Kevin Costner Reveals Mickey Mantle's Surprising Reaction to Bull Durham

Kevin talks about the 30th anniversary of Bull Durham, the bobble head of his character Crash Davis that they made for the occasion, and he reveals Mickey Mantle's surprising reaction to the film when it came out.
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Kevin Costner Reveals Mickey Mantle's Surprising Reaction to Bull Durham
• Kevin Costner Reveals ...

[@Madmanmarque]

I worked on Bull Durham. It was my first film and it was a great experience. The custom on films is that they give out crew jackets and the producer (I won't mention names) was only going to spring for a cheep nylon shell. Costner was having none of it and bought the entire crew leather and wool baseball jackets with the Bull Durham and the "Greatest show on dirt" stitched on the back. Class act!

[@relicman]

Were you a stand in actor? I was doing a KZbin video on the Film and old park and I met a guy there and he tld me he was a stand in for Tim Robbins and I thought maybe you were the one I talked to.

[@nickcammarata9213]

I was the mascot! Lol

[@rocknroller77]

@@nickcammarata9213 lol. Were you beaned with Meats fast ball???

[@nickcammarata9213]

@@rocknroller77 O yeah meat. That guy yeah his fast ball. Lol

[@nickcammarata9213]

@@rocknroller77 Oh yeah that guy. Sure I was. Lol

[@nikhilsharma4716]

Never disgraced, Humble, polite, made some of the best westerns, which leave you with deep thoughts... A True American Legend!

[@ns-uo7it]

Nikhil Sharma Agreed 100%

[@roysreceptive]

What? You mean aside from all the womanizing and being unfaithful to his first wife? I like Costner as well but let' be more realistic here with adjectives. He is still, as you say, an American Legend though.

[@smurphftw2008]

The movie Fandango is an underrated gem as well.

[@rehoby]

It's a very accurate comment from Mick. Bull Durham was funny, but ultimately tragic. It was the death of a dream after constant denial despite it being in reach.

[@wes9619]

@M Yeah Futbol "soccer" is that popular in the world, but what the heck does it have to do with this comment or this youtube clip? We might as well talk about the prevalence of wheat fields over corn fields while we are at it. I mean, one of Kevin Costner's character plowed under a corn field in my home state of Iowa, which made for a great movie. Although, I think we should instead make a point about wheat fields, the world's number one cereal crop.

[@thezdbailey]

As Costner kept blinking telling the story I was confused. Then you realize he is getting emotional seeing his character through Mickie Mantle's eyes. Incredible.

[@bcask61]

Zach V You’re right. I didn’t pick up on it first time, but when I watched it again, he was close to tears. Amazing.

[@martinpye549]

I played a whole 'career' in the Minors in Australia. Baseball is very popular there. I was good at rugby league and baseball, and one of my coaches at Berkeley Eagles , Peter Sharpe , once described me as " the best rugby league baseballer he'd ever seen". Bull Durham reminds me of those days. I might not have had a lot of talent , but i won 5 championships , was at 9 different clubs, and loved EVERY minute of it. This movie is one of my all time faves, and I'm a huge Costner fan. He's just a classy guy. Great actor.

[@yankees29]

I never realized there is a baseball league in Australia. Pretty cool

[@xtop23]

I will never lose respect for Mr Costner..... he's a classy fella.

[@joshuamayo9732]

He is a true lover of the game. I don't think Jimmy realized that Costner was choking up a little telling the Mantle story. Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, For the Love of the Game are some of the best baseball movies ever made.

[@epona9166]

There are so many things to love about Kevin Costner, and right up there is his smile. The big smile he broke out when the audience was cheering him so enthusiastically. He seemed to REALLY appreciate it.

[@lynnturman8157]

Bogart in Casablanca. Paul Newman in the Sting. Harrison Ford in Star Wars. Kevin Costner in Bull Durham. That's the definition of cool.

