The Franklin/'Mid-Valley' Fields in Encino served as the primary location for the film. The complex is home to the Ron Dale Baseball Academy and 14 baseball fields.
"The field was right in our backyard. It's a field just like you could find in any town in any state across the country," says producer J. Geyer Kosinski.
Shooting in the flight path of Van Nuys Airport and filming a summer baseball movie during one of Southern California's rainiest winters weren't the only challenges facing the filmmakers. There was also the issue of working with over a dozen rambunctious preteen boys. "It was intimidating. I like kids that age - I have an 11-year-old daughter - but I didn't know quite what I was getting into," admits Linklater. "In 'School of Rock,' the group was half girls and they were in a classroom, where they're conditioned to behave.
"In this movie, it's almost all boys, and they're playing a bunch of little jerks!" he continues. "Plus, we were outside on a baseball field most of the movie. It was kind of out of control, but a lot of fun."
The environment definitely called for a different directing style, admits Linklater-one that was more akin to coaching. "I'd say, 'You know, guys, that last take was lame. What can we do?' or, 'That take sucked. Go again.' I wouldn't usually talk to actors like this. I'd never do this in a dramatic situation. But they're little baseball players on a field, so naturally I talked to them like that. It was kind of fun. It worked here."
Billy Bob Thornton also felt free to loosen up on the set. "Billy wouldn't stick to the script and we'd crack up," admits Brandon Craggs, who plays Engelberg.
"I loved working with these kids. They're a really good bunch," says Thornton, who has two sons around the same age as the Bears. "They're all terrific little actors and, well, let's just say they're all very powerful personalities.
"You gotta mess with the kids a little bit to keep 'em on their toes," he adds with a smile.
"Billy was phenomenal with the kids - an absolute leader," says Kosinski. "He spent a lot of time with them and they loved him. They were always throwing the baseball or the football, always." When not shooting, the kids were in school on set or playing in the game room, complete with ping pong, video games, and a foosball table.
The film's major Opening Day scene required over 500 extras, including a full marching band (the Ramona Dynasty Band from Riverside, CA), baton twirlers, cheerleaders, various extras, and a half dozen rambunctious youth baseball teams.
Later in production, for the climactic championship game versus the Yankees that erupts into a bench-clearing altercation, stunt coordinator Webster Whinery was brought in.
"It's not an 'action film,' but we had a brawl between the Yankees and the Bad News Bears that required some choreography," says Whinery. "When you're working with kids it's a little different than working with seasoned actors. With kids, you never know quite what you're going get. But we used all the actors themselves-there were no doubles for it."
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