In 1986’s “Ferris Bueller,” Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck), Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), and Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara) take in a Braves-Cubs game at Wrigley Field. (Paramount Pictures)
The iconic movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” was released nearly 31 years ago today.
Claudell Washington played for the Braves from 1981-86. (Getty Images)
In the film, high school students Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck), Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), and Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara) cut class for a fun-filled day in Chicago.
The trio visit a snooty Magnificent Mile restaurant, Chez Quis, the Sears Tower and an art museum. Among their other stops was Wrigley Field, where the Cubs faced off in an extra-inning tilt with none other than the Atlanta Braves.
Baseball-Prospectus conducted an analysis of the movie footage and gave this description:
On the screen we see Chicago first-baseman #10 holding on an Atlanta Braves player wearing #18. The announcer pipes in: "Runner on first base, nobody out. That's the first hit they've had since the fifth inning, and only the fourth hit in the game. … 0-2 the count."
Chicago pitcher #46 throws the pitch to a left-handed Atlanta hitter with a two-digit number ending in "5" and what appears to be a long last name. The batter swings at the pitch and hits a long fly ball to left. "That's a drive! Left field… twisting… and into foul territory."
The Chicago leftfielder races for the ball but it screams foul, into Ferris' hand. The announcer continues with a train of thought we must have missed: "Boy, I'm really surprised they didn't go for it in that inning. Lee Smith…"
This is the point where Principal Rooney has his brief conversation with the pizza maker. In the background, we hear one of the announcers say something about playing "a very shallow third". We then hear "There's the ball bunted foul back to the screen. Boy I don't know…"
From the description it was concluded that the game being played on film was the June 5, 1985, affair between the Cubs and the Braves. The foul ball Bueller catches was hit by Atlanta rightfielder Claudell Washington (#15) in the top of the 11th inning.
The filming for that scene actually took place Sept 24, 1985, when the Cubs played the Montreal Expos.
But don’t let details get in the way of movie magic. (Speaking of details, the Braves won the real game 4-2 on Rafael Ramirez two-run homer.)
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