[@timothyoneil5447]

excellent list. :)

[@christopherliston2371]

Lynn Turman you gotta have McQueen in The Great Escape.

[@chasewilson8555]

McQueen in Bullitt Connery as James Bond

[@christianfernandez6325]

Yeah you are right!!!

[@bcask61]

Lynn Turman Pretty good list. Val Kilmer in Tombstone.

[@mc76]

Wow. I thought I was the only person who thought that movie was sad. I grew up in the pre-expansion era and lived in a city with a AAA team. I saw players with the talent to be starting on half the clubs in MLB right now who never even got a cup of coffee in the big leagues because there were only 16 teams. Mickey is absolutely right.

[@JeffJefferyUK]

I reckon it's both funny and sad. It's a beautiful film.

[@elihartsoe6718]

i live right by durham. the stadium they filmed it at is still there. some of the locations still look the same. i just had lunch at mitch’s tavern; where they filmed the scene when he first met annie and nuke danced. it also looks exactly the same. they had a 30th anniversary celebration at a bulls game last year and i got to meet and talk to ron shelton about it. real cool dude

[@larryproffer8603]

You can’t believe how much it irks me to have to listen to Kimmel just to hear Costner talk about Mickey Mantle.

[@montieluckett7036]

If it'd been colbert, I'd of just had to die without the knowledge.

[@johnperrigo6474]

I tend to agree with your perspective. That story could've been longer and better if Kimmel didn't immediately throw in a comment about the bobblehead, I guess to try to lighten the moment or something.

[@johnboffa2193]

Couldnt agree more

[@flyingdutch9818]

I played for the bulls a year before the movie came out. The team, ground and town were really that run down then. Beautiful people and as an Aussie was my first experience living away from home and OS, let alone in (dis)organised ball. Certainly no Susan Sarandon either!

[@MrVikingsandra]

I think he is still sooooo handsome! Dude!

[@deveryshepardson3640]

I really admire most choices of Kevin’s career. As a baseball lover and a lover of the well done Western genre he has made some stellar movies in said genres. Not just one or two but so many great baseball movies and some of my favorite westerns of all time. Thank you

[@girlfriday9939]

Still looks good!!! ❤️

[@TheLAgurl1]

He's nearly 30 years older than I am but he still makes me swoon

[@h2ofield]

I wish I could find women like you! ;)

[@USA92]

@@h2ofield Leave the basement. Don't forget to brush your teeth.

[@Sketchmee5]

Kelvin aged like a fine wine.Legend amongst all the Hollywood stars.

[@chrisjaybecker]

Kelvin?

[@jimg_hookem4435]

Fine wine, too much let it fo

[@fidelbanuelos9601]

@@chrisjaybecker I think Sketchmee5 had too much wine when he wrote that...lol.

[@USA92]

Vinegar?

[@adamdorgant9454]

You mean Kevin!!!

[@willdonahuedirector3154]

I freaking love Kevin Costner so damn much

[@JStarStar00]

That's a very cool story and shows that Mickey Mantle really was a deeper thinker than a lot of people believe. It would be very easy for Mickey Mantle to see "Bull Durham" and think, "ah that Crash dude is just a bush leaguer, 20 years in the minors, if he was worth spit he would have been in the majors." But Mickey knew a lot of very good players play years and years just to get one shot at the majors.

[@bluehorseshoe444]

It's funny though, if that story were true there would be video of it... probably never happened. But true, sports is a brutal business that so many talented people don't get their shot at and many end up ruined for the rest of their lives.

[@tomb4575]

Of course Letterman was clueless. Mantle had said he could never be a manager because he could not be the guy who sends a player down or end his dream.

