| As a baseball fan, I appreciate the film "A League of | | | | player. The alcohol had taken over his life and the |
| their Own," starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, | | | | tragedy is that we are introduced to the alcoholic, |
| Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell. It's the story about the | | | | not the ball player. We wind up asking ourselves, |
| women's professional baseball league, which was | | | | "What would have happened if Jimmy took care of |
| started because major League Baseball feared that | | | | himself." |
| the leagues would have to shut down because of | | | | Jimmy comes to his senses and begins to engage |
| World War II. The story within the story is about | | | | the team. He asserts his baseball knowledge in a |
| Tom Hank's character, Jimmy Dugan, who was | | | | comical battle of signs with Dottie Hinson (Davis). He |
| selected to manage the team. Jimmy was still young | | | | begins to see himself as a baseball manager, and |
| enough to be playing, but his career was cut short | | | | begins to look at the ladies on the team not as |
| due to injury, sustained after a night on the town. | | | | women, but as ball players. We see this |
| We are first introduced to Dugan before the ladies' | | | | transformation of identity. |
| first game. He bursts into the clubhouse, bypasses | | | | Identity is at the core of alcoholism. In the throws of |
| every player and goes right to a urinal to relieve | | | | addiction, people are seen as alcoholics. But what is |
| himself. Madonna's character, Mae Mordabito, is | | | | their true identity? Who are they as people? Jimmy |
| impressed by the length of this activity that she | | | | Dugan lost his identity as a ball player because of |
| starts timing him. Jimmy, of course, is oblivious. He | | | | alcohol, but found redemption in baseball as a |
| spends the entire game on the end of the bench, | | | | manager. What's more, we find that Jimmy is really a |
| asleep. Wallowing in self-pity, Dugan is completely | | | | pretty good guy. He realizes that Harvey had given |
| disinterested in the team. His behavior is abhorrent. | | | | him a second chance in life, and rather than accepting |
| League general manager, Ira Lowenstein, played by | | | | a position as a minor league manager, he chose to |
| David Strathairn, confronts him by asking, "If we pay | | | | stay with his women's team for another season, out |
| you more money, can you be more disgusting?" | | | | of respect for the players. |
| Finally, team owner Walter Harvey, played by Garry | | | | Alcoholism robs people of their identity. It interrupts |
| Marshall, lectures him on his behavior. | | | | life. It becomes the focal point of existence, stripping |
| There is one particular scene, when Dugan is hitting | | | | away dignity, opportunity and fulfillment. But there is |
| balls from a pitching machine, where we get a look at | | | | redemption. There is treatment and hope of a |
| the real Jimmy. He was a star player and judging | | | | restored life and people need not suffer and be |
| from the way he was winging the bat, if it weren't | | | | forever captive to the disease. Jimmy Dugan found a |
| for his bad knees and alcoholism, he'd still be a good | | | | new life. You can too. |