For love of the DVD

This past summer I went to Yankee Stadium with but one goal in mind - to see the New York Yankees lose. They were playing the Montreal Expos, so I knew that my work was cut for me, but I figured that my new fitted Expos cap (possibly the only one in the stadium) coupled with some vocal support would be just enough to help spring the upset. It didn't happen.

In fact, there wasn't much for Expos fans to cheer about that day as David Cone pitched the 18th perfect game in the history of major league baseball. My heart was broken. And then out of nowhere came "For Love of the Game," a classic baseball film where the Yankees finally get a taste of their own medicine.

In the film, Kevin Costner plays Billy Chapel, a lifelong pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, who, because of a proposed trade, is making his last start for the team. Raising the stakes for Chapel is the fact that the game is on the road and against the division-leading Yankees. As Chapel methodically mows down Yankees, he flashes back to different moments of his life, reflecting on his career and the rise and fall of his relationship with Jane (Kelly Preston).

Lending support to Chapel throughout the entire experience is Gus Sinski (John C. Reilly), a catcher for the Tigers and the man that Chapel demands to have behind the plate in his final performance. Reilly, an underrated actor best known for his roles in films of Paul Thomas Anderson, is so convincing and powerful in the part that it wouldn't be that surprising to see a few Sinski jerseys pop up at Comerica Park over the course of the season.

The DVD version of "For Love of the Game" comes packed with plenty of extra features that should be of great interest to fans of the film. For starters, there's a documentary on the making of the movie which features interviews with director Sam Raimi and the majority of the actors. The documentary emphasizes the importance that was placed on making the baseball seem realistic and stresses the fact that Kevin Costner threw every single pitch for his character.

Several deleted scenes are also included, many of which are just slight variations of scenes in the finished product. And while some of the scenes are entertaining on their own, keeping them from the film's final cut makes sense when the already 138 minute running time is taken into account. There's also a trivia game on the history of perfect games included, which if you answer correctly sends you to "Slide, Babe, Slide," a short film starring baseball legend Babe Ruth.

"For Love of the Game" is a great movie for baseball fans and a dream come true for Detroit Tigers fans. We can only hope that at some point in this baseball season the film's plot repeats itself when Jeff Weaver, or another member of the Tigers, pushes back the sun and shuts down the Yankees with nothing short of perfection.

Courtesy of Universal

John C. Reilly and Kevin Costner play for the Detroit Tigers, a highly underrated team, in "For Love of the Game."