[@silkyjohnson7599]

@@bluehorseshoe444 why would he make that up? Lol there’s a lot clips from years ago that are nowhere to be found on the internet

[@bluehorseshoe444]

@@silkyjohnson7599 You make a fair point but I think that if someone as big as Mickey Mantle said that on David Letterman - who was the funniest late night comedian ever (in the 90s anyway) - someone would probably have it on video somewhere... but you could be right, it may have been lost... I just find that hard to believe

[@baseballsux2]

Crash Davis was in the minors for 13 seasons. There is a line in the movie where he refers to his previous 12 years. I believe it’s when Annie tells Crash and Nuke that they are her two “prospects” for the season. “12 years in the minors I don’t try out anymore”.

[@destinypifer5772]

Such a handsome and talented man! I love how laid back he is! Bull Durham is one of my favorite sports/romance movie.

[@michaelmilsom9518]

I agree with Mickey's take...there is a definite undertone of sadness but at the same time there is a coming to terms with it that sadness that makes the movie so special.

[@26DeislerFCB]

he will always be my 2nd dad, i grew up with his classics omg i love him so much

[@JMDeadpool]

If America had a dad, it would be Kevin Costner.

[@christopheralexander6147]

@Nr1SupermanFan ...America’s dad isn’t Sam Elliot?

[@mr.Swartz]

U my friend are completely wrong Kevi Costner is a step dad and Tom Hanks is America’s Biological Father from Oakland

[@christopherliston2371]

Tom Hanks, Costner was the cool uncle with a 60s Camaro...

[@christopherliston2371]

Sam's still a Lifeguard in Newport Beach, saving swimmers at "The Wedge".

[@randymorash7013]

America has lots of dads ,Costner, Hanks, Sam Elliot, Sam Jackson, Denzel Washington, Harrison Ford, take your pick

[@bennylevine387]

It's weird because I never think of Kevin Costner. But then it occurs to you how big a part of your life he is. I'm almost fifty now and he's such a low-key icon that you kind of sleep on him, but he's a giant.

[@ComandoPadentro]

That bobblehead looks like Nicolas Cage actually LOL

[@jimbarr4936]

My JC coach was a catcher that made it to the bigs for 3-4 games and played in AAA for years staying ready but never got a chance because there was a hall of famer in front of him for years. It was a sad story for me to listen to, but I guess before free agency that was the way it worked. I asked him how it was in "The Bigs" and he said it was just another game. He was the most positive man & coach I have ever been around. He saw good attributes in every player. He only blew up on "I-Guys", bad player attitudes, show offs from our team and opposing teams players. Also, slow play. He hated slow play. There were a few other minor leaguers that would visit our high school / JC over the years to get ready for spring training. All very cool guys, humble, and very giving with handing out old wood bats or gloves with the MLB symbol. Good memories.

[@jckmisha]

slow play? you mean lollygagging?

[@camelsheit_on_the_walls446]

I like this guy.

[@76JStucki]

Mickey's right. "One more dying quail a week," and a really good player makes it to the bigs. I mean, the movie is about life as a minor league baseball player, and any movie that's about life will be everything: funny, sad, angry, frightening...the whole range of emotions that we all experience in life. But you have the jokes, and you have Nuke's rocket arm, and his dreams of "goin to the show," and then you have Crash. Crash, who has the minor league record for home runs, who is essentially brought in to help Nuke make it to the bigs and then thrown away, and who (other than a 21 day stint in the past) will never realize his own dream because certain things just didn't go right for him. That's how it is for a lot of people. And it is sad.

[@waynej2608]

Mickey's take was quite insightful. Amidst the laughs, the film does demonstrate a melancholic vibe, of dashed hopes and diminished dreams. Who better to comment on such a multi layered baseball saga, than Mantle. Great stuff, and the director appreciated it, too.

