What sports fiction books do you want to see get film adapted ?

Once A Runner...most amazing sports book I have ever read, and it should be mandatory that every distance runner in high school or college should read this book.

Many years ago there was a story titled "That's My Boy," which I liked a lot. In the 1950's, there was a movie with the same title starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, but the only thing it had in common with the story was that it featured American football. The original story (which I think took place in the late 1930's or early 1940's) was about a tough Polish-American named Pete Gregochowski, whose son Johnny is a football star, but Pete disapproves of the fact that Johnny shortened his surname to Gregg. Pete attends the big game, and overhearing other fans praising Johnny's play, comes to an epiphany that the name isn't so important as the person, and reconciles with Johnny after the game. (I always thought Arnold Schwarzenegger would be perfect to play Pete.)

There are a few sports books I'ld love to see made into movies.

Back when I was a kid there was a series by Coach Clair Bee (sp?) called the Chip Hilton Series, highlighting the typical american youth who goes through high school and collegate sports, all of them baseball, football and basketball. It is a 23 or 24 book series that would be great as a TV series.

Also I read a book called "Painting The Black" I forget who its by or even details about it, but it obviously made an impact if I remember it to this day. It was about a young boy who plays baseball, if anyone has read it please refersh my memory on the plot. It was very good from what I remember.

Last is not really considered a serious story but it was one of my favourite books. It was called "A Boy And His Baseball", it highlighted a young boy who dreamed of playing in the big leagues. As he grows and plays he gets better till he finally gets to the majors. He gets in as a pitcher for the SanFrancisco Giants and has a successful run till he finds out he has cancer in his pitching arm. I always loved the book and would love to see a movie adaptation.

Troy Soos wrote a series of mystery books with a baseball setting, all featuring a character named Mickey Rawlings, who interacted with baseball personalities of 80 or 90 years ago. I would like to see at least one, if not all, of the stories on the big screen*.






*The big movie screen...not big screen tv.

A baseball novel titled The Dixie Association by Donald Hays. About a minor league team made up of misfits, who challenge the reigning bad boys for the pennant. It's got Cuban defectors, a gothic subplot, religious fanatics, civil rights themes, drama, laugh out loud writing and detailed descriptions of game play because the author loves the sport.
I even gave a copy of the book to a movie director when I interviewed him but nothing came of it.

I still want to see a film version of THE FRONT RUNNER.