Somehow, the shorthanded Peaches manage to push the World Series to a seventh game against – who else? – Kit and the Racine Belles.
Bring back the musical montage! This one has newspaper headlines telling the story of the first six games, with game clips in the background. If you look closely, you’ll see that Racine took a 2-0 series lead with 10-1 and 6-3 victories. Based on Game 7 later being played at Racine, let’s assume it has homefield advantage. Rockford wins Game 3 before the Belles take a 3-1 series lead with a 7-5 win. And then, a fact I didn’t know until I looked closely at the newspaper on this latest viewing of the movie, the Peaches took Game 5 in 17 innings. That had to be a nail-biter. Then they won the next game to force a winner-take-all Game 7.
Did anyone really think this wasn’t going seven games?
‘May our balls be plentiful’
To show just how far Dugan has come in the movie, he leads his team in a pregame prayer before Game 7. Even the Peaches are shocked at this point. But Jimmy being Jimmy, he can’t resist a little risqué prayer. “Lord, I’d just like to thank you for that waitress in South Bend. You know who she is. She kept calling your name.” I mean, really? Evelyn is all of us with the look on her face here.
To show just how far Dugan has come in the movie, he leads his team in a pregame prayer before Game 7. Even the Peaches are shocked at this point. But Jimmy being Jimmy, he can’t resist a little risqué prayer. “Lord, I’d just like to thank you for that waitress in South Bend. You know who she is. She kept calling your name.” I mean, really? Evelyn is all of us with the look on her face here.
It’s a little thing, but I’m a big fan of the overhead camera shot when the team puts their hands in for the “Go Peaches!” cheer before they head out to the field.
The pregame festivities are out in full force with the fanfare of a World Series. Also, can we take a minute to say how cute it is that the umpires are wearing bow ties? We’re back with the Racine PA guy, who tells the radio world that “someone will walk out of here today champions of the league, and someone else will just walk out of here.” Simply put but also memorable for me, once again.
Guess who’s back?
As Dugan goes over to pitcher Ellen Sue as she’s warming up, he has some instructions for his catcher. He yells at who he assumes is Alice to see if she acknowledges what he said. And then – surprise! It’s Dottie! She got as far as Yellowstone Park and turned back (no idea how long that drive would have taken back then, but apparently it was six games worth). Again, what a movie thing to bring back our hero. I mean, they had to. We all needed that Kit-vs-Dottie matchup. Dugan goes to change the lineup with the umpire, but was Dottie even on the roster at this point? She had already quit.
As Dugan goes over to pitcher Ellen Sue as she’s warming up, he has some instructions for his catcher. He yells at who he assumes is Alice to see if she acknowledges what he said. And then – surprise! It’s Dottie! She got as far as Yellowstone Park and turned back (no idea how long that drive would have taken back then, but apparently it was six games worth). Again, what a movie thing to bring back our hero. I mean, they had to. We all needed that Kit-vs-Dottie matchup. Dugan goes to change the lineup with the umpire, but was Dottie even on the roster at this point? She had already quit.
It’s interesting that she seems annoyed at Jimmy for calling her a quitter before she left. “I’m no quitter.” Ugh, ok, but you did quit right before the World Series and, as we later find out, only played one year in the league. Maybe we’re finally seeing that the game means a little more to her than we think. She also has an unnecessary but funny line as Jimmy walks away: “You look like shit. Don’t you ever shave?” Make sure you don’t watch a cable-TV version of the movie, or you won’t see any part of that gem. Or maybe just the shaving part. It inspires Jimmy to think they’re going to win, at any rate.
Before the game, Jimmy beans little Stillwell, who’s mocking him about losing, with a baseball glove. Stillwell falls down in a heap. It’s worth concussion protocol these days, but back then all mother Evelyn did was ask if he was going to stay there on the ground or come into the dugout. How sweet.
Much like Game 7 of the 1991 World Series (Minnesota Twins reference!), the game was exciting but still scoreless late into the contest. We circle back to the moment with Evelyn screwing up in the field when she makes the same mistake again to allow Racine to take a 1-0 lead in the 8th. But this time, a still-pissed-but-measured manager Dugan tells her he’d like her to work on hitting the cutoff man before next season. The way Hanks makes his hands shake combined with his facial expressions as he tries with all his willpower to not scream in her face again is hilarious. She’s grateful.
To the 9th we go
It’s the top of the ninth, and the last hope for the Peaches this season. Mae starts by beating out an infield hit, followed by a single from Doris. The musical soundtrack starts to intensify a bit here. Evelyn does something right by moving the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Helen is the second out with an unproductive grounder to first base. That’s actress Tea Leoni as the Racine first baseman who stares Mae back to her bag at third. I don’t think I recognized Leoni the first few times I watched this movie.
It’s the top of the ninth, and the last hope for the Peaches this season. Mae starts by beating out an infield hit, followed by a single from Doris. The musical soundtrack starts to intensify a bit here. Evelyn does something right by moving the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Helen is the second out with an unproductive grounder to first base. That’s actress Tea Leoni as the Racine first baseman who stares Mae back to her bag at third. I don’t think I recognized Leoni the first few times I watched this movie.
Who comes up to the plate with two outs, two on and needing a run? Why, Dottie Hinson, of course! Here’s the first of a couple odd lines from the Racine catcher, the one who commented earlier that she couldn’t do the splits. She says “Let’s get out of this inning!” as a means to pump up her teammates. Um, actually, you win the World Series if you “get out of this.” What to downplay it. This isn’t the third inning or something. I’m sure it’s just a heat-of-the-moment thing.
Dottie delivers, smacking a line drive right over the mound, nearly decapitating Kit, who hits the dirt. The music, which is so well done in these scenes here especially, speeds up and intensifies once again as both Mae and Doris come around to score and put the Peaches up 2-1 on the RBI single.
A League of Their Own commentary, part 2: 'So we can make a buck...'
A League of Their Own commentary, part 3: 'Go where things happen'
A League of Their Own commentary, part 4: 'OK, some of them are goin' home'
A League of Their Own commentary, part 5: 'Still a fall-down drunk?'
A League of Their Own commentary, part 6: 'What a hitter'
A League of Their Own commentary, part 7: 'It had to be you'
A League of Their Own commentary, part 8: 'There's no crying in baseball!'
A League of Their Own commentary, part 10: 'If you're here, then I'm not here'
A League of Their Own commentary, part 11: 'It's supposed to be hard'
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