The Great American Pastime

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• 1956
• 1 hr 30 mins
• Comedy, Sports

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• Watchlist

Bruce Hallerton is a lawyer in small town Willow Falls, New York, and an ardent New York Yankees fan. These two pursuits leave little time for his ten year old son, Dennis Hallerton, whose raising has largely been left to his mother, Bruce's faithful wife Betty Hallerton. So when Bruce is asked to manage the Panthers Little League baseball team for this spring and summer season with Buck Rivers as coach, Bruce agrees in believing it a good opportunity for he and Dennis to spend some quality time together in something they can do as father and son. His agreement is despite the Panthers historically having been on the losing side of most games. The situation itself doesn't turn out quite as he expects as that bonding activity for him and Dennis, beyond leaving Betty out in the cold in knowing nothing about baseball. Making matters worse is having to deal with baseball fathers who both do whatever they can to position their own sons in the most advantageous position on the team, and question Bruce's decisions, especially as the team continues not to do well, most specifically against their nemesis, the Tigers, who always seem to have their number even compared to other teams. But arguably the most problematic issue is the one baseball divorcée mother, Doris Patterson, who may see Bruce as a permanent father figure for her son, the team pitcher Herbie Patterson.