The Rookie [2002] (1 disc)

The movie theater marquee shows the title of the baseball classic Bang the Drum Slowly, also directed by a John Hancock (^[?] John D. Hancock) (no relation).
The scene where Jimmy walks out to the mound for the first time at The Ballpark in Arlington was filmed during the seventh inning stretch of a real Rangers game. All of the pitching shots were done after the game.
Trevor Morgan, who plays Young Jimmy, had to learn how to pitch left-handed.
In real life, after ^[?] Jimmy Morris' first major league game in Arlington, Texas, he asked ^[?] Ivan 'Pudge' Rodriguez to sign a baseball.
Cameo: [^[?] Jimmy Morris] an umpire in the Orlando games.
Dennis Quaid did much of his own pitching, but he was doubled in shots that required truly fast pitches, by former minor league pitcher Jeff Dowdy. No special effects were used to enhance the speed of the pitches; however, some camera tricks, such as "whip pans," were used to make Quaid's own pitches appear faster.
The film's original movie poster, which features the character of ^[?] Jimmy Morris silhouetted by a sunset, is actually a picture of pitching double Jeff Dowdy, not Dennis Quaid.
Producers contacted Royce Clayton, the first batter Morris faced in the Major Leagues, and got his permission to use his name, etc for the film. It actually took Morris four pitches to strike him out. Clayton managed to hit one foul. But it was too difficult to film a ball going foul, so they left it out.
Brian Cox who plays the father of Dennis Quaid in this film is actually less than eight years older than Quaid.