The Rookie

Factual error: In the final inning of the district championship game, the Owls are ahead by one run and there are two outs when the opposing team's top hitter steps up to the plate. This is impossible because this batter was the final out in the previous inning when his team came to bat. That he bats at all in the final inning with two outs means his team would have batted around the order and scored at least 3 runs in that inning already and had the lead.

Factual error: The cab that delivers Morris and Brooks to the Ballpark in Arlington is driving on the wrong side of the road - southbound in the northbound lanes of Nolan Ryan Expressway. The road runs along the first base line of the stadium (now Ameriquest Field). (01:46:40)

StevenJ

Factual error: The Rangers 1999 ballclub the Devil Rays are playing looks eerily similar to the 2001 Rangers ballclub. If you look closely, you will see Alex Rodriguez scoring on a base hit. He wasn't signed until the 2001 season.

Factual error: When Jim Morris' high school players enter Arlington Stadium, you can hear Tom Goodwin being announced as leading off for the Rangers in the bottom of the first inning. That is not correct. 2B Mark McLemore was the Ranger's lead off hitter in that game. Tom Goodwin batted 9th.

Factual error: When the Devil Rays are playing the Rangers, the Rangers are wearing blue uniforms, which was the color of their uniforms when this movie was shot in 2001. However, this movie takes place in 1999, when the Rangers were wearing white uniforms with red writing and trim. You can see this for yourself in the DVD extras by watching the scene of the real Jim Morris pitching.

Factual error: In Jim Morris' debut at the Ballpark in Arlington, his is with the visiting Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He is warming up though in the bullpen that runs above and beyond the right field wall. This is the Texas Ranger's bullpen. When he comes in, he approaches from the first base side of the diamond, indicating that he came in from right field, but as he leaves the field he goes into the third base dugout (the correct one at this ballpark).

Factual error: It actually took Morris four pitches to strike out Royce Clayton. His third pitch was fouled off.

Factual error: The Devil Rays uniforms with a forest green style font weren't adopted until 2001. In 1999, the font was some kind of multicolor gradient.

Factual error: In the scene where Morris is pitching in Durham, they are obviously not at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park because the stadium has a giant blue wall in left field, similar to Fenway's Green Monster.

Continuity mistake: When the Owls are playing for their district championship, the other team's best batter comes up in the last inning. As he is walking to the plate, he is wearing Nike shoes, but when he digs into the batter's box, his shoes are Reebok.

More mistakes in The Rookie

Jimmy: Frank, isn't it a little late to be playing this song?
Frank: It's only 8:30.
Jimmy: It's March.

More quotes from The Rookie

Trivia: When Jimmy first arrives in Big Lake, the movie theater marquee lists the movie playing as Bang the Drum Slowly, a 1973 movie about a major league pitcher and catcher that form a friendship when traveling on the road, mirroring a lot about the friendship formed by Jimmy and Brooks.

jimba

More trivia for The Rookie

Question: What happened to Jimmy's brother in the movie?

Answer: It's never fully revealed, it seems David and his brother were playing, probably doing something that requires parental supervisor and was unable to save him. Again, probably David was the older one and his father believed he should have known better.

More questions & answers from The Rookie

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