By Jennifer Asencio
| Updated 30 seconds ago

The Sandlot is a beloved coming-of-age movie about baseball. The 1993 comedy-drama not only resonated with fans but is frequently quoted in memes to this day. It is a touching period piece about a summer that shapes the entire life of the main character, Scott Smalls.

In it, “Smalls” (Tom Guiry) is the new kid in town, having moved to San Fernando Valley in 1962 with his mother and stepfather, Bill (Denis Leary). Encouraged to go make friends, he stumbles upon the titular lot, which is used by eight boys for a never-ending baseball practice. They are led by Benny (Mike Vitar), a talented center fielder who takes Smalls under his wing and teaches him the game.

They have typical pre-adolescent summer adventures with girls, with Little League, and with each other. But the most important test for Smalls and the entire gang is Hercules, a gigantic hound who dwells in the yard of Mr. Mertle (James Earl Jones), whose home is adjacent to the back of the lot. Hercules likes baseballs, so when a prized ball is hit over the fence, the boys have to figure out how to get it back.

This heartwarming family film helped form the childhoods of many 80s and 90s kids, relying more on its child stars than on the famous adult actors (Smalls’ mother, played by Raiders of the Lost Ark star Karen Allen, doesn’t even get a name). The year in the movie is 1962, a more innocent time when kids weren’t bogged down by so much technology, not even the number of TV stations we have these days. The boys from The Sandlot would probably be flabbergasted by the ability to play their favorite game on Xbox instead of in the lot, but that’s not all that would surprise them.

They probably wouldn’t recognize baseball if they were suddenly time-warped into 2026, because it is vastly different from the game they spent so much time practicing. Over the intervening years, MLB has made some major changes to the rules and the game. Sure, it’s still nine innings, with three strikes making an out and four balls making a walk, but other alterations made to the game would seem to the kids from The Sandlot as though they didn’t belong.

In honor of baseball’s nine innings, here are nine things about baseball that would be entirely new to the Sandlot kids.

1. More Teams Than You Can Count

1961-62 is known as “the expansion era” because during that time, a total of 10 teams were added to Major League Baseball, including my beloved New York Mets. The sport was already divided into two leagues, the National League and the American League, and the expansion era put 10 teams into each league. Today, each league has 15 teams, for a total of 30, and they are further subdivided into East, West, and Central divisions based on their locations.

Some of the historic teams the boys might remember from 1962 have moved, changed names, or disbanded, so while old standbys like the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees would still be familiar, the Washington Nationals or Atlanta Braves would seem misplaced, and they’d have never heard of the Colorado Rockies or either Florida team.

2. Ghost Runners

For some reason, the people in charge of baseball decided that it was too long and slow, especially if it went into extra innings beyond the regulation nine due to a tie. One of the changes implemented to streamline and shorten the game was the “ghost runner,” which is an automatic baserunner who takes the field for the batting team if the game goes into overtime. While some games in the past have gone on for several hours and dozens of innings, the ghost runner rule wasn’t made a permanent part of the game until 2023.

The Sandlot kids probably used ghost runners themselves to compensate for the fact that there were only nine of them, but the only purpose they have in MLB is to shorten the game by giving each team a small boost in extra innings. The argument in favor of the ghost runner is that it cuts costs and saves time, while the argument against is that it ruins the purity of the competition. One wonders what the boys would make of the ghost runner rule.

3. Three Strikes, Yer Out?

Umpires, the referees of baseball, have been known throughout the years to make some serious errors that have cost teams important games. They are responsible for determining officially if a pitch is a ball or a strike, and it used to be that they had the final word. For fans, getting mad at the umps was as much a part of the game as pitchers and batters and bases.

Starting in 2026, MLB is using the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System, which allows an umpire’s call to be challenged.

