Professional Baseball

[hockeyhound]

*61 is a Billy Crystal film production that portrays two of baseball's legends, Mickey Mantle & Roger Maris.

61* is a magical film that was inspired by several heroic baseball players and their quest to break the single season home run record. The movie opens with 1998 film footage of St. Louis Cardinals player Mark McGwire hitting his 62nd home run over the left field wall of Busch Stadium, consequently breaking Roger Maris’s 1961 single season home run record. Patricia Maris is shown in a hospital bed watching her husbands’ record being broken on national television. As Mark McGwire’s home run ball is sailing through the air, the movie transitions to the summer of 1961 where New York Yankee baseball players Thomas Jane as Mickey Mantle and Barry Pepper as Roger Maris take us on a journey through baseball history. The director was so thorough and meticulous in the casting of these two characters, that the actors remarkably resemble the true to life baseball heroes of 1961; moreover, Thomas Janes Hollywood smile and strong jaw, along with Barry Peppers haunting eyes and crew cut make these actors convincing.
An interesting hidden quality within the movie during the introductory scenes is that Roger Maris had already died of cancer in 1985. Billy Crystal really captures the emotions that swirled around the events of the day when Roger Maris’s record is broken, for Patricia Maris and her children had to witness the last living part of Roger Maris’s life pass away. The introduction really set the tone of the movie, particularly demonstrating the importance of the record and what it meant to so many people.
Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris are the two larger than life figures that the movie revolves around; however, the movie begins by establishing Mickey Mantle as the primary character that everyone loves.
In 1961, Mickey Mantle was the one Yankee that captured the hearts of New York City baseball fans with his tremendous athletic ability; however, Mickey Mantle was not just a good baseball player, but he was a big time baseball player in the Big Apple, having all the charm and charisma that the media adored, and fans loved. Consequently, in order for the viewer to embrace the many facets of Mickey Mantels life, the scenes must shift between the baseball field, club house, and Mickey’s off field personal life.
Mickey’s life often times is interesting, but very tragic; in fact, we see through a series of scenes Mantle going from leader to loner. First, Mickey and his manager are at the ball park were Mickey’s manger is requiring him to be a leader on and off the field; however, Mickey’s manager is concerned about Mickey’s flamboyant lifestyle that many times gets him into trouble. Second, Mickey enters a restaurant with all the pomp and splendor of a movie star. It is the first time that Roger Maris seems to recognize Mantle’s charisma, and how his teammates love and respect Mickey. During the restaurant scene, Mickey is offended because Roger mentions that Joe DiMaggio will be throwing the opening day pitch. Because of past problems between DiMaggio and Mantle, the suggestion of DiMaggio being present on opening day is more than Mickey can handle; he is embittered and leaves the company of his teammates. The scene shifts to a diner were Mickey, while driving drunken, crashes his car into a light pole, and some of Mickey’s teammates are woken up in the middle of the night to rescue him out of his predicament. The following morning, in the back room of the stadium club house, Mickey is hung over and throwing up in a bucket. Prior to the game Joe DiMaggio comes into the club house to speak to Mickey; Mickey obliges DiMaggio, but the conversation is awkward and short. The scene moves to the baseball field were Mickey’s performance is just awful, this climaxes as Mickey has a violent out burst in the dugout; he punches the drinking fountain, and throws the bats around. These scenes reveal how out of control Mickey Mantles life really was, also the complicated scene transitions are a great example of script writer Hank Steinberg, and Billy Crystal’s ability to keep a rhythm and flow throughout the sequence of events.
Although Mantle is an incredibly talented baseball player having the respect of his peers; his life on the other hand seems to be haunted by the demons of destruction. The newspaper writers complain that Mantle is not taking care of himself physically; in addition, this tragic reality does not escape Roger Maris who sets out to help Mickey. At this point in the movie the relationship between Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris begins to develop.
Roger Maris an equally talented right fielder from the Midwest steps onto the stage having a very different appeal; this appeal begins to have an influence upon Mickey Mantle in many different ways. Roger Maris believes that Mickey has too many distractions that are hindering him from concentrating on playing baseball. Roger Maris and fellow teammate Bob Cerv make a decision to invite Mickey Mantle to live with them. Mickey Mantle accepts their offer, and this decision helps Mickey get on track as the Yankees strive to win the pennant.
As the season progresses, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, also known as the M&M Boys, both are experiencing the greatest hitting streak of their lives; the hitting streak, along with the new found friendship, influence Mantle and Maris to launch their own corporation to handle their endorsements; the M&M Corporation.
