Angels in the Outfield (1994)

Danny Glover: George Knox

Photos 

Quotes 

• Maggie Nelson : [stands]  Um, excuse me. I'd like to say something on behalf of George Knox.

  Hank Murphy : What's your name? What's your business here?

  Maggie Nelson : My name is Maggie Nelson. I take care of foster kids. One of these boys is the child who can see angels. He could stand up right now and tell you what's going on and I'd know you'd just laugh at him. But, when a professional football player drops to one knee to thank God for making a touchdown, nobody laughs at that. Or when a pitcher crosses himself before going to the mound, no one laughs at that either. It's like your saying it's okay to believe in God, but it's not okay to believe in angels. Now, I thought that they were on the same team.

  Hank Murphy : Is it your belief, ma'am, that angels play baseball?

  Maggie Nelson : Since the all-star break, yes. We all need someone to believe in. Every child I have ever looked after has someone: an angel. You've got to have faith. You've got to believe. You have to look inside yourself. The footprints of an angel are love, and where there is love, miraculous things can happen. I've seen it.

  [sits] 

  Mel Clark : [stands]  I'd also like to say something. I don't know if there are any angels here other than the twenty-five of us in uniform. But I know there is one thing I won't do: I won't play for anyone but George Knox. I believe in him.

  Triscuitt Messmer : [stands]  That goes for me, too.

  [the rest of Angels baseball team, Roger and JP stands and nods in agreement] 

  George Knox : Thank you. All of you.

• George Knox : Hey, let's keep the profanity down!

  Angel players : HUH?

  George Knox : I mean it! No swearing!

  Ray Mitchell : That eliminates all speech for most of the team.

• George Knox : There's a thing called "*talent*"! They don't have it!

• [taking a picture with George Knox and Roger] 

  Photographer : It looks like a prison photo. Would either of you mind smiling? The team did just win.

  George Knox : It was a mistake. This team can't win.

  Roger Bomman : They won because there were angels out there.

  George Knox : Huh?

  Roger Bomman : Real ones. I saw them. Two angels came out of the sky and they picked up Ben Williams and another angel hit Messmer's home run. That's why the bat broke.

  George Knox : Great. A psycho kid. David, you'd think they'd screen these people.

  Roger Bomman : It's true. Ask Williams about it or Messmer. They'll tell you something's going on. You'll see.

• George Knox : You can't go through life thinking everyone you meet will one day let you down. Because if you do, a very bad thing will happen. You'll end up like me.

• Hank Murphy : You feeling any better today, George?

  George Knox : Why would I be feeling any better?

  Hank Murphy : Commissioner's fined you $5,000 for you jumping Gates. And word has it Ranch is pressing civil charges for you popping him.

  George Knox : [grins]  Come to think of it, I have felt better since I slugged Wilder.

  Hank Murphy : Your pistol's smoking, pal.

  George Knox : I hadn't made the connection.

  Hank Murphy : I know you two have been at each other's throats for a long time.

  George Knox : Yeah, we've been at each others throats since he spiked my knee and ruined my career.

  Hank Murphy : Accidents happen, George.

  George Knox : It wasn't an accident. When you slide into a catcher with your nails up, it's on purpose.

  Hank Murphy : Now, don't go making more cow pies to step in, George. You've already got enough manure on your boots now. Control yourself today.

• Hank Murphy : You believe there's real angels?

  George Knox : I know it sounds crazy.

• David Montagne : Okay, we have three photo ops. It'll be quick.

  George Knox : Give them publicity stills. It'll be quicker.

  David Montagne : They want a picture with *you*. They're all kids.

  George Knox : I HATE KIDS.

  David Montagne : [not surprised]  Yeah, I guessed that.

• George Knox : [the Angels have lost their fifteenth straight game]  One more loss! One more loss which could've been a win! And you call yourselves professionals. I have never, ever seen a worse group of twenty-five players! You don't *think* as a team, you don't *play* as a team, you don't even LOSE as a team! You've all got your heads so far up your butts, you can't even see the light of day! One more loss and I'll, and I'll do this...

  [throws a chair at a rack of balls and bats] 

  George Knox : to each and every one of you!

• George Knox : [after Roger tells him about the real Angels]  Great! A psycho kid. David, you'd think they'd screen these people.

• George Knox : Any loss is hard.

  Ranch Wilder : But this one really got to you. You leave Cincinnati after ten years of winning ball clubs - although the really big one always seemed to be just out of reach - and you come out here to manage our Angels. Now, expectations were high that you could turn this team around. But that just doesn't seem to be happening.

  George Knox : Season's only half-over, Ranch.

  Ranch Wilder : And your club's in last place.

  George Knox : You oughtta know how one incident can change the course of events.

  Ranch Wilder : Well, you know, you play the game. You take your chances. Sometimes, you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  George Knox : Yeah, you're an expert at that.

  Ranch Wilder : I could say the same about you.

  George Knox : Well, actions speak louder than words.

• George Knox : Gimme the ball.

  Frank Gates : It ain't my fault. You need a new outfield!

  George Knox : You're outta here, GIVE ME THE BALL!

  Frank Gates : You want the ball? Here you go...

  [makes as though to hand it over then tosses it] 

  Frank Gates : Go get it. Want my glove?

  [repeats the gesture] 

  Frank Gates : Go get it!

  Ranch Wilder : [broadcasting offscreen]  Gates has thrown the ball and his glove into the stands.

  George Knox : [jumps Gates]  Get out of here! You're finished, Gates! You're washed up! You'll never pitch again!

