Line #20 Film/RookieOfTheYear


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rookie_of_the_year_1993_original_film_art_6d9de991_3de3_4779_9d50_e60a38c18cef_1200x.jpg]]
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3	->''The Chicago Cubs needed a miracle... they got Henry Rowengartner.''
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5	12-year-old Henry Rowengartner is a Little Leaguer who is a little...inept at playing (as in, [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments he inadvertently throws a fielded ball over the outfield fence instead of to the infield]]). When he breaks his arm trying to catch a fly ball, it seems like another downer for the kid - until he discovers that the tendons in his arm have healed a little too tight, giving him the ability to throw the ball with amazing force.
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7	After a startling demonstration of this newfound ability at Wrigley Field, Henry is signed on as a pitcher for the [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball Chicago Cubs]], where he learns that being a professional baseball player is a lot harder than it looks. Needless to say, HilarityEnsues.
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9	Was the big acting break for future ''Film/AmericanPie'' star Creator/ThomasIanNicholas. Also featured Creator/GaryBusey, Albert Hall, Creator/DanielStern (who also directed), Creator/EddieBracken, Creator/DanHedaya and Creator/AmyMorton. It also features Creator/JohnCandy in an uncredited supporting performance as Cubs announcer Cliff Murdoch.
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11	One of two big semi-family-oriented baseball movies in 1993. The other was ''Film/TheSandlot''.
12	----
13	!!This movie contains examples of:
14	* AccidentalAthlete: Discovered after his healed arm allows him to throw a home run ball from the outfield bleachers all the way back to home plate.
15	* AccidentalMisnaming: The team's manager constantly misremembers Henry's last name.
16	--> "Gardenhoser!"
17	* AmusingInjury: Henry accidentally hits his doctor in the nose while testing his completely healed arm.
18	* ArtisticLicenseBiology: Tendons don't act like springs or generate significant force on their own. That's the muscles' job and the muscle mass required for Henry's arm to be anywhere near that powerful exceeds that present in the average kid's, let alone one who has spent a significant amount of time in a cast.
19	* ArtisticLicenseMedicine: In case it isn't clear, no, we cannot make people into superhuman pitchers via breaking their arms.
20	* ArtisticLicenseSports / LoopholeAbuse derailed: In real life, the minimum allowed age for a Major Leaguer is sixteen.
21	** When Henry throws the home run ball from the outfield bleachers back to the catcher, the players and ump treat it like a live play. It isn't. Although, this can be excused by the fact that everyone was visibly stunned by the ball suddenly flying across the field and, having never experienced such a wild situation before, weren't entirely sure where to take the action from there, so they just decided to treat it as live.
22	** At the end of the film, Henry is allowed to play in Little League after his Major League stint. Even if he were able to pitch in the Majors (see above), that would disqualify him from playing in Little League.
23	** After Henry steals a base against the Dodgers, their pitcher hits Suarez and shouts at Henry "That's for you, kid!" Saying out loud that he intentionally threw at a batter out of anger would have him immediately ejected.
24	** Like a similar goof-up in ''Film/MajorLeague'', Heddo is the last batter Henry faces in the climactic game after setting down eight in a row. However, that would've meant Heddo should've been the last batter Steadman faced before leaving (even weirder, everyone acts surprised Heddo is even coming to bat, as if he just materialized into the game). This one could, however, be adequately explained if Heddo were coming in as a pinch-hitter. This is likely the writers' intent since Heddo was not shown fielding during the game, but why would the Mets leave a slugger like Heddo on the bench until the ninth inning of a playoff game?
25	** The hidden ball trick is a time-honored tradition in MLB; however, the way they used it in the climax here should have been called a balk, as Henry is standing astride the rubber without the baseball. Further, he hides the rosin bag in his glove to further fool the runner, a big no-no in baseball (he can only use it to dry his pitching hand; he can't apply it to anything else, including the ball.) At the very least, the runner should've been at second; at the very worst, Henry should have been ejected.
