Kevin Costner wasn't the first choice for Crash Davis. Actually, he wasn't even the second. Harrison Ford, Kurt Russell, and Mel Gibson all had the chance to play the minor-league catcher who believed in "long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days." They all passed. Costner, fresh off The Untouchables, saw something they didn't. He saw a script that wasn't really about home runs, but about the grit of being "almost" good enough.
Honestly, the movie almost didn't happen at all. Director Ron Shelton, a former minor leaguer himself, shopped the script to every major studio in Hollywood. They all said no. One executive told him baseball movies don't make money. Another thought the story was too raunchy. It took Orion Pictures taking a $9 million gamble to bring the Durham Bulls to the big screen.
The Reality of Being a Journeyman
In Bull Durham, Kevin Costner plays Crash Davis, a veteran catcher sent down to the Class-A Carolina League for one reason: to "baby" a million-dollar arm with a five-cent head. That arm belonged to Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh, played by a young, lanky Tim Robbins.
The movie captures the "bus-and-bad-motel" reality of the minors better than anything else before or since. It’s not the bright lights of Yankee Stadium. It’s the smell of drying tobacco in North Carolina and the sound of a "dying quail" hitting the grass.
Most people don't realize that the name Crash Davis wasn't invented for the screen. Shelton found the name in an old Carolina League record book from the 1940s. He assumed the guy was dead. On the first day of filming, the real Lawrence "Crash" Davis called the set. He was very much alive and had one burning question for the director: "Do I get the girl?" When Shelton told him yes, the real Crash gave his blessing.
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Why Kevin Costner Was Perfect for the Part
Costner has a natural athleticism that most actors just can't fake. If you watch him behind the plate, he moves like a guy who has spent a thousand innings in the dirt. He actually was a high school ballplayer and insisted on doing his own catching. During filming, he even hit two home runs while the cameras were rolling.
There’s a specific scene where Crash is teaching Nuke about the "Major League" mindset. He tells him about his 21 days in "The Show."
"You know what the difference is between a .250 hitter and a .300 hitter? It’s 25 hits a year in 500 at-bats. One extra hit a week—a ground ball with eyes, a dying quail, a tickler off the end of the bat that dies on the grass—and you’re in the Show."
That monologue is the heart of the movie. It’s about the razor-thin margin between greatness and obscurity. Costner plays it with a mix of pride and heartbreak that makes you realize Crash knows he’s never going back.
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The Susan Sarandon Factor
We have to talk about Annie Savoy. Susan Sarandon’s character is the soul of the film. She’s a "baseball groupie" who treats the sport like a religion—literally. She picks one player every year to mentor, both on the field and in the bedroom.
The studio originally thought Sarandon was "too old" for the part (she was 41 at the time). To prove them wrong, she showed up to her audition with Mike Medavoy in a skin-tight, off-the-shoulder red dress and leaned over his desk for 30 minutes. She got the part. The chemistry between her, Costner, and Robbins is what makes the movie a romantic comedy that men actually want to watch.
Behind the Scenes Chaos
Filming in Durham wasn't exactly a summer vacation. Even though the movie is set during a humid North Carolina summer, it was actually shot in October and November of 1987. It was freezing.
In many of the night scenes, you can actually see the actors' breath in the air. The crew had to use green spray paint on the grass because it was turning brown from the frost. In the stands, the extras—who were mostly locals recruited with promises of free pizza—were shivering in t-shirts while wearing parkas between takes.
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Speaking of extras, there’s a funny bit of trivia about the crowd scenes. To fill the stadium for one night, the production team went to a Pink Floyd concert in nearby Chapel Hill and invited the entire audience to the ballpark afterward. That’s why if you look closely at the crowd, half the people look a little "hazy" and are wearing Dark Side of the Moon shirts.
The Legacy of the Durham Bulls
The movie didn't just make Kevin Costner a superstar; it saved the real Durham Bulls. Before the film, they were a struggling minor league team. After the movie came out and grossed over $50 million, they became a national phenomenon.
The iconic "Hit Bull, Win Steak" sign in right field? That was actually a prop built for the movie. The real Durham Athletic Park didn't have one. But fans loved it so much that the team eventually built a real version. To this day, if a player hits the bull, he wins a steak. If he hits the grass in front of it, he wins a salad.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Travelers
If you're a fan of the film, you can still visit many of the locations in North Carolina. It's a great weekend trip for anyone who loves film history.
- The Old DAP: You can still visit the Durham Athletic Park. It’s no longer where the Bulls play (they moved to a newer stadium in 1995), but it’s still used for college games.
- Annie’s House: The James Manning House at 911 N. Mangum St. is a private residence now, but it looks exactly like it did in the movie.
- Mitch’s Tavern: Located in Raleigh, this is where the bar fight scene was filmed. They still have a replica of the glass door Nuke threw the ball through.
- The Green Room: This divey pool hall on Broad Street in Durham is where Crash and Nuke finally came to blows. It’s still a great spot for a beer.
Bull Durham works because it's honest. It doesn't promise a World Series ring or a miraculous comeback. It tells us that sometimes, being the best player in the minors is enough of a legacy. Kevin Costner’s Crash Davis is the patron saint of the "almost famous," and that's why we’re still talking about him decades later.