What made this movie so groundbreaking when I first saw it in the summer of 1976 was that kids were portrayed as they really were instead of as the innocent, sometimes mischievous cherubs that most movies presented. These kids were real. Real brats, but real nevertheless. They cursed, they acted like little jerks and psychos, that's the way many boy athletes are. Now, this doesn't pack too much of a punch because every movie in the world does this now. But it's still fun to watch. It's a hoot watching the high-spirited Tanner in action. You have to admire that kid for having guts. That little side story between Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neal could have been left out without hurting the story. He simply could have found her somewhere, or maybe he was her daughter, but without all the issues. That business just seemed to get in the way of the story. Also, I half expected her to walk away from him when he threw his beer at her during a game or practice. It would have served him right if she did. Favoite line: PITCHER: Well, well, if it isn't Englepuke again.<br /><br />ENGLEBERT: How would you like me to stick this bat where the sun never shines? I still fall apart every time I hear that line. The kids' exploits, though I am certainly not an advocate of them has lost its punch over the years. Still fun to watch, though. 7 out of 10.