Each team only gets two, and if the challenge fails, they lose one. Whether it’s a pitcher who thinks he threw a strike or a manager who thinks his batter was just dealt a ball, teams still need to be careful how they use ABS challenges. The only reason ABS challenges can exist is that technology has evolved way beyond what the Sandlot boys might recognize, allowing each pitch to be analyzed for its position relative to the batter, something that used to rely on an umpire’s eye.

4. Pitches Are Limited-Time Only

Once upon a time, pitchers could take as long as they wanted to deliver a pitch. This resulted in tension between the pitcher and batter as the two stared one another down until the pitcher finally decided what to throw, making each pitch high drama.

In 2023, the pitch clock was implemented, which limited the amount of time the pitcher had to decide on his pitch to a mere 15 seconds (18 if there are baserunners).

The purpose of the pitch clock was to shave more time off the game, and it did result in runtimes decreasing by an average of 25 minutes. But the high drama of the duel between pitcher and batter is an aspect of the game the Sandlot boys would miss.

5. Stats for Everything

Baseball statistics used to be simple: how many strikeouts did a pitcher get? How many hits did a batter get? These statistics were general and imperfect, however, and the computing era of the 1970s and 80s saw a new system called Sabremetrics used to analyze the game.

Sabremetrics made the existing stats, like home runs and batting averages, a little more precise by adding metrics such as on-base percentage (OPS), which included batters who got on base without hitting the ball (such as by a walk or being hit by a pitch). This improved the understanding of each player’s contribution to the team, particularly in the case of pitchers.

As technology further improved, a second era of statistics arose, called the Statcast era. Today, there are statistics for how fast a ball is hit, how many times a batter is expected to make it on base, and even how valuable a player is to a team compared to an average player in his position. The mountain of new statistics is dizzying for many long-time fans, but maybe professionals like Smalls and Benny would understand them.

6. Designated Hitters

The idea of a player not batting for themselves would be alien to the Sandlot kids. Until 1973, even pitchers went up to bat, traditionally ninth in the lineup.

Then, the American League introduced the idea of the designated hitter, a batter who replaced the pitcher’s turn and could be added anywhere in the lineup; many teams would put in a slugger who didn’t play the field but only batted.

The National League persisted in having pitchers bat until the designated hitter rule was made universal in 2022.

Now it applies to all teams, and only rare pitchers get up to bat. While the designated hitter allows pitchers to focus on their craft and adds an element of strategy to the batting lineup, the tradition of the pitcher batting last is something the boys would have grown up with.

7. Expanded Playoffs

Since 1903, the World Series has been a contest between the best teams in both leagues, National and American. This was determined by which teams in each league had the best win-loss records.

In 1969, after the expansion era, the leagues split into divisions, East and West. Already, the Sandlot boys are in unfamiliar territory, as the semi-final round, known as the playoffs, was introduced.

The teams with the best records in the East and West now compete for the league title and the right to continue to the World Series. In 2026, there are 30 teams, and each league is split into three divisions, meaning there are even more playoff games as more rounds were added to contest ties and accommodate the expansions.

These days, the National and American leagues each have six teams that play post-season: the top in each of the three divisions, and three “wild card” teams that place based on their win-loss records.

While sometimes this can be confusing and means that the “best” don’t always make it to the end, it also adds more competition to the final rounds and allows teams that had good seasons a chance at the finals. Who knows what the boys would make of all these post-season games. To me, they’re bonus baseball.

8. Instant Replays

The instant replay has long been a staple of football, hockey, and basketball, so it was surprising that baseball didn’t start using it until 2008, and didn’t start using it regularly until 2014.

As with many of the other calls the umpires were responsible for, the instant replay gave managers and players the chance to have the action reviewed on video to determine if a call was right.

These days, there’s an entire center in Manhattan that is responsible for reviewing plays and confirming or overturning bad calls. While this has improved the game (and also showed which umpires actually were bums), fans and players alike have spent a century criticizing umpires, and even today, a good argument between a manager and an ump is celebrated by fans.

The more mechanical part of the boys’ baseball thinking would probably appreciate the instant replay, but whether they would like it as fans is another question.

