COVER
Keys to show baseball classic ‘T BY RYAN MARSHALL
Eric Idle in 1995’s “Casper” and the cult classic TV series “Freaks and Geeks,” along with “Gilmore Girls” Frederick baseball cinema fans and other movies and television will have a chance to see Ham, Yeah- projects. He also appeared in the Yeah, Repeat and other favorites direct-to-video project “The Sandlot: next week, when the Frederick Keys Heading Home,” which was released hold a screening of the classic film in 2007. “The Sandlot” at Nymeo Field at In a strange twist, Leopardi and Harry Grove Stadium. four of his “Sandlot” teammates — The July 23 event will feature an Patrick Renna, Marty York, Brandon appearance by Chauncey Leopardi, Quinton Adams and Grant Gelt — who played the character Squints in would all appear in various episodes the 1993 film. of the 1990s Gates will open sitcom “Boy at 5 p.m., while the Meets World.” movie will start at He told People 6 p.m. magazine that The movie cenhe mostly works ters around the on things other efforts of Scotthan movies and ty Smalls to make TV these days. “I friends as the new spend most of my kid in town in the time being a dad summer of 1962. He and a husband, a Fathom Events falls in with a group business owner, of neighborhood just working hard kids who play pickdoing my thing,” up baseball, and, in he said. The Keys will celebrate one of the the course of their Nearly 30 years most popular baseball movies of all games, they must after its release, time, “The Sandlot,” on July 23, when figure out how to re“The Sandlot” it’s screened on the video board trieve a baseball aumaintains its hold at Nymeo Field in Frederick. Gates tographed by Babe on members of Ruth from a lot next the Frederick open at 5 p.m., and the first pitch door that’s guardCounty baseball is at 6 p.m. There will be fireworks ed by a dog named community. after the game. Fans can meet and The Beast, which is “For me, [it’s] get autographs from Chauncey the source of many one of the best Leopardi, who played Squints in the a neighborhood baseball movies,” movie. July 23 is also Scout Night, legend. said Urbana High where members of the local boys Their adventures School coach and girls scout troops can watch the also include Mike Frownfelter. Keys game and camp out on the field summertime trips to While he was a overnight. Tickets start at $7. Go to the pool, a carnival little older than its and an ill-fated mlbdraftleague.com/frederick/tickets/ target audience first sampling of when the film promotions for more information or chewing tobacco. was released in to purchase tickets. Almost inevitably 1993, Frownfelter in a movie for kids, said it brings the rag-tag sandlot back childhood team must prove their baseball memories of getting friends bonafides in a match-up against a together and playing ball at the local preppy Little League team for local park. bragging rights. “You don’t see that around “The Sandlot” wasn’t Leopardi’s anymore,” he added. first time starring in a Hollywood The film has also become his hit. He had previously starred in the 8-year-old son’s favorite movie — and 1991 Steve Martin and Diane Keaton turned him into a New York Yankees fan, Frownfelter said. For a dad who’s film “Father of the Bride.” involved in baseball, “The Sandlot” After his appearance in “The was a great way to get his son into Sandlot,” Leopardi went on to star with Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, and the game, and they watch the movie rmarshall@newspost.com
IF YOU GO
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Thursday, July 21, 2022
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72 HOURS
A film still from “The Sandlot.” together often. It’s a hit with his high school players, too. Catoctin High School coach Mike Franklin estimated he and his 10-year-old son have watched the movie together at least 20 times. The film is “a feel-good movie for anyone who’s ever played the
game,” he said. It has lots of scenes you can relate to, like roaming around the neighborhood in the summer with nothing to do or getting some friends together to go to the pool, he said. In a time without smart phones, he and his friends
got togethe baseball. Like Frow it’s a good players as w He’s bee naturedly m most famou
