<P> The original screenplay was written by Bill Lancaster . Notable was the score by Jerry Fielding, which is an adaptation of the principal themes of Bizet's opera Carmen . </P> <P> Immediately prior to the events of the film, Bob Whitewood (Ben Piazza), a city councilman and attorney, files a lawsuit against a competitive Southern California Little League for excluding the least athletically skilled children (including his son Toby) from playing . To settle the lawsuit, the league agrees to form an additional team--the Bears--which is composed of the worst players . To manage the team, Whitewood enlists the services of Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau), a former minor - league baseball pitcher and an alcoholic who cleans swimming pools for a living . </P> <P> On his first day as coach, Buttermaker visits the team . It includes a near - sighted pitcher named Rudy Stein (David Pollock), an overweight catcher named Mike Engleberg (Gary Lee Cavagnaro), a foul - mouthed shortstop named Tanner (Chris Barnes) with a Napoleon complex, an outfielder, Ahmad Abdul Rahim (Erin Blunt) who dreams of emulating his idol Hank Aaron, two non-English - speaking Mexican immigrants, a withdrawn (and bullied) boy named Timmy Lupus, and a motley collection of other "talent". Shunned by the more competitive teams (and competitive parents), the Bears are outsiders, sponsored by Chico's Bail Bonds . In their opening game against the top - notch Yankees, who are coached by the aggressive and competitive Roy Turner (Vic Morrow), they do not even record an out, giving up 26 runs before Buttermaker forfeits the game while the Yankees start ridiculing the Bears . </P> <P> The next day, a dejected Bears team--except Tanner, who had fought the entire seventh grade and had the bruises to show it--tries to quit the season and turn in their uniforms, but Buttermaker decides to become a true coach for the kids . He tells them that he is the one who had quit, that quitting is a tough thing to overcome, and that they need to get back on the field . When the boys say their vote to quit is final, Buttermaker rises up in anger, tells them that his vote is the only one that counts on the team, and profanely threatens them into getting back on the field . In fear and respect, the boys run out on the field; and Buttermaker starts teaching them how to play baseball . They then lose the next game 18 - 0, despite finishing the game . Buttermaker rewards their efforts with hot dogs and soft drinks, showing that they are coming together as a team . </P>

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