[@marcschneider4845]

I actually wondered about that. It seems to me that a catcher who had some power would likely have spent more than 21 days in the majors even if he skills didn't translate to the big league level. That didn't ring true to me. But, frankly, it's unlikely that it was just because things didn't go right for him. It was because he wasn't good enough. No team would simply ignore a player it thought could help it or, if nothing else, could bring some help in a trade. The fact is, most guys who play professional baseball just aren't good enough to make the majors even though they are better than the vast majority of baseball players. And, on another point, no manager would let a hot prospect like Nuke pitch without warming up as the movies shows him coming out after having sex in the locker room. No manager would risk Nuke hurting his arm and anyone who did probably wouldn't have his job much longer.

[@marcschneider4845]

@@waynej2608 I'm sure there were outfielders in the Yankee system who had no chance because of Mickey Mantle being there, especially back then when there were fewer teams.

[@martinpye549]

Love the dying quail line. Nuke doesn't get it. Great scene that. I'm off to watch it now.

[@almostfm]

@@marcschneider4845 Or being a SS in the Yankee system when Jeter was playing. You've got to play hoping some other team will see you and you become trade bait. And I think Crash was someone who could be described as a "AAAA" player-better than the typical AAA player, but not quite good enough to stick in the majors.

[@NewMessage]

If he films it, we will come.

[@MrKabDrivr]

Hahaha!! I just love your pseudo and the avatar!! I had to pause, there, for a second, thinking that YT did something to the message delivery notice!! Incidentally: clever comment!...

[@NewMessage]

:)

[@starkiller-8684]

I still love waterworld with him in..

[@danielleinad272]

Starkiller -86 One of my favorite "older" movies

[@00BillyTorontoBill]

Same here ....not the best movie...but that catamaran was ..awesome.. (yeah I sailed a lot)

[@nickcammarata9213]

You and maybe 20 people liked that movie. 100 million down the drain

[@bcask61]

Costner is a good dude. Seems like he gets it.

[@lincolnmaceachern2410]

First movie I saw him was as a goofball kid in "Siverado," next was Elliot Ness in "The Untouchables." Actually, it wasn't Silverado. He was the corpse being prepared for the funeral Close, Goldblum, etc. were going to in "The Big Chill."

[@bobmarlowe3390]

I met the real Crash Davis in Greensboro, NC a little while before he died. My best friend knew him from his time with Burlington Industries.

[@josianeangirany6040]

il a tout de beau ce KEVIN même son rire est beau !! vraiment je l'adore !!

[@megganbeck6772]

He hasn’t aged since the 90s!

[@aleshasmas4069]

amazing

[@hanygheith8421]

Costner is one of the greatest actors

[@one-eye1721]

Costner is so vital and alive in BULL DURHAM. Full of piss and vinegar but also charming as hell. A true movie star performance.

[@c.t.5130]

Sexiest man alive. Was, still is and always will be. Absolutely love that guy. Did with 12. Still do with 40. Incredible movies. Incredible acting Incredible eyes.

[@smokeymayrand4757]

Didn't Mickey mantle once say "if I knew I was gonna live this long I would have taken better care of myself"

[@j.w.matney8390]

Yes he did. Imagine what records he would have set with a good pair of knees and less hangovers. My Dad played in the Red Sox organisation and the Portland Beavers for a few years and he had the same reaction as the Mick.

[@scootergeorge9576]

Him or Yogi.

[@scootergeorge9576]

@MAN UTD - Soccer is only played in the USA. Elsewhere it's football of futball. Troll!

[@SixFeetUndr101]

Thus was great! Too bad that Billy Martin is gone. It would have been neat to hear his thoughts on the film.

[@Lukas-yd2pw]

when i looked at the thumbnail i first thought it was bob odenkirk XD

[@ns-uo7it]

Casually scrolling through videos, saw Kevin Costner, backtracked, and liked before I even watched it. ITS KEVIN COSTNER!

[@nickcupkovic5721]

I was working on love of the game good times

[@MrKabDrivr]

Super guy, great actor, best dang baseball movie! Anyone not agreeing is a lollygagger!!

[@thezdbailey]

I agree, but I am pretty much a lollygagger...

[@NJGuy1973]

@@thezdbailey This is a simple game. You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. You got it?