26	** As was the case in ''The Scout'', it would be ''incredibly'' unlikely, if not impossible, that a player who has never played a game of professional baseball in his life would jump directly to the Major Leagues.[[note]]The most notable exception would be those with professional experience in other leagues, such as players coming from Nippon Professional Baseball.[[/note]] Henry would have almost certainly pitched in the Minor Leagues first to learn how to actually play at the professional level, and to get some actual game experience, before being called up.
27	*** [[JustifiedTrope Of course]] the main point of bringing Henry directly to the Cubs was as a publicity stunt designed to fill the stadium to avoid forfeiting the franchise. This sort of stunt had been done before in real life, although obviously not with someone this young.
28	** The Cubs and Mets play their final game to decide the division winner. The announcer declares the winner would "go on to the World Series", but in actuality, they would have to face the league's other divisional winner in a best-of-seven series to determine the pennant winner and a trip to the World Series. The film's release year, 1993, would also be the last time baseball's postseason would be in this format after 24 years, expanding to three division winners and a "wild card" spot to the next-best record per league the following year.
29	** Also, whenever Henry fans one of his many victims, the umpire calling it makes a verbal call, even on a swinging strikeout; in real baseball, umpires reserve the dramatic, verbal calls for called strikeouts (backwards Ks), while being quieter on swinging ones (simply making fists).
30	* AsYouKnow: Used between Cubs announcers Cliff and Ernie before going on the air to tell the audience about the historic futility of the Cubs.
31	-->'''Ernie''': I think this is gonna be ''the'' season for the Cubs!\
32	'''Cliff''': ''The'' season, why would you think this would be ''the'' season? When we haven't won a pennant since '45 and a Series since, uh...\
33	'''Ernie''': 1908!
34	* BigBad: The closest thing there is to one is a player named in the credits as "Heddo", a hard-hitting slugger who plays for the New York Mets and is a massive jerk.
35	** Jack Bradfield (the guy who Mary is dating and briefly becomes Henry's sports agent) and Larry Fisher (scheming nephew of Cubs owner Mr. Carson) are also pretty villainous, in that they scheme to sell Henry's contract to the Yankees for a boatload of money, although at least in Fisher's case, it's more out of desperation due to the financial struggles of the team. He just goes about it in a very sneaky way.
36	* BuxomBeautyStandard: Becky Fraker. Henry tries to give excuses why he can't talk to Becky, the HeadTurningBeauty at school, but George is quick to point out her obvious assets.
37	-->'''Henry''': Forget it, guys. She doesn't like me. And besides, she's not that hot.\
38	'''George:''' Not that hot?! She's stacked! Just look at her sipping that milk. Milk's done that body good.
39	* TheCameo: Then-major league star sluggers Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, and Pedro Guerrero cameo as victims of Henry's strikeouts.
40	* ChekhovsSkill: Mary's underhanded lobs.
41	* CloudCuckoolander: Brickma, full stop. His solution to the debate over icing or heating an injury is to TakeAThirdOption with "hot ice", where he heats up ice before applying it to his players.
42	** Mr. Carson appears to be this for most of the movie, but it's more a case of ObfuscatingStupidity.
43	* CrazyEnoughToWork: When it is DownToTheLastPlay and Henry has lost his super-pitch, he gets an idea from his mom to throw a floater. The absolute slowest and easiest to hit pitch you can possible do[[note]]The Eephus pitch is typically used for ConfusionFu, batters preparing for 75+ mph pitches suddenly have to wait a half second longer and time the drop, and because the pitch is low energy the batter needs to supply more power to get it out of the infield[[/note]], few pitchers ever bother with it so the batter was way too excited and overmuscled he completely whiffs it.
44	* CreditsGag: The end credits list Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, and Pedro Guerrero, all playing themselves, as "Three Big Whiffers"; they all strike out against Henry during a montage in the film.
45	* CurseCutShort:
46	** Combined with a SmashCut; Mary starts it while watching the game at work while [[AstonishinglyAppropriateInterruption Chet actually finishes the curse in the dugout]].