9. The Decline of Starting Pitchers

Once upon a time, it was very common for pitchers to pitch all nine innings of a game. Relief pitchers and “the bullpen” were available, but not such a common part of the game as they are today (remember, back then, pitchers also batted).

However, as more sophisticated statistical metrics were added to the game over the years, teams began to notice trends in pitching performance, such as a drop-off in efficiency on the third time facing the nine-man batting lineup. Starting around the late 1980s, teams began to rely more on their bullpens.

In 2026, it is very rare for a pitcher to complete a game, as starting pitchers are limited in the number of pitches they are allowed to throw and relief pitchers are put in to counter specific types of batters. The Sandlot boys might enjoy the strategy of the bullpen, but they come from an era when many great pitchers dominated the game, and that era is no more.

Professional baseball has been around for over 150 years and has seen a lot of changes, for better or worse. In 1962, when The Sandlot takes place, baseball was still more or less in its nascent form, with only the addition of new teams to change it. As baseball has gotten televised and more teams have been added, the game and its rules have changed in ways that cut costs and make it more broadcast-friendly. Whether the boys from The Sandlot would like or despise these changes is up for debate, but one thing is for sure: baseball is not the same sport they played together during that memorable summer.

For a look back at the good old days of baseball, The Sandlot is streaming on Disney+.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 40 seconds ago

One of my favorite modern time travel movies has to be 2024’s Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox. It’s a movie about a guy who repeatedly tries killing his past self, only to learn that he broke the space-time continuum, resulting in thousands of clones of himself. He doesn’t know how to break the cycle, and each attempted fix for his botched experiment continues to make things exponentially worse. While watching 2022’s Madelines, I couldn’t help but notice the similarities, which made me think the two films would make a great double feature.

Madelines, while ridiculous on its own terms, feels more subdued thanks to its willingness to play things a little straighter. Most of the humor in Madelines is situational, whereas Tim Travers takes a more slapstick approach while tackling the same kind of paradoxical storytelling that most good, low-budget time travel movies are known for.

From One To Many

The premise of Madelines is painfully simple before it veers into the kind of unhinged time-travel logic you’re typically used to. Madeline (Brea Grant) and Owen (Parry Shen) finally think they’ve cracked the code for time travel, but Madeline doesn’t want to start animal trials because she thinks it’s cruel. Her investor, Rory Devonshire (Richard Riehle), couldn’t care less because he just wants results.

Thinking that the only ethical way to push the research forward would be to test the technology on herself, Madeline takes one for the team, not realizing there was an error in her code, leading to an unthinkable number of alternate versions of herself generating like clockwork every day.

From this point forward, and this is why the film would play perfectly against Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox, Madeline and Owen decide that the best course of action is to kill every new Madeline as they poof into existence. The operation becomes less about extolling the virtues of time travel and more about cleaning up their mess in the form of repeatedly murdering Madeline until they can figure out how to close the loop.

Matters get complicated, however, because each new version of the scientist eventually develops her own unique experiences. And now that they’re all aware of each other, closing the loop becomes a process that’s a bit more complicated than, “We need to murder Madeline in perpetuity.”

Doesn’t Quite Stick The Landing

Personally, I think Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox is, overall, the stronger movie. I give it more credit for going full ridiculous while attempting to answer the same kind of questions Madelines poses. Both films stand on their own, but Madelines is more introspective and contemplative, reluctantly dealing with its open-loop disaster while trying to reclaim its protagonist’s humanity. Tim Travers, on the other hand, is a total agent of chaos who ultimately loves what he’s doing in the unhinged name of experimental science. Madeline is Lisa Simpson. Tim Travers is Pickle Rick.

If you’re into low-budget sci-fi with surprisingly sound time travel logic, I strongly recommend watching both films as a double feature. They tackle many of the same ideas, but their execution couldn’t be further apart.

As of this writing, you can stream Madelines for free on Tubi. Tim Travers and the Time Traveler’s Paradox can be found on the platform as well. 

