Through the years, movies and television have produced scores of pictures about baseball, famous players and teams.

I recently saw on TV "The Pride of the Yankees", a story about one of baseball's greatest players, Lou Gehrig, featuring Gary Cooper in the starring role.

There have been at least three films about Babe Ruth, but the two movies I saw failed to show a true picture of this famous slugger and what he contributed to the sport.

Another popular movie was the "Monty Stratton Story", a picture about a pitcher who, after losing his leg in a hunting accident, came back to pitch again in the majors. He did well until the opposition started bunting against him and he had difficulty fielding the ball. Actor Jimmy Stewart did an excellent job playing Stratton.

Outfielder Jimmy Piersall, noted for his crazy antics on the diamond (once, he ran the bases in reverse) was portrayed in a film called "Fear Strikes Out". Piersall appeared as guest speaker at a Sacred Heart Sports dinner several years ago.

In more recent years, the film industry produced several enjoyable baseball movies, including "Field of Dreams", "Bull Durham", and "The Natural".

The latter was nearly filmed at Falcon Park, but the director decided it was too small. The old MacArthur Park in Syracuse was also considered, but it was too modern. It was finally produced at old Erie County Park in Buffalo.

The most recent TV movie, "The Rookie", a true story of Jim Morris, is probably the best baseball story I have seen in a long time.

It was produced in 2002 and it tells the story of Morris, a baseball coach at a Texas high school, who became a relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the age of 35.

Morris's storybook route to the majors started in 1999, when his players challenged him to try out with a big league team if they won the district championship - which they did.

After much persuasion,the veteran coach agreed and went to spring training with the Devil Rays. He dazzled the coaches with his 98 mile per hour fastball.

The film, which stars Dennis Quaid playing Morris, recounts Jim's improbable quest in the reaching the majors for the first time, some 11 years after retiring from playing in the minors.

After three months in the minors, Morris joined the Tampa club in Sept. 1999, making his debut against the Texas Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington, Texas. He struck out the first batter he faced, Royce Clayton.

Morris fulfilled one of his childhood fantasies last Labor Day, when he visited the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Morris saw a display of his artifacts during his trip.

"There were two things I've wanted to do since I was a kid - one was to go to Yankee Stadium, and the other was to visit Cooperstown," Morris said in a recent interview. "I got to do both of those so I'm pretty proud."

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Tom Boedicker, a former Auburn athlete, writes from Florida about a recent golf tournament he played in with Ken Harrelson, who pitched in the majors for the Red Sox, Athletics, Senators and Indians.

When Boedicker mentioned he grew up in Auburn, Harrelson said he played for the NY-P League's Olean Oilers and at Falcon Park.