47	** When Henry throws the floater (real MLB name: Eephus pitch), you can see manager Sal Martinella mouth "What the f-" before the camera cuts away.
48	* CustomUniform: Henry's Little League team allows him to wear jeans and sneakers rather than the proper stirrup pants and cleats. {{Hand Wave}}d by saying he never gets to play in the first place.
49	** At the end of the movie, [[spoiler: he's wearing his giant World Series ring while playing!]]
50	* DeathGlare: During his first game, Henry yells out some Little League-style encouragement to his idol Chet, who promptly gives up a base hit amidst the noise; Chet gives one of these to Henry, who meekly sits back down.
51	* DescriptionCut: While the hapless Cubs are getting pummeled yet again:
52	-->'''Ernie''': Poor Mr. Carson, his last season as team owner. He must be really depressed.\
53	(''cut to Carson looking at his Cracker Jack prize'')\
54	'''Mr. Carson''': OH BOY! FISH, FISH, LOOK, I GOT A DECODER RING!
55	* DisabilitySuperpower: The entire premise of the movie is based on Henry breaking his arm and having it heal in an unusual way, causing his arm to snap when he rotates his shoulder.
56	* DisappearedDad: Henry's dad
57	* DownToTheLastPlay: The last game is Cubs 2-to-1 by the time they field Henry. Henry strikes out batters all the way to the final inning [[spoiler:where he accidentally trips over a ball sitting on the field. He lands the same way as in the beginning of the movie and, while he doesn't re-break his arm, he ruins the healing that let him pitch fast. Because they can't just yank him back out, he is forced to use some guile and force the batters out through other means. [[TheDreaded Then Heddo shows up]]...]]
58	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Fisher threatens to have his aide demoted to hot dog vendor when he thinks the latter's joking about their mystery fast thrower (Henry) being a child. When Fisher's plan to sell Henry to the New York Yankees is revealed, guess where he ends up.
59	* GameBreakingInjury: [[spoiler:Steadman's surgically-repaired shoulder finally gives out in the final game of the film. Henry also resets his tendons accidentally after taking a fall similar to the one earlier in the film, and loses his superhuman velocity for the final inning.]]
60	* GoshDangItToHeck: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nd693I5X1E "Ffffffff-Funky butt-lovin'..."]] He plays it as if he's about to make an AtomicFBomb, but corrects himself on the Fffff.....
61	-->'''George:''' [[LampshadeHanging Did he say "funky butt-lovin'"]]?
62	* IceCreamKoan: Chet delivers a long, rambling RousingSpeech to Henry during one of his first times on the mound, all about "The Have-To". As he heads back to the dugout...
63	-->'''Chet''': The 'have-to'? What the heck was I talking about?\
64	'''Henry''': What the heck was he talking about?\
65	'''Manager''': What did you say?\
66	'''Chet''': [[LampshadeHanging You wouldn't understand]].
67	* IJustWantToBeNormal: Why Henry tells the owner he's going to give up playing for the Cubs once the season is over.
68	* InnocentInnuendo: When Brickma shows Henry all a baseball party has to offer, he stops in front of two gorgeous women.
69	--> '''Brickma''': Excuse me, ladies.\
70	''[the women stare at him expectantly]''\
71	'''Brickma''': ''Excuse me''.\
72	''[confused, the women leave, to reveal a pinball machine behind them]''
73	* ItOnlyWorksOnce: During the climactic at-bat vs. Heddo, Henry, [[spoiler: minus his superhuman velocity, is able to fool Heddo, who was expecting a 100-mph fastball and getting a softly-thrown pitch instead for strike one. Henry tries it again, but Heddo is ready for it and is only foiled by pulling it just foul.]]
74	* JerkAss: Heddo, who mocks Henry during the game.
75	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Chet Steadman.
76	* LockedUpAndLeftBehind: Brickma accidentally gets stuck between the connecting doors of two hotel rooms and only gets rescued when housekeeping finds him. Then before the final game, he gets locked in his clubhouse locker and is stuck there the whole time.