[@coolteens911]

still like billy crystals movie "61" better

[@yankeeladee02]

Kevin just gets better and better and better and ..... 😍

[@ThunderPants13]

For some reason this makes me think about the time Kramer went to a baseball fantasy camp and ended up punching out Mickey Mantle.

[@mkspencer88]

Liked him in Criminal.

[@jeffkyler5660]

I think the heart of the film Shelton, Costner, Robbins, Sarandon and a lot of talented other people made was ultimately sad or bittersweet if insanely funny at times. I would put this film up with Bang the Drum Slowly along with the director's cut of The Natural as the best pure baseball films ever made.

[@marcschneider4845]

I like it much better than Field of Dreams.

[@attiliotansella913]

Legend

[@danjackson9932]

Man to have Mickey mantle comment on the movie is huge!!

[@corribnews2219]

Mickey Mantle nailed it. The twin themes of Bull Durham are failure and loneliness, and Costner was support at expressing both. --Kevin Whelan

[@jeffreylockhart8292]

I have a feeling the real gut reality was Mickey Mantle played in a lot of pain, had many injuries, drank for sure and maybe did pain killers and it was tough life too . Not all fun and standing ovations he labored to run around the bases in pain after hitting home runs late in his career. My uncle saw him play in Detroit in the 50s along with Al Kaline early on. Mantle was a very fast runner as a young player and ran hard busting it after bashing a hit between outfielders, hustled hard as hell and slid into second with a force , came up in pain and my uncle said blood was oozing out of his pants that were well padded with bandages. That is a tough player but not fun to be in pain doing it.

[@norwaysummer8874]

Jimmy's pronunciation of "Durham" is driving me crazy...its not Dor-ham - its Der-uhm

[@chrisjaybecker]

He probably says "Shore" instead of "Sure" and "Inshorance" instead of "Insurance." Then he "Warshes" the dishes before he goes to "Warshington."

[@jagerisbae6481]

I really like him in better call saul

[@randynichols5460]

I remember " one blooper a week, one ball with eyes and you can make the bigs."

[@one-eye1721]

Grinding it out in the minors, playing every day for six months, making $300 a week and being served peanut butter sandwiches as your team meal after a nine hour bus ride is what keeps these guys humble. It's also why MLB players don't go broke nearly as often as football or basketball players. Baseball players learn the value of saving money.

[@abdaniel487]

Bull "Dooram" lol alright Jimmy.

[@amietedeschi3203]

Adrian Daniel Yeah, come on, Jimmy! It's Durm.

[@shamsreza7671]

My favourite Costner movie is No Way Out

[@00BillyTorontoBill]

yep... watched it again recently..still great.

[@richrome9897]

Dude is aging great.

[@fredderf3207]

Look at that bobble head at 2:45 and tell me thats not Nicolas Cage.

[@markw4206]

I feel like Mantle's take on BD is the more accurate one. The movie's not a comedy per se. It's a drama, and a poetic homage to baseball, romance and small town America.

[@buckmark23]

A scout for the Boston Redsox told me,"For ever great player, there's another one that never got the chance".

[@Mr.56Goldtop]

Probably a lot more than one. Like in all sports, it's a numbers game.

[@robwhite461]

Greatest baseball movie of all time, nothing comes close. Robert Redford. “The Natural”.

[@momeadnan7545]

The picture is leading the sound in all your videos , you must do something with that jimmy

[@carlhicksjr8401]

I'm not much of a baseball guy... I suppose it doesn't help that my local MLB franchise has been phoning it in for the last 20 years [credit where it's due, however, they're off to an MLB and franchise record start for the 2019 season]... but I *loved* Bull Durham and Major League. I'd seriously give give good money for a Jobu bobblehead :) But when you can impress a legend with your movie about his livelihood, you done good work.

