First, let me say that it's been years since I saw the original and not being a baseball/softball player myself, I couldn't remember a thing about it. I thought this movie was funny and had some good messages promoting "team concepts", even though it was hidden sometimes under crude language, sexual innuendo and other subjects not appropriate for very young children. I am a Billy Bob Thorton fan and I thought he played the part well and was exactly the guy for the role. You generally wouldn't expect to see him in a PG-rated movie anyway. I just want families with young children to keep this in mind when choosing a film for all to see. A few families walked out after the first few minutes that contained some language not appropriate for their young children. The child actors in the movie are great and make the picture enjoyable to watch. The other benefit to this film, again for the appropriate aged audience is that it is about two hours long so you feel like you get your money's worth!