Time to get warmed up for baseball season

The weather outside this weekend had a baseball feel to it. Continue the vibe with Mark Podolski’s lineup of baseball movies to get ready for the season. Leading off, “Bull Durham.”

Baseball is back, but it’s not for real until April 3, at least for Indians fans.

That’s when the team opens its 2017 season at Texas.

Spring training games whet the appetite, but a month’s a long time to wait for opening day.

It’s a safe bet the snow that’s left us will return a few more times. As enjoyable as this past weekend was, weather-wise, it can turn in a blink.

So until opening day, let’s get into the baseball mood with this lineup of awesome baseball films: • LEADOFF SPOT, “BULL DURHAM” (1988) >> “I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter.” — Crash Davis (Kevin Costner). BEST REASON TO WATCH >> The meeting at the mound between Davis, “Nuke” Laloosh (Tim Robbins) and coach Larry (Robert Wuhl), plus a few others. • BATTING SECOND, “EIGHT

MEN OUT” (1988) >> The story of the 1919 Black Sox scandal creates a baseball world so vivid you can smell the hot dogs and cigar smoke. BEST REASON TO WATCH >> Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis proclaiming the Black Sox players are banned for life. • THREE HOLE, “MAJOR

LEAGUE” (1989) >> Jobu’s rum, hats for bats, sleeveless jerseys, Taylor’s bum

knees, Dorn’s contract, a garbage bag for a suitcase, Mays Hayes pushups ... the best Indians’ spring training ever. BEST REASON TO WATCH >> Any scene with Harry Doyle (Bob Uecker). • CLEANUP SPOT, “THE NATURAL” (1984) >> Robert Redford has the sweetest swing as the late-bloomer phenom Roy Hobbs. BEST REASON TO WATCH >> The film’s ending — Hobbs and fireworks. • FIFTH SPOT, “THE SANDLOT” (1993) >> This film’s for anyone who’s ever played neighborhood baseball with their friends from the crack of dawn until mom called you home for dinner. In other words, anyone over

35 or 40. BEST REASON TO WATCH >> Fourth of July scene. • BATTING SIXTH, “MR. BASEBALL” (1992) >> Tom Selleck in a classic fish out of water story set in Japan . BEST REASON TO WATCH >> The Selleck ‘stache in its baseball prime. • HITTING SEVENTH, “BAD

NEWS BEARS (1976)” >> Shortstop Tanner Boyle, like Francisco Lindor with the Indians, is the glue that kept the Bears together. BEST REASON TO WATCH >> Walter Matthau as Buttermaker. • BATTING EIGHTH, “A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN” (1992) >> The story of the first female professional is way, way, way underrated. BEST REASON TO WATCH >> Tom Hanks’ “There’s no crying in baseball!” rant. • NINTH SPOT, “61*” (2001) >> You might have missed this 2001 HBO film directed by Billy Crystal about Roger Maris’ and Mickey Mantle’s quest to break Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home runs in a season. BEST REASON TO WATCH >> Barry Pepper as Maris is fantastically miserable for 129 minutes.

PINCH HITTERS >> “Field of Dreams” (1989); “The Rookie” (2002); “42” (2013); “For the Love of the Game” (1999).

Contact Podolski at MPodolski@News-Herald. com; On Twitter: @mpodo.

ORION PICTURES Kevin Costner and Tim Robbins in “Bull Durham.”