'The Sandlot' turns 25
Five years ago, "The Sandlot" director David Mickey Evans and stars Chauncey Leopardi and Patrick Renna watched the Boston Red Sox take batting practice. When they stepped onto the field, David Ortiz — "Big Papi" himself — ran over to them, gave them a bear hug and said, "You guys are my heroes."
A quarter-century after its release, "The Sandlot" continues to be embraced by a new generation of players. During spring training, it was the Milwaukee Brewers who celebrated the '90s cult classic, re-enacting a famous scene from the film.
"Every time I see an athlete mention 'The Sandlot,' it's cool to know that at some point in these guys' lives, they related to the film for whatever reason," said Leopardi.
Released on April 7, 1993, "The Sandlot" has since cemented its place in film history as the quintessential kids sports movie. A group of kids in a small town spend their summer bumming around a rundown old baseball diamond they've christened the Sandlot. They welcome a dorky, naive kid nicknamed Smalls into their mix, and he gets himself in "the biggest pickle" when he smashes a baseball signed by Babe Ruth over a fence into a backyard guarded by a monstrous attack dog known as the Beast.
It's a charming story with instantly memorable faces and dozens of quotable lines ("You're killing me, Smalls!"), and though the film made only a modest $32 million in its theatrical run, Evans and Leopardi started noticing the film gaining popularity when it was released on DVD in 2002.
"It just took off. It's never slowed down," Evans said.
Now a 25th anniversary Blu-Ray edition of the film is available, complete with Topps baseball cards for each kid in the movie.
For years, fans would show up at events for the film adorned with memorabilia, including tattoos of Ham, Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez and of Leopardi's character, Squints.
