Major League: Back to the Minors (1998)

By now, this sandlot-quality baseball-comedy franchise has lost more players than the Florida Marlins: Charlie Sheen's out. So are Tom Berenger, James Gammon, and lively one-shots Rene Russo, Wesley Snipes, and Omar Epps. So, for that matter, is whatever sloppy, slapstick energy the first two Leagues could muster.

Scott Bakula stars IN Major League: Back to the Minors as a burnt-out minor-league pitcher (is there any other kind?) hired by a major-league owner (Corbin Bernsen) to whip a raggedy farm team — and in particular, one raw, undisciplined talent (Walton Goggins) — into shape, ''Bull Durham-style'' (without ''Bull Durham's'' style). And all the tired conventions apply: the wise underdog coach against the weaselly, blowhard big-league manager (Ted McGinley); the team morale that stinks, soars, briefly sinks, then prevails; the stereotypically ''colorful'' players; the supportive, dewy-fresh cipher of a girlfriend, etc. As ever, product placement is shameless. And foul. D

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