Mr. 3000
Encyclopedia
Mr. 3000 is a 2004 American sports comedy film
starring Bernie Mac
and Angela Bassett
. The film's plot surrounds a retired Major League Baseball
player who makes a comeback at age 47 in order to attain 3,000 hits.
) was a Milwaukee Brewers
baseball
star. After recording his 3,000th
hit
the selfish, narcissistic Ross immediately retired, leaving the team without one of its star players in the middle of the 1995
playoff race. During the next nine years Ross used his nickname as a business tool, owning several profitable properties under the name "Mr. 3000" that made him a rich man.
The Brewers retire Ross' number several years after his retirement. Although many fans came to the ceremony, other players, including teammates and fellow stars Robin Yount
, Paul Molitor
, and Cecil Cooper
, stayed away. Only his best friend and a middle relief pitcher
from his early days in the majors attend, and the ex-pitcher mocks Ross' attitude.
Ross learns that, due to a clerical error, he retired with 2,997 hits instead of 3,000. The error also partially contributes to Ross not being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and makes his "Mr. 3000" marketing gimmick inaccurate. Ross seeks to return to the game at the age of 47 to get three more hits, secure his place in the record books, and keep his local post-career marketing gimmick intact.
The Brewers' upper management, citing the large attendance at Ross' number retirement ceremony and the fact that the Brewers are out of playoff contention, agrees to bring Ross back during the September roster expansion
. The team's younger players only know of Ross as a self-centered player and team superstar Rex "T-Rex" Pennebaker (Brian J. White
), who is pompous and arrogant like Ross, sees him as unneeded and too old to play. Manager Gus Panas (Paul Sorvino
) refuses to speak to Ross because of his abrupt retirement, and the sportswriters continually criticize him.
Despite his predictions to the contrary Ross struggles to regain his baseball form, but slowly earns two more hits. Ross becomes a mentor to the younger players and urges Pennebaker to learn from his own mistakes as a star, inspiring the Brewers to a late-season comeback and a respectable finish. In his last at-bat of the season, Ross has a vision of his earlier years where he was considered always dependable for the team, which inspires him to bunt instead so the team can finish third in its division
. Although Ross never reaches the "3,000" milestone, his newfound generosity and attitude gets him inducted into the Hall of Fame. As the movie ends, Ross renames all of his businesses that bear the name "Mr. 3,000" to "Mr. 2,999", which are now more successful.
, as well as Miller Park, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, and at Zephyr Field
in New Orleans, Louisiana
.
which observed "Bernie Mac demonstrates he can play the game even if the movie's a few innings short of a complete game.". The film took over $8 million at the box office on its opening weekend. In all it took $21,811,187 in the US and Canada, and a further $28,190 when it was released in Spain, for a global total of $21,839,377.
during
his first stint with the Brewers. But at the time the fictional game was played, the Brewers were in the American League
and there was no regular season interleague play
, so the Brewers and Astros would not have played each other.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring Bernie Mac
Bernie Mac
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough , better known by his stage name, Bernie Mac, was an American actor and comedian. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L...
and Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
. The film's plot surrounds a retired Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player who makes a comeback at age 47 in order to attain 3,000 hits.
Plot
Stan Ross (Bernie MacBernie Mac
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough , better known by his stage name, Bernie Mac, was an American actor and comedian. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L...
) was a Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
star. After recording his 3,000th
3000 hit club
In Major League Baseball , the 3,000 hit club is a term applied to the group of batters who have collected 3,000 or more regular-season hits in their careers. Cap Anson was the first to join the club on July 18, 1897, although his precise career hit total is unclear. Two players—Nap Lajoie and...
hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
the selfish, narcissistic Ross immediately retired, leaving the team without one of its star players in the middle of the 1995
1995 Milwaukee Brewers season
The Milwaukee Brewers' 1995 season involved the Brewers' finishing 4th in the American League Central with a record of 65 wins and 79 losses.-Offseason:* October 14, 1994: Alex Diaz was selected off waivers from the Brewers by the Seattle Mariners....
playoff race. During the next nine years Ross used his nickname as a business tool, owning several profitable properties under the name "Mr. 3000" that made him a rich man.
The Brewers retire Ross' number several years after his retirement. Although many fans came to the ceremony, other players, including teammates and fellow stars Robin Yount
Robin Yount
Robin R. Yount is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop and center fielder. He spent his entire 20-year baseball career with the Milwaukee Brewers . In 1999, Yount was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.-Early years:Yount was born in Danville, Illinois...
, Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
, and Cecil Cooper
Cecil Cooper
Cecil Celester Cooper , nicknamed "Coop," is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball and the former manager of the Houston Astros. From through , Cooper played for the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers...
, stayed away. Only his best friend and a middle relief pitcher
Middle relief pitcher
In baseball, middle relief pitchers are relief pitchers who commonly pitch in the 6th or 7th innings or in situations where several innings worth of work is required . In the National League, a middle reliever often comes in after the starting pitcher has been pulled for a pinch hitter...
from his early days in the majors attend, and the ex-pitcher mocks Ross' attitude.
Ross learns that, due to a clerical error, he retired with 2,997 hits instead of 3,000. The error also partially contributes to Ross not being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and makes his "Mr. 3000" marketing gimmick inaccurate. Ross seeks to return to the game at the age of 47 to get three more hits, secure his place in the record books, and keep his local post-career marketing gimmick intact.