77	** The first thing he does when he's first seen in the film is catch the clubhouse locker door as it's closing before he gets locked in. It seems to be a recurring issue for him.
78	* TheMainCharactersDoEverything: Despite his own job security and injury issues to worry about, Chet Steadman is tasked by his manager Sal to mentor and coach up Henry. Chet is less than enthused by this and points out Brickma is the pitching coach. Immediately, they overhear Brickma telling Henry about his post-pitching recovery method using "hot ice" ("I heat up the ice cubes!") and, seeing Sal's point, begrudgingly takes Henry under his wing.
79	* MamaBear: Henry's mom.
80	-->(Henry dives back to first on a pickoff attempt)\
81	'''Mary, watching on TV while working''': HE HIT HIM TOO HARD!\
82	'''Mary's client''': He was just trying to make the tag--\
83	'''Mary''': (turns gardening knife on him) Hey...
84	* MassOhCrap: While everyone is watching Henry's press conference on TV:
85	-->'''Fish''': You wanna see Henry pitch? Come out to Wrigley!\
86	[=cut to everyone watching on TV=]\
87	'''Henry's teammates''': AHHHHHHHHH!!!!\
88	'''Henry's Little League coach''': AHHHHHHH!!!!\
89	'''Henry's doctor sits on his patient's leg''': AHHHHHHHH!!!!
90	** Everyone's reaction when the last player Henry needs to strike out is Heddo, the exact same person whom he pitched against at the start of his career and who scored a home run off him. Heddo summarizes it by telling Henry, "I'm your worst nightmare!"
91	* MilkingTheGiantCow: Bruce Altman ''goes for it'' during Jack's VillainousBreakdown.
92	* MockingSingSong: Henry uses this while taunting the pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers:
93	-->'''Henry Rowengartner:''' Pitcher's got a big butt! Pitcher's got a big butt!
94	* {{Montage}}: The four months Henry's been in the cast, as well as when he becomes a pitching sensation.
95	* MusicalGag: The opening drumming fanfare when the classic Fox logo comes up initially makes the viewer think they're going to hear the famous studio theme; instead, the drums slightly changes melody as it instead segues into the film's main theme.
96	* NowWhat: Henry's best friends, Clark and George, had an existential crisis after seeing him off on his first road trip.
97	-->'''George:''' Let's go back to our dull lives to search for meaning.
98	* OhCrap:
99	** When Henry hears his arm making a creaking noise as he's about to throw the baseball back in the field.
100	** Henry, Mary, and Chet all have a continuous one when the manager sends Henry out to bat.
101	** Fish, when Henry mentions to Carson that [[spoiler:Fish went behind his back to sell Henry to the Yankees.]]
102	* OldShame: InUniverse. The manager beaned Brickma during their playing days, implying that brain damage from that beaning led to how he acts today. He also implies this is why Brickma has his current job.
103	* ParentalSubstitute: Chet Steadman quickly becomes a father figure for Henry.
104	* PintsizedPowerhouse: Henry is just a kid, but he can throw fastballs at over 100 miles an hour because his arm healed funny.
105	* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: Henry's fame nearly ruined his friendships with George and Clark, and they eventually get in a fight. They would repair their friendship after Jack was cut out of Henry's life.
106	* PrecisionFStrike: Mary and Chet get increasingly angry at what they perceive to be the Dodgers pitcher throwing at Henry (despite the fact he's basically outside the batter's box and is so skittish, he falls even if when it's not close to him).
107	-->Henry takes another dive during a pitch\
108	'''Mary''': You big ugly piece [[CurseCutShort of--]]\
109	'''Chet''': [[SmashCut SHIT!]]
110	* ProductPlacement: Henry makes a commercial for Diet Pepsi, singing along with Ray Charles's famous jingle for the product at the time. Amusingly, Henry isn't very good at it, considering he's 12.
111	-->'''Director''': I need you to be more...''sexy''.