After briefly losing the top spot, Louisa Levy’s Off Campus is once again the number one show on Prime Video this week. Inspired by Elle Kennedy’s book series, the show stars Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli as a music student and a star hockey player who find unexpected romance. The romance drama series has been quite acclaimed and popular since its premiere in May, but in case you’re in the mood for something a little different this week, there’s still a lot more to explore on the streaming service. Here’s a look at three great shows that we think you should binge on Prime Video this week.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Prime Video.

1

‘Rules of Engagement’ (2007–2013)

Image via CBS

Created by Tom Hertz, Rules of Engagement is a CBS sitcom that revolves around a group of friends: a married couple, an engaged couple, and their single friends. The show follows their interpersonal relationships and the many hilarious complications of dating and marriage that they run into. The series stars Patrick Warburton, Megyn Price, Oliver Hudson, Bianca Kajlich, David Spade, and Adhir Kalyan in lead roles, with several notable recurring and guest stars including Curtis Armstrong, Jessica Walter, Tony Hale, and more.

Produced by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions, Rules of Engagement aired a hundred episodes across seven seasons, earning largely negative reviews throughout that time. But even though critics never really warmed up to it, the show proved quite successful with audiences, garnering good ratings. The series also received three Emmy Award nominations and won four BMI Film & TV Awards for Best TV Music.

2

‘Primeval’ (2007–2011)

A British sci-fi TV show created by Tim Haines and Adrian Hodges, Primeval follows a group of scientists as they investigate several temporal anomalies that appear across the United Kingdom. With creatures from the distant past and future threatening the present, the scientists help deal with the fallout of these anomalies while simultaneously uncovering a plot to bring about the end of the world. The show stars Douglas Henshall, James Murray, Andrew-Lee Potts, Lucy Brown, Hannah Spearritt, Juliet Aubrey, Ben Miller, and more in key roles across seasons.

Back when Primeval first premiered in 2007, the show was rather unfavorably compared to Doctor Who, but as the first season progressed, the critical and audience response grew ever more favorable. By the end of its five-season run, the show was a widely acclaimed international hit, having grown into a unique sci-fi series in its own right. Often ranked among the best British sci-fi shows of all time, Primeval went on to spawn a multimedia franchise that includes novels, games, a spin-off series, and merchandise.

3

‘Small Axe’ (2020)

An anthology series of five films, Small Axe is a British series created and directed by Steve McQueen that explores the history of West Indian immigrants in England across three decades. Spanning the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, each installment of the anthology explores a different story set against the backdrop of real events. The anthology features a star-studded ensemble cast across its five films, with Letitia Wright, John Boyega, Malachi Kirby, Micheal Ward, Shaun Parkes, and more in key roles.

Small Axe premiered at the 2020 New York Film Festival and screened as part of the Cannes Film Festival the same year, earning near-universal acclaim from both presentations. A powerful, educational, and inspirational anthology that covers political realities, personal struggles, and emotional moments with equal care, the series has since grown to be acknowledged as one of the finest miniseries of the 21st century. Though it’s relatively underrated these days, Small Axe earned several accolades at the time of its release, including a Golden Globe, a Peabody Award, and six BAFTAs.

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Small Axe

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Release Date

2020 – 2020-00-00

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  Shaun Parkes

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  Malachi Kirby

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  Rochenda Sandall

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New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith was questioned after a woman accused him of abuse and neglecting his “special needs” child in favor of playing video games. 

Police reportedly investigated claims made against Smith, 35, over the weekend, according to TMZ. No charges were filed against Smith and “the case is no longer open,” NFL reporter Andy Slater said on Monday, June 22. 

A woman named Kristen posted a since-deleted video via Instagram on Sunday, June 21, where she alleged the NFL star was abusive and neglectful. 

“Today is the DAY!” she captioned the video. “GENO SMITH beat my ass cause he HATES taking care of his special needs kid and can’t be left alone with him because he’d rather watch s*x online and play Call of Duty.”

