The Sandlot

The Sandlot

1993

Director: David M. Evans

Writer: David M. Evans and Robert Gunter

101 minutes

In the year 1962, Scott Smalls (Tom Guiry) moved into a new neighborhood. Having no friends and a life dominated by erector sets, he was a lost cause. That is until Scott met Benny (Mike Vitar) and the rest of the Sandlot kids.

Their roster included:

Catcher Hamilton “Ham” Porter
Outfielder Michael “Squints” Palledorous
Short-Stop Alan “Yeah-Yeah” McClennan
Pitcher Kenny DeNunez
2nd Basemen Bertram Glover Weeks
Third Basemen Tommy “Repeat” Timmons
First Basemen Timmy Timmons

Each player had their own personality, characteristics, and style. Though, each player didn’t believe Scott Smalls could throw a baseball, much less play on their field.

The Sandlot was their church and Smalls was unworthy.

It took Benny’s unique talent to make Scott Smalls a player, opening the eyes to the rest of the team and changing this new-kid-to-the-neighborhood’s life forever.

Smalls went onto become a sports announcer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s life changing.

It wasn’t just baseball that changed Small’s life, it was the bond between these players. It was celebrating 4th of July with them on the field for their only night game. It was Wendy Peffercorn and their adventures at the community pool. And it was having smores and sleepovers in the Sandlot tree-fort.

Friendship.

In the scene above, the team from the other side of town rolls into the Sandlot. They have nice, white, pressed uniforms and cleats to match. Ham Porter comes front and center and there’s a battle of wits between the two teams.

The following day, the Sandlot kids beat the crap out of the other side in a glorious victory.

This banter and beating, this face-off, this good vs. bad rivalry between two teams is epic to a child’s life. But, standing there calling the opposite team a “crap face” and your friends having your back is essential to a child’s life.

That’s what Scott Small’s gained the summer of 1962: friendship.

The Sandlot is a wonderful film because it’s a kid’s film made for adults. Kids relate to the conversations, situations, and dialog, but adults remembers it for the innocents, purity, and fun.

Their are Sandlots everywhere that help us remember.

In the end, it takes Benny ‘The Jet” to pickle a beast, save a ball, and become a legend to be remembered. For Scott Smalls, all Benny needed to do was say hello and his life was changed forever.

To Benny ‘The Jet,” we should all be so lucky to have a friend like that.