Roger Maris is quite, reserved, but an astoundingly fierce competitor that alienates himself from the fans, and eventually incurs incredible amount of negative publicity because he is unable to live up to the big baseball star image. The pressure upon Roger Maris escalates; furthermore, the sports writers launch a campaign of negative press that begins to take its toll on Maris. You really begin to dislike the sports writers and their unquenchable desire for a story, no matter how untrue it maybe.
Both Mickey Mantle and Roger Maries begin to close in on Babe Ruth’s single season home run record that summer. During this time there was much speculation whether or not Babe Ruth’s record could be broken; in addition, the fans are divided over which of the two baseball giants would break the record. At this point in the movie, the commissioner of baseball Ford Frick takes center stage. As Commissioner of baseball, Frick ruled that unless Ruth’s record was broken in the first 154 games of the season, the statistic would bear an asterisk within the record books. You really begin to see Frick as the villain when it is revealed that Frick had served as a ghost writer for Ruth earlier in his career. Frick’s relationship with Babe Ruth causes you to believe that Frick has purposely set out to hinder anyone from breaking his friends’ record. Although Frick’s ruling did not guarantee that the record would not be eclipsed, ultimately it did insure the preservation of Babe Ruth’s record until 1991. One can’t help being emotionally drawn into this underhanded self serving attempt to keep Babe Ruth’s record untouchable; moreover, it exposed the bias of the sports writer community which eventually took every opportunity it could to destroy Roger Maris’s public image.
The movie begins to take a turn whereby Mickey Mantle begins to decrease and Roger Maris begins to increase. The movie starts to become very personal in that you begin to see the subtle weaknesses of both Mantle and Maris. This is illustrated in one particular series of scenes were Mantle is enjoying a relaxing moment at the Maris home on an off game day. While Roger is barbequing something on the grill with his children, Mickey is having a conversation with Patricia Maris regarding Roger; Mickey begins to see the love and concern that Patricia has for Roger; furthermore, you get the feeling that Mickey’s failures as a husband and a father are exposed in the light of Roger and Patricia’s excellent relationship. For example, several scenes later, Mickey goes to a hotel after leaving the Maris residence that evening; we see him lying in bed talking to his wife on the phone; he eventually falls asleep while his wife is still on the phone. The scene sadly reveals the shallow, emptiness of Mickey Mantle’s family life, and you begin feel how lonely his life has really become. On the other hand Roger’s weaknesses are revealed when Roger and Patricia are faced with some very frightening circumstances when they begin receiving death threats over the phone, and hate mail on a daily bases. Roger begins to break down emotionally; the anxiety and stress prove to be a stumbling block as he discovers that his hair is falling out. Roger asks,” Why is there only room in their hearts for one guy.” This is in reference to the fans love for Mickey, and their hatred for Roger. Mickey’s relationship with Roger becomes strained, but at the same time Mickey’s friendship and experiences help bring a stabilizing perspective which helps Roger to go on despite the pressure.
As time went on it became evident that only one of them had a chance to break the record, for Mickey Mantle’s physical health began to decline. Although Mantle had made a valiant effort while playing hurt, chasing the record proved to be more than he could handle. At this point in the movie, the attention has completely shifted from Mickey Mantle to Roger Maris. The director brilliantly communicates the envy Mantle has for Rogers’s success on and off the field. The feelings that Mickey has are sometimes revealed by a longing stare or just a simple sentence between the two baseball giants. One of the more telling scenes takes place at a restaurant were Mickey has a tuff time communicating that his time is passed, and Roger’s must go on. Mickey seems to pass the baton to Maris when he tells Roger to go beat that fat #&^%$ record. By the conclusion of the season Roger Maris, with Mickey Mantles support went on to challenge Babe Ruth’s record alone. Many of the fans and media had already rejected Roger Maris as a true New York Yankee, and withdrew their support. Unfortunately, Roger Maris was unable to beat Babe Ruth’s single season home run record within the stipulated 154 games; however, Roger Maris did hit his 61st home run on October 1, 1961, in the fourth inning of the last game of the season, a sparsely attended contest between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in New York.
The story line is very complicated and full of detail; however, script writer Hank Steinberg, and Billy Crystal do a great job in keeping a rhythm and flow throughout the many scenes that make up 61*. The film is courageous in that it portrays the triumphs and tragedies of some of baseballs most beloved heroes. The accuracy of the film gives you an unforgettable historical perspective of the events that took place in the world of baseball that summer of 1961. Overall this film is well produced, the acting is believable and captivating, and it will exceed ones expectations; a well done must see film.