Looks like Tom was 47 when he made this movie. Almost no player in baseball history plays that long. Only modern day exception was Julio Franco, who played with the Mets and Braves last season in the Majors at the age of 49. Although his actual age has always been in question, sometimes believed to be 53 as of the year 1954! So bravo for Jack Elliot lasting as long as he did, even if its just a movie :)
shareJapanese baseball is high double A or Triple A at best. There are plenty of over the hill or mediocre players who have great success because the game is of lower skill than in the U.S.
shareI'd like to refer to it as AAAA. But it is still highly competitive baseball either way. And to play at that level when you're in your late 40's is quite an accomplishment, especially for a position player.
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He looked pretty good in the movie for a guy pushing 50.
shareTwo years later, in the special celebrity game during the 1994 All-Star break in Pittsburgh, he was the only celebrity to hit a home run.
To see the only real monster, one must only look in the mirror.
Cool fact to share on him hitting a homer. Yes he did look good for a guy near 50. Although it seems very common to cast actors in sports films who in real life are actually older than the characters they play. I'm guessing Elliot wasn't supposed to be Selleck's real age at the time-47 in the film.
It could have taken me out of the film in a way but Selleck pulled off the age mirage.
Position players do not play that long. I always took it that he was playing a little younger than he was in real life. I'd guess his character was 38 or 39, given the longevity of players in 1992.
sharewhere is julio now?
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"
I am watching the movie now and cannot believe he was 47 when filming this. He is 70 now starring on Blue Bloods. But yeah, he had to be in pretty good shape to play this role at that age, even if he was playing a younger person in the movie. Wonder if they used any stunt doubles for him in the movie? I mean, you can clearly see its him running the bases and stuff.
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