The Brewers' upper management, citing the large attendance at Ross' number retirement ceremony and the fact that the Brewers are out of playoff contention, agrees to bring Ross back during the September roster expansion
Major League Baseball rosters
A Major League Baseball roster is a roster of players able to play for their respective Major League team. There are two types of rosters, the 25-man roster and the 40-man roster.-25-man roster:...
. The team's younger players only know of Ross as a self-centered player and team superstar Rex "T-Rex" Pennebaker (Brian J. White
Brian J. White
Brian Joseph White is an American actor, dancer, football player, lacrosse player, stock broker and youth activist.-Personal life:...
), who is pompous and arrogant like Ross, sees him as unneeded and too old to play. Manager Gus Panas (Paul Sorvino
Paul Sorvino
Paul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law, and is possibly best known for his roles as Paulie Cicero, a portrayal of Paul Vario in the film Goodfellas and Sgt. Phil Cerreta on the police procedural and legal drama television series Law...
) refuses to speak to Ross because of his abrupt retirement, and the sportswriters continually criticize him.
Despite his predictions to the contrary Ross struggles to regain his baseball form, but slowly earns two more hits. Ross becomes a mentor to the younger players and urges Pennebaker to learn from his own mistakes as a star, inspiring the Brewers to a late-season comeback and a respectable finish. In his last at-bat of the season, Ross has a vision of his earlier years where he was considered always dependable for the team, which inspires him to bunt instead so the team can finish third in its division
National League Central
The National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the Western Division and three teams from the Eastern Division of the National League...
. Although Ross never reaches the "3,000" milestone, his newfound generosity and attitude gets him inducted into the Hall of Fame. As the movie ends, Ross renames all of his businesses that bear the name "Mr. 3,000" to "Mr. 2,999", which are now more successful.
Production
Portions of this movie were filmed at Marquette University High SchoolMarquette University High School
Marquette University High School is a private, all-male, Jesuit, Roman Catholic school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is a member of both the National Catholic Educational Association and the Jesuit...
, as well as Miller Park, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, and at Zephyr Field
Zephyr Field
Zephyr Field is a 10,000-seat baseball park in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, that hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 11, 1997, as the tenants of the facility, the New Orleans Zephyrs, defeated the Oklahoma City 89ers, 8-3. The ballpark hosted the 1998 and 2001...
in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
.
Cast
- Bernie MacBernie MacBernard Jeffrey McCullough , better known by his stage name, Bernie Mac, was an American actor and comedian. Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Mac gained popularity as a stand-up comedian. He joined comedians Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and D. L...
– Stan Ross - Angela BassettAngela BassettAngela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
– Maureen Simmons - Michael RispoliMichael RispoliMichael Rispoli is an American character actor. He was formerly part of the HBO television series The Sopranos as Jackie Aprile, Sr...
– Anthony 'Boca' Carter - Brian J. WhiteBrian J. WhiteBrian Joseph White is an American actor, dancer, football player, lacrosse player, stock broker and youth activist.-Personal life:...
– Rex 'T-Rex' Pennebaker - Ian Anthony DaleIan Anthony DaleIan Anthony Dale is an American actor.Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, he attended school in Madison, Wisconsin. He is of Japanese, French and English descent. Dale currently stars as Simon Lee on The Event, and was previously known for playing Davis Lee on Surface and his recurring role on Charmed...
– Fukuda - Evan Jones – Fryman
- Amaury NolascoAmaury NolascoAmaury Nolasco Garrido is a Puerto Rican actor, best known for the role of Fernando Sucre on the television series Prison Break, and for his role in Transformers.-Early life:...
– Minadeo - Dondre WhitfieldDondre WhitfieldDondre T. Whitfield is an American television actor.-Career:Whitfield attended the Performing Arts High School in New York City, New York. He was featured on the sitcom The Cosby Show as Robert Foreman...
– Skillet - Paul SorvinoPaul SorvinoPaul Anthony Sorvino is an American actor. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law, and is possibly best known for his roles as Paulie Cicero, a portrayal of Paul Vario in the film Goodfellas and Sgt. Phil Cerreta on the police procedural and legal drama television series Law...
– Gus Panas - Earl BillingsEarl BillingsEarl William Billings is an American character actor who may best be known as Rob in the 1976-1977 television series What's Happening!!.-Life and career:Billings was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Willie Mae Billings....
– Lenny Koron - Chris NothChris NothChristopher David "Chris" Noth is an American actor. He is known for long-running television roles as Det. Mike Logan on the police procedural and legal drama television series, Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and as Big on Sex and the City. For the latter role, he has been...
– Schiembri
Reception
The film received mixed reviews, earning a score of 55% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
which observed "Bernie Mac demonstrates he can play the game even if the movie's a few innings short of a complete game.". The film took over $8 million at the box office on its opening weekend. In all it took $21,811,187 in the US and Canada, and a further $28,190 when it was released in Spain, for a global total of $21,839,377.
Continuity
In the film, Ross is mentioned as having played a game against the Houston AstrosHouston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
during
his first stint with the Brewers. But at the time the fictional game was played, the Brewers were in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and there was no regular season interleague play
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
, so the Brewers and Astros would not have played each other.