112	* PublicSecretMessage: Down to the final out vs. Heddo, Henry [[spoiler: without his superhuman velocity]] is out of ideas, but his catcher has one of his own, putting down a fastball sign to Henry and stresses aloud "''He can't hit your fastball.''" Henry understands and throws [[spoiler: his kid-level "velocity", completely fooling Heddo, expecting a 100+ mph fastball and flails wildly for strike one. The bench and announcers believe Henry purposefully threw a change-up]].
113	* ReassignedToAntarctica: When Mr. Carson finds out Fish tried to sell Henry to the Yankees, he demotes him to selling hot dogs in the stands.
114	** Also counts as IronicEcho. Fish threatened another employee with this very fate.
115	* TheReveal: Henry peeling back the masking tape on his glove to reveal [[spoiler:it was his mother's, figuring out that [[WasItAllALie all the stories she told allegedly about his "pitcher father"]] [[FromACertainPointOfView were actually about her]].]]
116	* RunningGag: Doors closing of their own accord behind Brickma. It causes serious trouble for him a couple times in the film.
117	* SaveOurTeam: The Cubs have to sell out every game for the rest of the season, or else MLB will seize control of the franchise. This is what gives Fish the impetus to sign Henry (as Carson was planning to hand the reins over to him), but then the subplot is essentially dropped, as selling out seems to be taken as a given once Henry starts playing. It's also possible that they were able to raise ticket prices, creating some breathing room.
118	* ScrewTheMoneyIHaveRules: Henry finally tires of Jack's scheduling of endorsement shoots and wants to go back to his friends, which then reveals Jack's corrupted nature.
119	* ShipperOnDeck: Henry for his mom and Chet Steadman.
120	* ShoutOut: The way Henry tries to enter the Cubs' clubhouse is a nod to [[Film/TheWizardOfOz Dorothy at the gates of Oz]].
121	* SoreLoser: After Henry finally strikes Heddo out and wins the final game, Heddo throws a tantrum on home plate.
122	* StunnedSilence: Henry causes ''an entire stadium'' to fall silent when he chucks a ball from the outfield bleachers to home plate.
123	* SuicidalOverconfidence: Played with. A man in the stands who failed to throw back a home run gets angry when Henry throws another one from the nosebleed section of center field to home plate, thinking it was to show him up. He tries to go after Henry, but his friend stops him, saying simply "He'd kill ya" if he tried to fight a kid with such a strong arm.
124	* TalkToTheFist: How Mary finally ends her relationship with Jack; it knocks him out the screen door and down the front steps.
125	* TookALevelInJerkass: Mary's boyfriend Jack goes from a dorky, if well-meaning guy to a complete and total ass as soon as he gets a taste of big money. Also becomes jealous when Mary and Steadman grow close.
126	* TryNotToDie: Chet's very brief pep talk to Henry before the latter goes to bat for the first time.
127	-->'''Chet''': Remember, stay low.\
128	'''Henry''': Yeah, and?\
129	'''Chet''': And....don't get killed!
130	* UnskilledButStrong: Henry is signed because of his blazing fastball, but his first few outings on the mound go badly because he's so raw; he struggles to find the strike zone, gives up home runs, and has to be bailed out by the rest of the team's fielding.
131	* WasItAllALie: DoubleSubverted. Mary told Henry stories of how his dad was a great baseball player. [[spoiler:She later admits that he walked out on them when she was pregnant with Henry and was never a baseball player. However, Henry confessed that he knew all along, his grandmother told him the truth when he was in the second grade. He never said anything because he thought [[IJustWantMyBelovedToBeHappy his mom liked it when she tells him stories about how "great" his dad was]]. Near the end of his last game, he discovers that [[TheReveal his mom was the great baseball player all along]].]]
132	* YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious: The team manager finally gets Henry's name right in the Division Championship after Steadman's arm gives out. This actually ''confuses'' Henry.
133	-->'''Henry:''' What did he call me?

Context Film / RookieOfTheYear