Related: Cowboys Cheerleader Reece Weaver Explains Surprising Decision to Retire

Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Reece Weaver explained why she decided to hang up her iconic boots after becoming a fan favorite on Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts.  “Going into season 3, my third year on the team, I just had so much gratitude,” Weaver, 24, exclusively told Us Weekly. “My cup was filled to the brim even going […]

In the clip, a shirtless Smith can be talking on the phone in the garage of his home while the woman — who is not the mother of Smith’s 7-year-old son, Seven — berates him. 

“Leave my neighborhood!” Smith tells her. 

In a separate video from the same incident, the woman is seen confronting Smith as he allegedly attempts to get into her car. 

“Throwing my purses out and stealing my money out my car with his high deranged ass,” she captioned the footage. 

In another clip, Smith can be seen getting questioned by police outside of his house. 

“Been supportive of this DEMON and his narcissistic personality disorder ALL MY DAMN LIFE!!!!!!!!” the woman wrote. 

Smith was traded to the Jets in March after spending last season with the Las Vegas Raiders and the previous five with the Seattle Seahawks. Us Weekly has reached out to the Jets for comment.

The mother of Smith’s son, who goes by Ken on social media, defended the NFL star amid the allegations.

“Geno is and always has been more than capable of taking care of his son,” she wrote via her Instagram Story on Sunday alongside a photo of the quarterback holding Seven. “Let’s kill that narrative. Don’t get on the internet bringing my son into your web of dysfunction.”

Related: Rory McIlroy Appeared to Fat-Shame Heckler During U.S. Open Final Round

Rory McIlroy’s contentious relationship with golf spectators continued during a tense final round at the 2026 U.S. Open.  After a tee shot during his round at Shinnecock Hills Gold Club in Southampton, New York, on Sunday, June 21, McIlroy, 37, was heckled by an unruly spectator who screamed, “Get in the bunker!” The male fan […]

In a separate post, Ken said Kristen has been “absolutely obsessed with me and my child.”

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“Has been for a long time,” she wrote. “I’ve gone to every length to not be contacted by her or have my son around her.”

Ken said Smith “isn’t the problem,” instead pointing the finger at Kristen. 

“We get along fine without this lady,” Ken wrote in another post. “She creates drama, just as she’s doing now. My son is FINE with his father.”

Police have reportedly released 911 audio of Tay Keith‘s girlfriend requesting a wellness check on the producer.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Memphis Producer Tay Keith Has Reportedly Passed Away At Age 29

Police Reportedly Release 911 Audio Of Tay Keith’s Girlfriend Requesting Wellness Check On Producer

According to TMZ, Tay Keith’s girlfriend, whose name has not been publicly identified, reportedly called the Metro Nashville Police Department to request a wellness check. Furthermore, the outlet obtained dispatch audio in which she expressed concern for Keith.

In the audio, Keith’s girlfriend explained that it had been over 24 hours since she heard from him. Additionally, she stated that he “sometimes” has breathing complications. Furthermore, she even noted that he suffers from high blood pressure.

More On The 911 Audio Of His Girlfriend Requesting Wellness Check

As the audio went on, it was explained that Tay Keith asked his girlfriend to come over. However, “suddenly,” she stopped hearing from him. Furthermore, she explained that she had been calling and texting him since he asked her to come over the prior day.

“I came back to check last night… knocking on the door, no answer. So I’m back here now and still, no answer,” she explained.

More On Tay Keith’s Passing

As The Shade Room previously reported, on June 18, reports surfaced asserting that Tay Keith had been found deceased in his apartment. This, reportedly in Nashville, Tennessee. Furthermore, at the time, it was reported that no foul play was suspected in his death.

