WALT DISNEY PICTURES HITS IT HOME WITH THE PREMIERE OF "THE ROOKIE"...

Last night, 44th Street hosted a Night of Champions when Walt Disney Pictures premiered "The Rookie" at the Astor Plaza. Alongside the film's star, Dennis Quaid and the man whose story motivated the film, Jim Morris, a team of sports celebrities brought the heat to this inspirational story.

Baseball Hall of Famers Orlando Cepeda, Rollie Fingers, Ralph Kiner, Juan Marichal, Willie Mays, Ozzie Smith, and Dave Winfield, and perennial All-Stars Vida Blue, Bert Blyleven, Gary Carter, Rick Cerone, Sparky Lyle, Fred Lynn, Bobby Thomson, and Ralph Branca stepped up to the plate, making this a stellar team of players.

Also attending the premiere were several Olympic athletes such as Sarah Hughes, Michelle Kwan, skeleton's Jim Shea, and his father, skier Jim Shea, Sr., and other stars of the luge, bobsled, hockey teams and ski slopes.

From the studio that brought audiences "Remember the Titans" comes an inspirational motion picture based on a true story about a coach who discovers that it's never too late for dreams to come true. Walt Disney Pictures presents "The Rookie" opens nationwide on March 29th, 2002.

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Film Synopsis

From the studio that brought audiences "Remember the Titans" comes a motion picture based on a true story about a coach and former athlete who discovers that it's never too late for dreams to come true. Jim Morris (DENNIS QUAID) never made it out of the minor leagues before a shoulder injury ended his pitching career twelve years ago. Now a married-with-children high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach in Texas, Jim's team makes a deal with him: if they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major-league organization. The bet proves incentive enough for the team, and they go from worst to first, making it to state for the first time in the history of the school. Jim, forced to live up to his end of the deal, is nearly laughed off the try-out field - until he gets onto the mound, where he confounds the scouts (and himself) by clocking successive 98 mph fastballs, good enough for a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Jim's still got a lot of pitches to throw before he makes it to The Show, but with his big-league dreams revived, there's no telling where he could go.