Celebrate 25 years of a timeless family comedy as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment teams-up with Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory to bring “The Sandlot” to life.
The hit movie that will be “For-Ev-Ver” remembered with pop-culture touchstones like The Beast, Wendy Peffercorn, and, “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!” will be on full display for a mini-exhibit showcasing authentic props from the movie, artwork, and behind-the-scenes photography. The special show runs March 31st thru September 9th.
In this beloved family-favorite movie, directed by David M. Evans, it’s the early 1960s and fifth-grader Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) has just moved into town with his folks (Karen Allen and Denis Leary). Kids call him a dork — he can’t even throw a baseball! But that changes when the leader of the neighborhood team recruits him to play on the nearby sandlot field. It’s the beginning of a magical summer of baseball, wild adventures, first kisses and fearsome confrontations with the dreaded beast and its owner (James Earl Jones) who live behind the left field fence. Soon, nine boys have become best friends, Scotty is part of a team, and their leader has become a local legend in this hilarious and warmhearted comedy.
Critical acclaim for the movie focused on its charm and nostalgia, and the film has become an often-quoted cult hit. “The Sandlot” ranks in the Top 10 Best Baseball Movies of all-time by critics, sports fans, and movie-lovers, including IMDb; Sporting News; Baseball America; Maxim; Bleacher Report; SportsNation/ESPN and others.
The mini-exhibit features original props, some on public display for the first time. Memorable items from the movie showcased in the exhibit include:
- The sacred Babe Ruth baseball that must be retrieved from The Beast
- Squints’ iconic eyeglasses
- Louisville Slugger bats swung by the team
- The Wheaties box periscope from the gang’s treehouse
- Baseball items from Mr. Mertle’s home
In addition to the props, the original storyboard binder with amazing hand-drawn artwork will be shown, along with a copy that guests can page through. Behind-the-scenes photography provides an exclusive glimpse into the magic of Hollywood film-making.
Some of the items on display come directly from the personal collection of writer-director David M. Evans, who also did the voiceover for the film.
“Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is a great place to celebrate ‘The Sandlot’s 25th Anniversary,” said writer-director David M. Evans. “Not only did some of the props originate from their factory, the Louisville Slugger brand evokes the same kind of fondness and nostalgia as the movie. I’m excited that hundreds of thousands of people will be able to enjoy this special show at such a fitting location,” he added.
The bats produced for the 1993 movie were carefully crafted replicas of early 1960s models.
“We have made baseball bat props for some of the greatest movies of all-time, so we were delighted when Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment contacted us about creating an exhibit for such a beloved classic like ‘The Sandlot,’” said Anne Jewell, VP/Executive Director of Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. “After 25 years this movie has stood the test of time. Compared with the hundreds of baseball movies made since the 1800s, ‘The Sandlot’ ranks among the best-ever and most-loved. We’re thrilled to share its story and artifacts with our guests,” she continued.
“Legends Never Die!” “The Sandlot” Celebrates 25 Years” joins an already impressive line-up at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. Admission to the museum includes an award-winning factory tour where guests can watch baseball bats being made, engaging exhibits historic memorabilia, the World’s Biggest Baseball Bat, and more. As an added bonus, all guests receive a free souvenir mini-bat at the end of their factory tour. The Louisville landmark conducts factory tours seven days a week, and guests are guaranteed to view bat production on each tour.
In addition to the exhibit, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is releasing a special 25th Anniversary collector’s edition of “The Sandlot” on March 27th. This crowd-pleasing collection includes a set of 10 custom Topps® baseball cards — featuring Scotty Smalls, Benny “The Jet” and the rest of the ragtag roster — created exclusively for this release. The major-league treatment continues with an all-new booklet filled with behind-the-scenes photos from the film director’s personal archive and an all-new, full-color poster.
The Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Store will also carry commemorative merchandise to complement “The Sandlot” exhibition.
“The Sandlot: 25th Anniversary Collector Edition” Blu-ray will be available March 27th
