Don't Make a Scene: Bull Durham

The Story: There have been many fiery, inspiring speeches in the history of movies...and in the history of baseball (by the way, Opening Day is March 30th).

This isn't one of them.

 

There are so many wonderful scenes in Bull Durham, one can hit random play on a DVD and be within 90 feet of one. But, I've always loved this one for the sheer comic insanity of it. "Skip" goes out to motivate his team with a locker room speech.

 

He starts by throwing a clutch of bats at them. And his words? Nuggets of philosophy? Psychology? Positive reinforcement? Inspirational anecdote? Passages from "The Art of War?" 

Yeah, nope. He's got nothing. He doesn't even have the stats (he gets those from his assistant, Larry—played by an inspired Robert Wuhl).

It's just a rant without anything to it, but the basics. And one well-chosen word. It wouldn't work nearly so well without the considerable talent of the excellent Trey Wilson, who turns this into a master-class of angry passive-agressiveness. Agressively passive-agressive. Wilson was a master, turning drama into funny. He'd been in movies since 1976, but was hitting his stride with turns in this film and Raising Arizona.

 

He died of a cerebral hemorrhage seven months after the release of Bull Durham, just shy of his 41st birthday and starring as Leo in the Coen Brothers' Miller's Crossing. "We wuz robbed."

 

The Set-Up: The single-A Durham Bulls are in a slump. Their star pitcher is not performing, and the L's are overwhelming the W's. Coach Joe Riggins—call him "Skip" (Trey Wilson) is about to take the team on the road, after their home-field advantage has failed to sway the odds. What to do? Motivate. How to motivate this bunch of losers? First step of grieving is denying. The next step is provided by the team's 12 year veteran Crash Davis (Kevin Costner), who's cleaning up.

 

Play Ball!

 

SKIP [sighs] Hell of a shot. 

SKIP Sorry it got wasted. 

SKIP Jesus. 

SKIP I don't know what to do with these guys. 

SKIP I beg, I plead. I try to be a nice guy. 

SKIP I'm a nice guy, but I don't - - 

CRASH Scare 'em. - 

SKIP Huh? 

CRASH They're kids. Scare 'em. 

CRASH That's what I'd do. 

SKIP Yeah.

SKIP [chuckles]

INT. LOCKER ROOM -- NIGHT THE SHOWERS -- 

Naked bodies in the steamy room. No joking around. A team on a losing streak. 

SUDDENLY SKIP STEPS INTO THE SHOWER in his uniform and angrily throws an armload of bats into the shower.

SKIP Everybody into the shower! 

SKIP Anybody ain't in this shower in 10 seconds gonna get fined $100!

SKIP - Larry! - 

LARRY One Mississippi! Two Mississippi. 

LARRY Three Mississippi. Four Mississippi. - 

SKIP Get in there! Hurry it up! - 

LARRY Five Mississippi. Six Mississippi. 

LARRY Seven Mississippi. Eight Mississippi. 

LARRY Nine Mississippi. Ten Mississippi. 

The Durham Bulls sit and stand quietly.

SKIP You guys! 

SKIP You lollygag the ball around the infield. 

SKIP You lollygag your way down to first! 

SKIP  You lollygag in and out of the dugout. 

SKIP Do you know what that makes you? 

SKIP Larry. - 

LARRY Lollygaggers. - 

SKIP Lollygaggers. - 

SKIP What's our record, Larry? - 

LARRY Eight and 16. 

SKIP Eight and 16. 

SKIP How did we ever win eight? - 

LARRY It's a miracle. - 

SKIP It's a miracle. 

CLOSE ON FACES OF THE PLAYERS -- Sitting silently.

SKIP This is a simple game. 

SKIP You throw the ball. 

SKIP You hit the ball. 

SKIP You catch the ball.

SKIP [shouts] You got it? 

BACK INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM -- Skip is winding down. 

SKIP Now, we have got a 12-day road trip... 

SKIP ...starting tomorrow. 

SKIP Bus leaves 6:00 in the morning. 

SKIP HEADS BACK INSIDE his little office with Larry.

SKIP Goddamn son-of-a-bitchin' 

SKIP ...motherfucking shitheads. DAMN!

Bull Durham

 

Words by Ron Shelton

 

Pictures by Bobby Byrne and Ron Shelton

 

Bull Durham is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from from M-G-M Home Entertainment and the Criterion Collection.