Put Them In, Coach: Sports Drama Films Set for a Revival
After a shoulder injury cut Mark Ciardi's professional baseball career short — the pitcher made it to the majors for a few games with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1987 — he set his sights on Hollywood, where he led off by producing a film about his onetime teammate Jim Morris. That movie, The Rookie, became a huge hit for Disney, and Ciardi has since produced a successful run of real-life sports dramas including Miracle, Invincible and Secretariat.