5 starring roles for Wrigley Field, Cubs in film, TV

Wrigley Field has been the stage for some exciting baseball this week as the Cubs beat the Cardinals and moved on in their quest for the pennant. The ballpark has also been the setting for numerous movies and TV shows throughout the years.

Here are some of my favorite appearances by the Friendly Confines:

<b>"The Blues Brothers"</b> (1980) - After running a group of Nazi demonstrators off a road and into a river, musicians-turned-outlaws Joliet Jake (Wheaton native John Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) further enrage Henry Gibson and his goons when they come looking for the boys at their address of record: 1060 W. Addison, Chicago. (Streaming on Netflix; extended edition available on DVD and Blu-ray)

<b>"A League of Their Own"</b> (1992) - No, this cable classic about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League doesn't feature the Cubbies, but Wrigley "plays the role" of Harvey Field, where small-town farmers Dottie (Geena Davis) and Kit (Lori Petty) earn their place on the Rockford Peaches at league tryouts. You know the famous lines from watching it a thousand times on TBS, including "There's no crying in baseball!" What you may not have seen is the film in its full widescreen glory. (Digital purchase from iTunes, vudu and PlayStation Network; available as a 20th Anniversary Blu-ray edition)

<b>"Rookie of the Year"</b> (1993) - In this family-friendly comedy, the Cubs' brightest hope is a 12-year-old fan (Thomas Ian Nicholas) who can suddenly throw 100 mph fastballs after his broken arm heals. The North Siders sign young Henry Rowengartner, who learns about the game from a wizened veteran pitcher played by Gary Busey. (Yes, Gary Busey.) Wrigley Field is featured prominently throughout the film, whose best gag riffs on the famous doorman scene from "The Wizard of Oz." Director Daniel Stern, better known as Marv the burglar from "Home Alone," has an over-the-top cameo as Henry's pitching coach, and "Apocalypse Now" boat captain Albert Hall gets laughs with his creative pronouncements of the kid's last name. (Digital rental/purchase from iTunes and vudu; available cheap on DVD)

<b>"ER," Season 14, Episode 4, "Gravity"</b> (2007) - Dr. Tony Gates (John Stamos) takes a young patient to Wrigley - and gets to meet Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee - in this episode from late in the long-running NBC medical drama's run. A minor appearance for the Cubs, yes, but it affords me this opportunity to publicly bemoan "ER's" total absence from streaming subscription services like Netflix and Hulu Plus. Heck, they don't even show it on TNT anymore! (Available digitally from vudu, Amazon)

<b>"Catching Hell"</b> (2011) - Director Alex Gibney ("Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief") made this riveting documentary for ESPN's "30 for 30" series that begins and ends with former Cubs player Bill Buckner's famous World Series flub as a member of the Boston Red Sox, but the bulk of the film revolves around the Cubs' most (in)famous fan, Steve Bartman. He's at the center of one of the saddest, most frustrating episodes in baseball history: A fan becomes a scapegoat for the devastating playoff losses that followed. "Catching Hell" is among the best films ever made about baseball, and the most emotionally draining - and this is coming from a White Sox fan. (Streaming on Netflix; available digitally from Amazon and on DVD)

Sean Stangland is a multiplatform editor at the Daily Herald. You can follow him on Twitter at @SeanStanglandDH.