See Also: HARDBALL (2001) - with Jacki Krestel

VARSITY BLUES director Brian Robbins follow-up was another inspirational, somewhat edgy sports movie HARDBALL - this time about baseball and set in Chicago.

1999 icon Keanu Reeves plays down-on-his-luck sports gambler Conor O'Neill who finds himself the head coach of an inner-city Chicago youth baseball team. Somehow, he makes the team better. Somehow, the team makes him better. Diane Lane is also involved for unclear reasons.

Is HARDBALL a good baseball movie? No. But is it a good movie? Also no.

But the kids are great, including a very young Michael B. Jordan.

Anyway, since it's about baseball and set in Chicago, Jacki Krestel is once again with us to talk about how, if you're going to make a baseball movie, you gotta actually demonstrate that you love baseball!