For Love of the Game - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of For Love of the Game or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to For Love of the Game

[kristen]

The Tigers are shown to be going into the game with a season win-loss record of 64-97. The number wound up being very close to the real-life Tigers final record of 69-92 for the 1999 season (The time of the film's release). The Yankees were noted as closing in on clinching first place in the American League East Division, and would actually do so in the 1999 season. In real life however, the Yankees clinched the division prior to their final series of the regular season.

[linda]

At one point where Billy flashes back seeing his parents in the stands a 1984 World Series banner is visible. The Tigers were actually in the 1984 World Series, which they won four games to one against the San Diego Padres.

[harry]

The ball which bounces off Mickey Hart's head in the outfield is caught by a fan whose glove is in the field of play. Therefore it would have been considered an out and Mickey Hart would not have suffered near the embarasment implied in the film.

[kenneth]

The player that goes into the dugout at the end of the game, wearing the number 61, has been erroneously pictured as Ken Strout, who was wearing number 60; Strout was a left-handed batter, and the player going into the dugout was a right-handed batter, as evidenced by the ear flap on the left side of his helmet.

[cameron]

Sam Tuttle, the best hitter on the team, wears #13 and plays 3rd base. Alex Rodriguez also wears the same number and played the same position. Furthermore, Rodriguez played for the Texas Rangers and Michael Papajohn, the actor playing Tuttle, was drafted by the Rangers.

[clayton]

As can be heard from the announcement at the airport, Jane's flight to London was on Oceanic Airlines. This is the fictional airline that has been used in a number of feature films and television shows, featured most prominently in Lost (2004).

[alyssa]

It was reported that Kevin Costner was angry with Universal Pictures because they cut his full-frontal shower scene. Costner told Newsweek that the studio lacked "real courage" by insisting that the film have a more kid-friendly rating. But a studio executive told New York magazine that a test audience in Arizona gave a thumbs-down to Costner's manhood. "The audience giggled at Kevin's penis... Then, in focus groups, they said, 'Do we really need to see Kevin Costner's penis?'"

[liam]

A lot of the Yankee hitters use actual Yankee stats from the 1998 season. An example is Matt Crane, the pinch hitter to lead off the ninth. He was hitting .373 with 10 HRs and 27 RBIs. These were Shane Spencer's stats in 1998. Davis Birch used Paul O'Neil's stats.

[scarlett]

According to Kevin Costner, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was becoming agitated that the Yankees would be seen losing in a movie filmed on location at Yankee Stadium. Costner said he was able to calm Steinbrenner down by explaining that Billy Chapel, and not necessarily the game itself, was the movie's major focus. Costner also explained that the game would mean nothing to the Yankees, and that it wasn't played as a "Winner Take All" scenario. Costner convinced Steinbrenner that in the movie's universe, the Yankees would clinch the AL East division the next day, keeping alive their World Series chances. Costner said that he later received a Yankees 1999 World Series ring as a thank-you gift from Steinbrenner.

[ethel]

This was Sam Raimi's first film to be shot in the widescreen 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

[duane]

As usual: The director Sam Raimi's brother Ted has a short part in the film. Ted is better known as Joxer on Xena The Warrior Princess also directed by Sam.