In Defense of Wild Thing

It's a natural fact in the world that most baseball movies are pure crap.

They are usually sensational, overblown ridiculous scenarios that will never happen in real life. (See Little Big League and Rookie of the Year)

Then there's the ones that are the feel-good, emotionally charged family pieces. (See Angels in the Outfield)

And then there's a whole new category for any baseball movie that Kevin Costner is in.

But then, something miraculous happened in 1989. A great baseball movie was made.

Tom Berenger portrayed the aging, baseball-lifer, chasing the dream one more time. Wesley Snipes played the flashy, Willie Mays-wannabe. Rene Russo looked awesome. Plus, Bob Uecker was actually playing Bob Uecker.

There was also one more piece that was integral to Major League becoming the greatest baseball movie of all-time. It had the Wild Thing, Charlie Sheen.

Sheen was only 24-years old when he portrayed Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn but he managed to capture our hearts.

His torn sleeves, his rebel haircut, his skull and crossbones glasses, and his deadly fastball are the glorious images and weapons of the Wild Thing.

The part where Vaughn believes himself to be cut from the squad was absolutely priceless. He launched into a verbal tirade against the manager and then turned it into a physical altercation with the player that pranked him.

In fact, the majority of the film's out-bursts and profane moments came from Vaughn. Even though it was unbeknownst to him at the time, he was involved in an affair with the wife of fellow teammate, Roger Dorn.

The carefree use of alcohol, the adulterous lifestyle and the bouts of cursing were the what made the Wild Thing.

He was indeed, a rock star from Mars. People would burst into song whenever he emerged from the bullpen! Women threw themselves at him like they were under his magic spell.

The Wild Thing wasn't bipolar, he was bi-winning. Underneath his tough "California Penal" exterior was a man who cared deeply for his teammates.

Without him, the Cleveland Indians would have lost the pennant and Major League would have sucked.

Let's hear it for the Wild Thing.