‘The Sandlot’ With Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, and Mina Kimes
August 4, 2020 · The Sandlot (1993) · Comedy · Drama · Family · 1:29:30 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsSeven nominees including: Smalls joining the Sandlot ('don't be a goofus'), learning to throw scene with Benny, big game against rivals, Smalls homers with Babe Ruth ball, pool scene, triple vacuum explosion, and Benny stealing ball from beast▶ 23:01
Mallory RubinAdded five scenes Bill didn't mention: Legend of the Beast sequence with s'mores and 'you're killing me smalls', the entire ball retrieval sequence with multiple attempts including erector set, and emphasized the campout/storytelling scenes▶ 29:15
What's Aged the Best
Mallory RubinThe early to mid-90s kids' baseball and sports movie genre that The Sandlot represents, plus the film's retro fashion (jeans, Chuck Taylors, P.F. Flyers)▶ 45:01
Mina KimesThe music choices - though incredibly obvious and on the nose (This Magic Moment, Green Onions, Tequila, Wipeout), they were perfect for kids and create lasting associations with the scenes▶ 45:18
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsThe color photograph of the Sandlot kids at the end (should be black and white for 1962) and the Wendy Peffercorn pool scene with consent issues▶ 50:42
Mallory RubinThe Wendy Peffercorn pool sequence - the tricking into the kiss, him being rewarded for it, and the cringe-worthy narration about kissing 'long and good'▶ 51:34
Mina KimesThe Wendy Peffercorn pool scene, particularly where he grabs her head and tricks her into the kiss▶ 51:25
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsPablo P. Vitar — Shares casting trivia: older and younger Benny played by real brothers Pablo and Mike Vitar, casting directors originally wanted kids age 9-10 but upped it, and Yeah Yeah actor originally auditioned for Bertram but got Yeah Yeah role when original Yeah Yeah actor got sick▶ 52:48
Joey Pants Award
Bill SimmonsArt LaFleur — Art LaFleur (the actor who played Babe Ruth and was also in Field of Dreams)▶ 53:45
Dion Waiters Award
Bill SimmonsJames Earl Jones — Uncertain between Squints and James Earl Jones - acknowledges difficulty with category rules since kids are in movie a lot, but says if it's someone not in movie much it's James Earl Jones, if it's a side character kid it's probably Squints▶ 56:26
Mallory RubinJames Earl Jones — Supports James Earl Jones based on his charisma and magnetic screen presence, quotes his scene about knowing Babe Ruth▶ 57:23
Mina KimesJames Earl Jones — Questions James Earl Jones's acting ability after seeing him in Best of the Best, wonders if he just has a cool way about him rather than being a good actor▶ 56:46
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsThe Bad News Bears — Bad News Bears and Bad News Bears Breaking Training for little kid baseball movies▶ 1:03:30
Mina KimesA League of Their Own — Mentioned A League of Their Own was really big for her generation but didn't make a definitive apex mountain pick▶ 1:03:45
Best Quote
Mallory RubinThree quotes: Babe Ruth's 'Everybody gets one chance to do something great' speech, 'Heroes can't remember, but legends never die', and 'Baseball was life. And I was good at it'▶ 1:13:30
Mina KimesTwo quotes: 'I haven't had anything yet. So how can I have some more of nothing?', Ham calling Scotty an 'L7 weenie', and 'We're clearly dealing with a superior intelligence here'▶ 1:13:15
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsMultiple questions: Smalls vs Cameron Ferrari comparison (Cameron was more hostile), Benny's baseball career (12-15 seasons like Brady Anderson - .290, 13 homers, 29 steals with a couple gold gloves), why Benny didn't become a huge star in real life▶ 1:16:21
Mallory RubinSmalls wasn't aggressively hostile, just foolish and misguided unlike Cameron. Benny had longevity (15+ year career) as a 20-homer/30-steal player like Jacoby Ellsbury or pre-injury Grady Sizemore, brought in to pinch run in his final years▶ 1:16:35
Mina KimesAgreed Cameron was worse than Smalls, speculated Benny didn't become a star due to lacking empathy gene based on arrest, noted confusion about Benny being brought in to pinch run despite being old▶ 1:16:53
Who Won the Movie
Mallory RubinPatrick Renna — Ham (Hammer) or Hercules, specifically noting they steal scene after scene on rewatch▶ 1:25:13
Mina KimesThe sport of baseball itself - arguing the movie is about baseball for baseball's sake▶ 1:25:45
Movies Referenced (24)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hercules (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes | ▶ 3:51 |
| Field of Dreams (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin | ▶ 1:17 |
| Rookie of the Year (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Mina Kimes, Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:28 |
| Halloween (1978) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin | ▶ 58:35 |
| Rushmore (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Mallory Rubin, Mina Kimes | ▶ 1:12 |
| Best of the Best (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes | ▶ 56:41 |
| Before We Go (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:26:53 |
| Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 47:07 |
| Stand by Me (1986) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons | ▶ 12:30 |
| A Christmas Story (1983) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 19:39 |
| A League of Their Own (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 59:14 |
| American Pie (1999) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 46:50 |
Directors Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earl Jones | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:26:30 |
Actors Referenced (43)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babe Ruth | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 31 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Mina Kimes | ▶ 4:53 | |
| Bill Russell | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes | ▶ 6:40 | |
| James Earl Jones | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Mina Kimes | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Field of Dreams | ▶ 4:30 |
| Mike Vitar | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons | The Sandlot | ▶ 52:56 |
| Vin Scully | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin | For Love of the Game | ▶ 1:21:44 |
| Jonah Hill | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Mina Kimes | 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, The Wolf of Wall Street | ▶ 39:30 |
| Luke Perry | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin | The Fifth Element, Buffy the Vampire Slayer | ▶ 19:36 |
| Hank Aaron | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Mallory Rubin | ▶ 1:09:33 | |
| Michael Jordan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Space Jam, He Got Game | ▶ 6:02 |
| Art LaFleur | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | The Sandlot, Cobra, Field of Dreams | ▶ 53:32 |
| Bambino | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin | ▶ 28:15 | |
| Brady Anderson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:20:24 |
Writers Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Mickey Evans | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | The Sandlot | ▶ 18:20 |
| Judd Apatow | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | The King of Staten Island, Knocked Up | ▶ 39:55 |
| Frank Thomas | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Incredibles | ▶ 10:14 |
| J. David Stem | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Mina Kimes | ▶ 48:48 | |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 19:39 |