GUEST EDITORIAL: The Sandlot, The American Classic Movie
Image: Unsplash
The Sandlot, The American Classic Movie
by Kevin Gardner
Nothing brings back memories of the magic of a simple summer in childhood like the movie The Sandlot. Baseball, monster-dogs and hot days spent outside with friends bring back the fondest of days for many. If you haven’t seen The Sandlot in a while, you should give it another watch- hopefully on VHS. But, here’s a synopsis until you have time to give it a rewatch.
Meet Scotty Smalls
The story is told from the perspective of 10-year-old Scotty Smalls. He’s reminiscing about the ordinary magic of his first summer in L.A., in 1962.He moved with his mom and step dad and was having trouble making friends.
Smalls recognizes a group of boys that go somewhere to play every day. Eventually he follows them to an empty lot, known as the sandlot, and watches a baseball game unfold.
Small’s First Game
At first, Smalls is reluctant to join the game. Smalls fails to catch an easy pop fly and fumbles the throw back to the infielders. As the rest of the team, baseball gloves in hand, begin to poke fun at Smalls, he tries to leave.
One player, the best player on the team, does not participate in this ridicule though. Benny defends Smalls from his peers and encourages him to rejoin the game. This means a lot, considering Benny is the best player on the team.
Benny, Smalls and the Rest of the Team
Benny takes Smalls under his wing. He offers advice and coaches him in the art of baseball. As the summer progresses, Small’s game improves and he becomes better. This earns him the respect of the team.
As Smalls becomes a part of the group, he has the opportunity to be involved in the types of shenanigans that make up the best childhood fun. For instance, Smalls fakes drowning at the community pool to try to get a kiss from a lifeguard he has a crush on. When they find out he’s faking, he gets barred from the pool!
The Beast
In addition, Smalls soon learns about the terror on the other side of the sandlot fence. The property next door is a ferocious dog, nicknamed The Beast. Every time a home run is hit over the fence, the ball is gone forever. This means it becomes a team strategy not to hit a ball over the fence.
One day Benny accidentally hits a ball so hard that the ball comes apart at the seams and flies over the fence. It quickly becomes clear that the ball is lost forever to The Beast. Sadly, the team cannot afford another ball.
The Great Bambino
Luckily, Smalls saves the day. He knows his stepdad keeps a baseball on display at home. He runs home and grabs it to bring it back so his friends can continue playing. They let him have the first hit of the next game, and he hits it out of the lot.
Smalls’ excitement quickly turns to fear when he realizes he lost his step dad's ball. Things only get worse from there. Smalls mentioned that the ball was signed by Babe Ruth, having no idea who the famous player is. When the team explains that Babe Ruth is their idol, The Great Bambino, Smalls realizes he has lost something priceless and valuable.
Rescue and Recovery
The day quickly turns to a plan to get the ball from The Beast. After a few failed attempts, Smalls prepares to go home and accept his fate. Benny has a dream where he’s visited by Babe Ruth though which gives him a plan to run into the Beast’s domain and steal back the ball.
Benny steals the ball back from The Beast and eludes him on a chase through town, but the ball isn’t in good shape at the end of the chase.
A fence also falls on The Beast and Benny and Smalls feel responsible. They help The Beast home and meet his owner. They learn The Beast’s owner used to play pro baseball and even played with Babe Ruth. He gives Smalls a ball that’s signed by many great players, including Babe Ruth to give to his stepdad. In exchange, the boys agree to come visit him every week.
The Sandlot really is a nostalgic classic and worth a rewatch tonight.
