Major League Motivation

Where could a destitute major league team made up of dubious players find the motivation to play? They have an owner waiting to sell the team, who rents buses to away games and provides the team with an outboard motor in a metal tub as a spa. Welcome to Cleveland, where the Indians haven’t won a World Series since 1948.

Major League is a fictional, motivational, comedic story about the Cleveland Indians on the decline, or so the new owner thought. Las Vegas showgirl Rachel Phelps inherited the franchise from her late husband. She hated northern winters. In her quest to move the team to sunny Miami, she went above and beyond to ensure the franchise posted its lowest attendance on record, prompting a clause that would legally allow her to move the team south. Phelps recruited the worst collection of players. She thought this group of rag tag players would be exactly what she needed for this self-demolition job.

The team was led by catcher Jake Taylor. Despite his injured knee, his greatest asset was finding motivation for the team. There was Rick Vaughn, a convicted felon serving time in jail when he was recruited. Vaugh possessed a heat-seeking fastball. Unfortunately, his missiles mostly deflected away from home plate. There’s Willie Hayes, who’s faster than a bullet. The only problem for him was getting a hit. Cuban Pedro Cerrano was a power hitter who could hit anything but curveballs. His opponents soon found out. Finally, there was Roger Dorn, a competent third baseman who refused to risk his body. He was preserving his status for a big trade sometime after the season. This rag crew was led by Lou Brown, a former tire salesman.

Since the beginning of the season, Phelps had made his intention known to Brown. She didn’t hide her distaste for the team. Initially, Brown decided not to tell his players about the Phelps scheme. By doing so, she hoped the team could maintain some motivation. That resulted in a poor start to the season. Vaughn was supposed to be the leader in the rotation, but his inaccuracy off the mound resulted in one loss after another as his ERA increased. Fans began to nickname him ‘Wild Thing’. Brown soon discovered that his ace pitcher couldn’t really see well. After dressing him in a pair of fancy glasses, ‘Wild Thing’ began to show off his skills and the team began to win a few games.

At this point, Phelps cut more privileges from the team. The scene that summed it all up was when carpet tape had to be used to fix a broken propeller from the plane that was supposed to take the team from city to city for their away games. Brown had enough. He quickly assembled his team in the locker room and told everyone about Phelps’ plan to disband the team. Taylor suggests that since they had nothing to lose, the team should get back at Phelps by winning the pennant. Brown gave the team additional motivation by removing a part of a dress on a cardboard cutout model of Phelps taken during her days as a showgirl for each victory the team achieves. The team played very well down the stretch of the season, eventually clinching a division tie by beating the Chicago White Sox in the final game of the season.

That earned the Indians an unlikely one-game playoff with their boogie team, the New York Yankees. His motivation was on a different level now. The winner would win the Division and proceed to the American League Championship series. As events would conspire, Vaughn would retire the Yankees’ leadoff hitter with three strikes out of the pen. That kept the game alive for Pedro Cerrano to finally hit a tying home run on a curveball with a bit of voodoo rebellion. On the final play of the game, Taylor would fake a home run aiming from the stands, allowing Hayes to steal home plate for the game-winning run. The Indians secured and Division and quickly left Phelps agonizing over his failed plans to move south.

Major League was everything a motivational movie was supposed to be. Once again, the theme of team unity above all else was key to their success. It doesn’t matter what kind of players you had. As long as they have a common goal and desire, impossible obstacles can be overcome. Improbable results could be achieved. Even in the boogie baseball town where the World Series hadn’t been won since 1948, every once in a while there might be some hope to bring the town closer together. Enjoy this outstanding comedy and motivation film.

Starring Tom Berenger (Jake Taylor), Charlie Sheen (Rick Vaughn) and Wesley Snipes (Willie Hayes).