bˈɪl mɪkˈiːɾə bɪɡˈæn tə ɹˈaɪt ðə skɹˈiːnpleɪ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti nˈaɪn ænd hiː dᵻsˈaɪdᵻd tʊ ˈæd klˈɛmɛnts θɹˈiː,zˈiəɹoʊzˈiəɹoʊ zˈiəɹoʊθ hˈɪt tə ðə skɹˈɪpt bɪkˈʌz hiː ænd hɪz bɹˈʌðɚ stˈiːv ɑːɹ mˈeɪdʒɚ fˈænz ʌvðɪ ˈæθliːt.
Bill Mikita began to write the screenplay in 1999 and he decided to add Clemente's 3,000th hit to the script because he and his brother Steve are major fans of the athlete.