Pretty much the entire movie was a flashback, and it’s very well done. There’s no cheesiness to it, no jumping around between time periods. It’s just Dottie going back and remembering that one magical season she played professional baseball.
She starts to reconnect with some of her original Peaches teammates who are at the ballpark, first with Doris and Mae when Doris throws a baseball in Dottie’s direction to see if it’s her. After that same “pop!” sound of bare-handing the baseball, Doris’ suspicions are confirmed. “It’s Dottie!”
The casting was good here, too, because the actresses have similarities to what you might imagine the characters would look like in their older age. Doris has longer hair and Mae is all dolled up, Ellen Sue still has her southern accent. It seems like we’re supposed to believe that Dottie played one year in the league and then didn’t see her teammates again. I guess that could be true, but even back in the times where snail mail was the thing and transportation was tougher, you’d think she would have kept in touch somehow. But hey, that ruins the spirit of the reunion, right?
And hey, Marla is back! This is also the first time we really get confirmation that Dottie’s husband, Bob, has passed away, in her conversation with Marla. But I realized some of the other clues from the beginning of the movie make sense for that, like Dottie spent time cooped up in a room at her daughter’s place, and her daughter said she found Dottie’s catcher’s mitt in a box of stuff, like if you’d recently packed up a house.
Baseball Hall of Fame
The reason for Dottie’s trip is the fact that the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League is being honored and entered into the Baseball Hall of Fame. As Dottie and the players look around at the photos and memorabilia, she meets an adult Stillwell who informs her that his mother died. A nice touch to have him there to represent.
The reason for Dottie’s trip is the fact that the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League is being honored and entered into the Baseball Hall of Fame. As Dottie and the players look around at the photos and memorabilia, she meets an adult Stillwell who informs her that his mother died. A nice touch to have him there to represent.
Plenty of work went into memorabilia and black-and-white photographs for the exhibit and the movie in general, including a large mock-up of Jimmy Dugan in the Hall of Fame. The movie killed his character off in 1987, we find out. Oh, and let’s have a quick shoutout here for all the film cameras the ladies use to commemorate the occasion since the movie was made in 1992.
Then the original league players start singing their theme song once again. During the song, Kit shows up. It’s easy to spot Kit, because they beat us over the head with the fact that the large clan with her includes a bunch of redheads. Laughing emoji. It also begs the question here, if Kit had her entourage with her, why didn’t Dottie bring her troops?
Dottie and Kit spot each other and go in for an emotional hug as some of their teammates look on, also touched by the sweet moment. I wonder how long the gap is supposed to be between the sisters seeing each other in person. In the beginning of the movie, Dottie's daughter mentions that Kit's husband has always been very nice to Dottie, so I don't think they've gone all those decades since the World Series without a reunion.
It is interesting that Dottie was all about the family throughout the movie, and here’s Kit with her kids and grandkids. She apparently found a way to have it all, as they say.
Dottie and Kit spot each other and go in for an emotional hug as some of their teammates look on, also touched by the sweet moment. I wonder how long the gap is supposed to be between the sisters seeing each other in person. In the beginning of the movie, Dottie's daughter mentions that Kit's husband has always been very nice to Dottie, so I don't think they've gone all those decades since the World Series without a reunion.
It is interesting that Dottie was all about the family throughout the movie, and here’s Kit with her kids and grandkids. She apparently found a way to have it all, as they say.
I don’t think I had ever heard this line before I recently watched the movie again because it’s pretty quick and you might miss it. I’m actually not 100 percent sure I’m hearing it correctly. But Dottie and Kit get a photo together asking “(little?) Dottie, take a picture” of one of the redheaded grandkids. So, it looks like Kit has a granddaughter named Dottie. That’s adorable.
We’ve reached the end
The original Peaches gather together for a team photo, which is snapped and cuts to a black-and-white photo of the original players. Everyone is in the same place, too. 
Fade to black, and that’s the end of this wonderful film. A little more than two hours of fantastic baseball and movie magic. We then see a dedication to the members of the A.A.G.P.B.L. before the credits roll.
Let me tell you, if you’ve never sat and watched the entire credits sequence for this movie, you’re missing out and need to go do that immediately. These are some of the best closing credits in any movie ever. Any TV channel that blocks out time for this particular movie should also make sure to let the credits are included, too. The channels that crunch them down and roll them through while promoting their other programming for this movie should be ashamed.
Come for the movie, stay for the credits
The end of a movie when the credits roll is usually a time the house lights come up and patrons exit the movie theater, or you change the channel or watch something else at home. In more recent years, things have gotten creative with blooper reels or other scenes as the credits come up. Even better, some roll a few credits before starting the bloopers, leaving people standing in the movie theater aisles or having already left the theater. And I wonder how many people never saw the guy in the cab at the end of “Airplane!” which was a throwback to the start of the film?
The end of a movie when the credits roll is usually a time the house lights come up and patrons exit the movie theater, or you change the channel or watch something else at home. In more recent years, things have gotten creative with blooper reels or other scenes as the credits come up. Even better, some roll a few credits before starting the bloopers, leaving people standing in the movie theater aisles or having already left the theater. And I wonder how many people never saw the guy in the cab at the end of “Airplane!” which was a throwback to the start of the film?
The credits for this movie include the song “This Used to Be My Playground” by – who else? – Madonna. First of all, great song. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. The cast is also listed as a “Cast Roster,” a subtle baseball touch. It starts out with scenes from the movie early on, and also a few things we didn’t see, like Dottie and Kit playing catch back on the farm in Oregon (maybe from the deleted-scenes bin?). That’s mixed up a bit with some black-and-white photos from movie scenes.
A little later, we see a ball game being played with the older members of the AAGPBL in the present day. I’m not sure how many are actual players and how many are actresses in these scenes; my guess is anyone with a speaking line was an actress. The song plays out with the baseball scenes, and we’re treated to the ladies showing off their passion for baseball.
The final scene before the rest of the credits run across a black screen is a gal taking exception to a strike call at the plate. Taller than the umpire, she throws down her bat and commences an argument with blue, getting up close and personal telling him the ball was “clear inside.” He eventually responds with “yesterday it might have been a ball, tomorrow it might be a ball, but today it was a strike!” Then the rest of the credits roll over the typical black screen.
There you go. My long-winded summary and commentary on one of the greatest sports movies of all time, “A League of Their Own.” Thanks for reading along, and feel free to let me know in the comments or on social media some of your thoughts on the movie.
And remember, there’s no crying in baseball. Well, most of the time.
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'
A League of Their Own commentary, part 12: 'I'm no quitter'
A League of Their Own commentary, part 13: 'Kit! Kit! Kit!'
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