• George Knox : I want you all here, in uniform, at 9 tomorrow! We're going back to work on fundamentals!

  [the team groans] 

  Abascal (Angels Player) : Fundamentals? In the middle of the season?

  Whitt Bass : I thought the game started at 1.

  George Knox : It DOES start at 1. And you're a jack-ass!

  Whitt Bass : No, I'm a pitcher.

  George Knox : [Knox storms off] 

  Pablo Garcia : Well, you're a pitcher and a jack-ass.

  Jose Martinez : Si, it's very common.

• George Knox : [Roger sees an angel, but can't let David know about it]  Go buy the kids nachos.

  David Montagne : *Anything*... but nachos.

  George Knox : Buy them Angels jackets.

  David Montagne : It's ninety degrees out here.

  George Knox : Get your butt up there, *now!*

  David Montagne : [David leaves] 

• Hank Murphy : Are you crackin' up, or is this a repeat of Cincinnati?

  George Knox : No, no, it's nothing like that.

• George Knox : In baseball we use signals. Make some kind of signal. I can't come over here every couple of seconds.

  Roger Bomman : I'll go like that, okay?

• Ranch Wilder : And Ben Williams makes a miraculous catch!

  Roger Bomman : Holy cow!

  George Knox : How did he do that?

  Ranch Wilder : How'd he do that? HOW DID HE DO THAT?

• Mel Clark : I got nothing left.

  George Knox : Yeah, you do. You got one strike left.

  [Roger and JP come out of the dugout flapping their arms] 

  George Knox : You got an angel with you right now. He just got here, and he's going to help you.

  Mel Clark : The kid sees an angel?

  George Knox : Yeah, he must. That's the signal.

  [the crowd and players begin flapping their arms like angel wings] 

  George Knox : Good helping.

  [soon everybody except Ranch is flapping their arms] 

  Mel Clark : Okay.

  George Knox : Go get 'em for the championship!

• George Knox : [Knox and Williams watch a replay of Williams' amazing catch]  Nice catch yesterday, man. How did it feel? Or did it all happen so fast you don't even remember?

  Ben Williams : I felt weightless, like somebody had me by the arms, Skip. How did I do that?

• George Knox : [after dinner]  Next time I'll try lasagna. You guys like lasagna?

  Roger Bomman , JP : No... What is it?

• George Knox : You're Roger's mom?

  Maggie Nelson : Nope.

  George Knox : Aunt? Grandma?

  Maggie Nelson : No, we're not related. This is a short-term foster care facility, I run it. Roger is a ward of the state.

  George Knox : I see. So Roger, he's got a wild imagination? Always coming up with stories?

  Maggie Nelson : No actually, he's very grounded. Truth is most kids who are taken away from their parents by the court system, have a good handle on reality.

• George Knox : You know. Nothing is probably ever as good as your real parents. But, there's some people who could care for you, and love you and take care of you.

  Roger Bomman : [disappointed]  Yeah, I guess so.

  George Knox : Yeah. Roger, the person who called social service, that was me.

  [Roger surprised with George] 

  George Knox : I want to try and be a dad. I want you to come and live at my house.

  [Roger hugs George. Maggie walks JP back into the kitchen] 

  Maggie Nelson : Okay, honey.

  [Kisses JP on the forehead] 

  Roger Bomman : Wait, I can't. I-I can't leave JP.

  George Knox : I-I could never leave, JP. He's coming too.

  Roger Bomman : He is?

  JP : I heard that.

  [JP runs to George and Roger and gives a group hug. Maggie walks over and smiles] 

  JP : . Wait, what about Maggie?

  Maggie Nelson : No, my work is here. Don't worry, there are plenty of little angels looking for a home.

  Roger Bomman : So, so, so we're going to be a family.

  George Knox : Yep.

  JP : I'm gonna have a daddy.

• Mel Clark : I've got nothing left.

  George Knox : Yeah, you do. You've got one strike left.

  [turns to dugout, Roger walks out flapping his arms like angel's wings] 

  George Knox : You've got an angel with you right now... just got here, and he's going to help.

  Mel Clark : The kid sees an angel?

  George Knox : Yeah, he must. That's the signal.

  [gradually all players and crowd, even those in the office, stand and flap their arms] 

  George Knox : [moved by seeing the crowd]  It could happen.

  Mel Clark , George Knox : Okay.

  George Knox : [laughs]  Go get 'em for the championship!

• George Knox : [on when Mel can play again]  How's never sound? You blew your arm out, played on too many pain pills.

  Mel Clark : Pain pills? You were the one stuffin' them down my throat five years ago in Cincinnati.

  George Knox : Hey, it was your decision to swallow 'em! I had a brain. When you couldn't play, I transferred you. Got rid of you. I never thought I'd get stuck with you again.

• Mapel : We do it all summer / And it's a big bummer / No matter who we play / We give the game away. / 'Cause we can't win / That would be a sin / We even lose the games / before they begin...

  George Knox : Save it, Mapel!

• Danny Hemmerling : I guess no matter how many times you hear that song played in a Major League stadium, on a warm afternoon, it's still emotionally evocative.

  George Knox : Drop dead. I got sunscreen in my eye.

• Home Plate Umpire : [Mabel hits the ball]  Strike!

  George Knox : Strike! Oh, come on! That's no strike! If that was a strike, th-th-th-then you're blind as a horse's ass!

  [JP gasps and claps a hand over his mouth in shock] 

• George Knox : I can't explain it, but something has happened to my players this year. Something... that's changed the way they play... and the way I manage. You can call it faith, you can call it angels, you can call it whatever you want. That's all I have to say.