Ohio-native Jonathan Knight, who will be appearing on "Leading Edge with Jerry Anderson" on Sunday, October 4 at 11 am, has a deep love for the classic 1989 comedy "Major League". The movie— a raunchy laugh-fest about the eternally hard-luck Cleveland Indians— has become a perennial favorite both worldwide and in the Buckeye State. But it means something even more for Knight, who was only 12 when he first saw the film.
"That's the movie that really turned me into an Indians fan, and into a baseball fan," Knight said.
For Knight— a Dayton-native currently living in Columbus— that love helped inspire a career as a sportswriter and author of eight books on Cleveland sports teams. Now, with his latest work, he's going back to where it all began for him: "The Making of Major League: A Juuuust a Bit Inside Look at the Classic Baseball Comedy".
Fondly remembered
Featuring interviews with virtually every major member of the cast (except for the late James Gammon, who played manager Lou Brown), the book is a treasure trove of trivia as well as a valentine to a movie that is remembered fondly by all involved.
"All these years later, they really have a very special fondness for this movie, across the board. And you wouldn't think they would. From Charlie Sheen, even to Wesley Snipes and Margaret Whitten and on through the list— everybody really does have a fondness for the movie," Knight said.
Talking to wild thing
Sheen goes so far as to call it his favorite movie he's made, and even agreed to write the foreword to Knight's book in tribute.
"He was genuinely honored when I brought it up, and when we talked about it," Knight said of Sheen. "He was really excited about it and really honored, and that was like a dream come true. Even talking to him was pretty fantastic. To think, 'I'm sitting here, talking to Wild Thing!'"
It's that kind of passion and dedication that makes Knight's book— and the movie that inspired it— so fun. "This [movie] took basically five years to make. And the effort that went into it, and the dedication that went into it, is basically why it has endured— and why today we're still talking about it."
"The Making of Major League" is available in both paperback and e-book formats from all major retailers.
For more information, visit: majorleaguebook.com