclopedia for all time to come. Kind of like Moonlight Graham, played in Field Of Dreams by Burt Lancaster who was up "for a cup of coffee and a look/see for John McGraw".

The Rookie is a nice baseball film and big Kudos to Dennis Quaid and everyone else associated with bringing Jim Morris to the big screen as well as The Big Show.

Jim Morris moved a lot as a kid being the son of a military man (Brian Cox). His baseball dream got sidelined time and again. He ended up in Texas where nuns supposedly blessed the grounds after putting their money in drilling oil. He was actually drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers but injuries ended his career. He returned back to Texas. He (Dennis Quaid) teaches high school chemistry with his wife (Rachel Griffiths) and three kids. He coaches an unmotivated school baseball team. The team wants him to go to a tryout for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He agrees to do it if the team wins the championship.

This is a nice inspirational family film. It's your basic nice small-town guy makes it to the big leagues. It's great anytime no matter what the big league is. That's not to say that this is a nothing special movie. In addition to the expected feel-good moments, there are some fun moments and some heart breaking moments. I like the grass. I like all the minor obstacles. I like Dennis Quaid. There's a lot to like.