It’s easy to make the case that baseball is the most cinematic sport. Along with boxing, it’s one of the most featured sports in movies. Its status as America’s classic heritage sport has spawned stories of the game throughout time.

From all-time greats like “Field of Dreams” or “A League of Their Own,” to the forgotten hits like “Bad News Bears,” there’s a wide range of cinema to choose from if you want to enjoy a baseball movie night.

Here are some of my favorite baseball movies.

“42” (2013)

“Maybe tomorrow, we’ll all wear 42, so nobody could tell us apart.”

There’s a reason the MLB has a single retired number. 42, that of Jackie Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodger who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947. He’s not just a hero of the sport, he’s an American hero.

Chadwick Boseman is incredible in this role. He perfectly portrays Robinson’s struggle: he had to succeed and keep his temper in a league that hated him. He had to face hecklers, threats, racism, and discrimination. And he’s responsible for his own success, too. This isn’t a white savior story, even though some white characters, like Pee Wee Reese (Lucas Black) are redeemed in the story.

This is an incredible movie, and should be considered a classic.

“Major League” (1989)

“Juuuuuust a bit outside!”

If you can move past some casual 80s racism, this is one of the funniest movies you’ll ever see. “Major League” tells the heartwarming story of a scrappy Cleveland Indians team, who succeed despite being designed to fail, to serve the owner’s interests.

The core trio, played by Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, and Tom Berenger, are three polar opposite characters, and they bring out the hilarity of each other so well. Bob Uecker is a treasure as the team’s blunt and colorful announcer, Harry Doyle. “Major League” also develops the teammate side characters perfectly. Every character adds humor and value to the cast. Out of all the comedies on this list, it stands out as the most laugh-out-loud.

“The Natural” (1984)

“God, I love baseball.”

One common theme of many baseball movies is the redeeming qualities of baseball—anyone can be a hero through this game, and anyone can find solace and rediscovery in the wake of past devastation.

Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) went through an assassination attempt as a rookie that ruined his career. But later, he has another shot, and he fulfills his dreams of being a “great” in the big leagues.

Bonus: “The Natural” contains the greatest sports movie scene of all time: Hobbs’ towering heroic walk-off home run, busting the stadium’s lights and showering sparks on the screaming crowd, is truly iconic.

“The Sandlot” (1993)

“Everybody gets one chance to do something great. Most people never take the chance, either because they’re too scared, or they don’t recognize it when it spits on their shoes.”

This is an incredible story because it isn’t always so baseball-centric. Scott Smalls’ (Tom Guiry) monologue makes the point that to Benny (Mike Vitar), baseball meant everything. To the rest of the group, it was just their hobby, their way of making friends.

Instead, “The Sandlot” is about finding your way in a new, unfamiliar environment. It’s about the bonds we grow in childhood and how baseball can bring us together. For family movies, this is an all-time classic. I actually think it might be the least baseball-y of all on this list, but it’s still worth the watch.

“A League of Their Own” (1992)

“There’s no crying in baseball!”

Not enough people know the story of women’s baseball. During WWII, when many men were drafted to fight, the league had to shut down. Chicago Cubs owner Philip Wrigley created the All-American Girls’ Professional Baseball League to keep Americans entertained.

Though the league had to shut down in the 50s due to declining game attendance, it broke gender roles while it existed, and each of its players were trailblazers in womens’ sports. Now, we have leagues like the NWSL, PWHL, and WNBA making big gains in Colorado and beyond.

Like “42,” “A League of Their Own” tells an important historical story, a story that most Americans have never heard of.

“Bad News Bears” (1976)

“Listen, Lupus, you didn’t come into this life just to sit around on a dugout bench, did ya? Now get your ass out there and do the best you can.”

This is a quintessential youth sports film, and one of the first iconic movies of its kind. It’s a classic tale: a coach (Walter Matthau) assigned to fix up a terrible team. He builds them up as players, teammates, and people. And though it doesn’t have the perfect triumphant ending, it makes it all the more charming and classic.

“Moneyball” (2011)

“If we win, on our budget, with this team… we’ll have changed the game. And that’s what I want. I want it to mean something.”

This is a true story about the Oakland Athletics’ statistics-driven campaign in 2002 to create a team with a tiny budget. They use statistical analysis and new strategies to scout cheap players with quality talent.

It’s an inspiring story for fans of small-market teams, and Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill deliver incredible performances. Bonus, as a Rockies fan: Hill’s character, Peter Brand, is a composite of multiple real-life figures, including our new President of Baseball Operations, Paul Depodesta.

“Ed” (1996)

“Baseball is America’s game. Every American, regardless of race, creed, color, species, body hair, brain size has the right to play the game.”

This movie is completely off the rails. It’s about a chimp that becomes a minor league star. It might give you a chuckle, though. I really can’t decipher what led Matt LeBlanc’s career to this.

“Field of Dreams” (1989)

“If you build it, he will come.”

This isn’t just the G.O.A.T. of baseball movies, it’s one of the greatest films of all time. The story of an Iowa farmer, Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is one of beauty and wonder that exposes the magic of baseball.

Despite the objections of his neighbors, Ray turns a chunk of his farmland into a baseball field, under the orders of a mysterious, disembodied voice. The field attracts the ghosts of historic baseball players, returning to the field of dreams to relive their glory days.

The voice brings him on a journey to meet author Terence Mann (James Earl Jones) and doctor Moonlight Graham (Burt Lancaster). The journey teaches themes of second chances and following the heart. It’s a bold story that explores our greater purposes as humans, all while remaining a classic, nostalgic American story.

Fair warning: this beautiful film has some side effects. After it’s over, you’ll want to grab a glove and ball. You’ll want to walk out the door into the summer air. You’ll want to feel dirt and grass under your feet as you toss the ball back and forth. It’ll make you fall in love with baseball all over again.