The Sandlot

In the summer of 1962, brainy, reserved fifth grader Scott Smalls moves with his parents to the Los Angeles suburbs, where he has difficulty making friends. He tries to join a group of boys who play baseball daily in a local sandlot, but is embarrassed by his inability to catch or throw the ball. An attempt to learn to play catch with his stepfather, Bill, results in a black eye. Nevertheless, he is invited to join the team by their leader and best player, Benny Rodriguez, who mentors him. When catcher Hamilton "Ham" Porter hits a home run into an adjacent backyard, Smalls attempts to retrieve the ball but is stopped by the other boys, who tell him the legend of "the Beast", a large and aggressive English Mastiff that has become a neighborhood legend. Many baseballs hit into the yard over the years have all been claimed by the Beast, which is kept chained up by its owner, Mr. Mertle.