role that actually suits his talents. Mr. Selleck's easygoing, self-deprecating manner works particularly well when he lets himself look silly, as he often does here." Mr. Baseball currently holds a 12% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 17 reviews — most of them written years after the film's release; conversely, audiences gave the film a 41% rating. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. Box office Mr. Baseball opened in 1,855 theaters on Friday, October 2, 1992. During its first weekend, it grossed over $5 million at the box office, coming in third behind The Last of the Mohicans and The Mighty Ducks. During its six-week run in theatres, it went on to gross $20.8 million domestically. Despite the limited marketability of baseball movies overseas, Universal positioned it for a wide distribution beyond the North American market. However, a disappointing showing in Japan and Europe prevented the studio from recouping on its enormous expenses. Mr. Baseball (ミスター・ベースボール) opened in theaters in Japan on February 6, 1993, and proceeded to gross a disappointing ¥1.5 billion ($1.25 million). By the end of its run in Japan, during the summer of 1993, it appeared as the "B film" in Universal double features—such as with the Robert Redford and River Phoenix film Sneakers (1992). Screenings in European theatres followed, but with little fanfare. It premiered in Germany on June 16, 1993. Fan culture in Nagoya Since 2011, an American fan dressed as Jack Elliot has garnered media attention for his enthusiastic support of the Chunichi Dragons, especially their minor-league affiliate, which plays in the old Nagoya Stadium — the setting of the film. Home media MCA Universal Home Video released Mr. Baseball on VHS in March, 1993. It was later reissued in 1997. By professional players Mr. Baseball has found a niche audience in foreign professional baseball players who join a Japanese team. They use the film to prepare themselves for what they are about to experience. According to baseball players interviewed by The New York Times in 2022, the film still accurately portrays the pecularities of Japanese baseball. See also Baseball in Japan References External links 1992 films 1990s sports comedy films Films shot in Japan Films set in Nagoya Universal Pictures films American sports comedy films Films directed by Fred Schepisi American baseball films 1990s Japanese-language films Films scored by Jerry