My First Baseball Movie

Bang The Drum Slowly was the first baseball movie I can remember going to. The movie came out in 1973 and made a big impression on me. It was not just a baseball movie, it was a story about life itself. Robert DeNiro was the star and the movie was also Danny Aiello's film debut. (my favorite Aiello flick was Jacob's Ladder, where Danny played a chiropractor - and was about the only sane one in the movie - his co-star in that movie, Tim Robbins, was also in the baseball movie Bull Durham). Bang The Drum Slowly was a baseball version of Brian's Song, the movie about Chicago Bears' teammates Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo.

The story is about the relationship that develops between the pitcher and catcher and what happens when the catcher develops a terminal illness. I remember the movie being powerful and moving. I watched it again, not too long ago, and 35 years later, it still moved me. If you haven't seen it, I encourage you to do so.