Ultimately, his passing sparked social media users to enter TSR’s comment section, sharing their grief. Instagram user @prettychaoss__ wrote, “The intro to all the best songs 💔💔 so young.” While Instagram user @secretlykiyah wrote, “Every time I heard his name in a song, I knew it was gonna be good 💔” 

RELATED: Sexyy Red’s Label Speaks Out Following Reports Of Financial Dispute With Tay Keith Prior To His Passing

One of Meghan Markle‘s infamous moments has resurfaced amid her longtime pal’s return to the field!

Before becoming the Duchess of Sussex, the former actress formed a strong bond with Serena Williams. They have frequently supported each other over the years, but recently sparked rift rumors.

However, a resurfaced video capturing Meghan Markle’s behavior during a 2019 run-in with Serena Williams’ mother seemingly hints at trouble in their relationship years earlier.

The drama occurred in 2019 when Williams was competing in a singles final match against Bianca Andreescu at the US Open. A video focused on the VIP stands showed the athlete’s mother, Oracene Price, seated next to Meghan, who attempted and failed to strike up a conversation with the older woman.

Body language expert Judi James weighed in on their interaction, theorizing that their behavior showed signs of pre-existing “tension” between Williams’ mother and the Duchess of Sussex. James called Meghan out for acting for the cameras, telling The Daily Mail:

“There’s a suggestion that the cameras have triggered her professional actress traits as she mimes tension, support, and even affection via some rather theatrical-looking movements.”

The Duchess Of Sussex’s Priorities Differed From Serena Williams’ Mother

James noted that Meghan probably opted for more performative movements instead of copying Price’s silent but focused demeanor during the match to avoid appearing cold on camera. However, the body language expert claimed her choice was the wrong move.

“The silent stare and hushed stillness of Serena’s mother would be a more authentic response to tension,” James explained, stating that Price prioritized staying focused on the match. The expert described her behavior as being “in the zone” and “oblivious to any external noise.”

On the other hand, Meghan allegedly prioritized leaving an impression for the cameras. James recalled that she had just welcomed her son, Prince Archie, months before the match and evidently wanted “the world to know that she is there to support her friend.”

The Video Resurfaced Amid Rift Speculations

The resurfaced video follows speculations of a rift between Meghan and Williams. The allegations began after the tennis icon dropped a botched promotion for the Duchess’s As Ever brand, which some fans saw as shady.

In the post, Williams filmed herself opening a box of Meghan’s chocolates, with many of the pieces out of their assigned slots. She confessed in the video that she wasn’t a fan of chocolate, but she enjoyed the Duchess’s treats.

The athlete also tried to promote the entrepreneur’s candles, but couldn’t pronounce some of the ingredients and gave up halfway. Fans slammed the post as a “very poorly done promotion,” with some wondering if Williams was subtly shading Meghan.

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Serena Williams Scores Wild Card To Play Singles At Wimbledon

The attention on Williams and Meghan’s relationship may be linked to the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year honoree’s return to tennis. Many are eager to see if the Duchess will return to the stands to cheer for the athlete.

After spending six months in the anti-doping testing pool, Williams became eligible to enter events in February. She recently earned a wild card to play singles at Wimbledon, an event she hasn’t won since 2019, per CBS Sports.

The tennis icon last played singles at a WTA Tour event in September 2022 during the third round of the 2022 US Open. When asked if she would consider a singles return at Wimbledon earlier this month, Williams implied that it was out of the question, saying:

“You think I’m ready for singles? I need to get to work.”

Meghan Markle May Not Be Welcomed In The UK

Besides the speculations of tensions in her friendship with Williams, the As Ever founder has been making headlines for her scheduled return to the UK. The Blast reported that she, her husband Prince Harry, and their two children were expected to visit in July.

The rare family trip would mark their first visit to the UK since 2022, when the couple stepped down from their royal duties and relocated to the US. Royal commentator Phil Dampier theorized the trip wouldn’t be as easygoing as the Sussexes might expect.

Dampier argued that many still blame Meghan for Harry’s estrangement from the Royal Family, warning that she might face hostile reactions from the public upon her arrival. He added that the Sussexes were likely to receive a warm welcome at the Invictus Games compared to being out in public.

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