[@wesleydawson2183]

Jimmy kimmel: "bool doorham"... wrong!!!!!....I'm from Durham NC

[@gayeblinman5055]

I agree 🙋🏼‍♂️ Mr Costner is Drawn to movies with a Moral Message His character is that of a man who stands by what he believes , but also knows he has made his share of mistakes & owns them His eyes hold a certain wisdom He Lives His Life with Integrity & Insight ..... just like A Dad Should ✍️ 😉

[@PreyingMantisRanch]

What's the 'moral message' of Yellowstone?

[@christopherhanna5754]

This is why a Jimmy Kimmel interview is a thousand times better then any of the other late night talk show hosts right now he just let Costner talk and tell the story..

[@kendallcampos4784]

Door-um 😂 I’m dying... (I’m from Durham)

[@mjgarcia6343]

Dang they post late (4:03)am

[@kevindown2755]

I know two guys like the type of minor leaguers Mikey was talking about. My friend was stuck behind Dave Parker & Willie Stargell in AAA. Another person I know was stuck behind Amos Otis. Both eventually gave up the dream and got regular jobs. Times are different now but I sure wish both those guys could have gotten their shot.

[@tomb4575]

Yellowstone is great.

[@TheBigHurt365]

I thought the same. I thought it was sad 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@fidelbanuelos9601]

Same here.

[@dominicgonzales518]

Hi

[@angelm7382]

jimiiiiiii

[@pwnranger3496]

Costner: Mickey had a melancholy outlook on this comedy based on real life Kimmel: aw dude this is a bummer. QUICK, CHANGE THE SUBJECT!

[@j.w.matney8390]

Kimmel's never been known as a deep thinker.

[@Masterdebater1313]

That bobblehead looks Nicolas Cage much more than Kevin Costner.

[@alianofann]

He can be my dad anytime. U know, both kind of dad..

[@76JStucki]

Wow, that's actually very similar to my own reaction to the movie. I mean, I get the jokes, the jokes are funny. But the story overall is really, really sad.

[@marcschneider4845]

Well, how many people get paid to play baseball, even if it's in the minors? What I think is sad is guys like Crash Davis who stay in the minors for years rather than getting on with their lives. But periodically, you see guys that have been in the minors for 10 years of something and finally get to the majors.

[@LeandrosAmarantidis]

The bubble head looks like Nicholas Cage

[@LuckyBird551]

Bobble heads? The Durham Bulls have retired the number 8 from their team because of "Crash" Davis. That's right, a real life team has retired a real number because of a fictional player that played for them in a movie.

[@amietedeschi3203]

No, there was also a real Crash Davis.

[@johnmiller5679]

One of the greatest movies ever Bull Durham, wow calm down Jimmy you don’t need to grease him up so much. Even Costner we s looking at him like wow wow wow let’s not get crazy it was a entertaining sports movie but me of the greatest movies ever. I liked the movie very much but it’s not even one the best sports movies ever made or even the best baseball movies ever made let alone one of the greatest movies ever made.’

[@Andy_K_in_BNA]

As a former minor league player, this is the best sports movie ever made

[@jontargaryen841]

Father of Kal EL

[@jenkinsljenkinssquire9137]

JIMMY DIMMEL

[@axcab3437]

When you have a guest telling a moving story like this, kimmel and colbert and any host should just sit back and listen. Most of the time they can't contain themselves and lessen the moment.

[@THEOne-zx3fe]

When the Mick talks, you shut up and listen.

[@drlee2]

Most people don’t really think of Bull Durham as a comedy, do they?

[@juliusceasar6002]

i bothered kevin costner at pebble beach for and autograph , he was cordial

[@cebuhousesandmore6671]

Bob odenkirk gains a little weight 😀

[@kelliebrooks9094]

Thats true back in micky day there wasnt a lot an for options...an to be a line yeah the pool hall final scene was moving but nuke was clueless....so the focus of the scene got lost in the star that has no soul...meat nuke...but there was that line of getting to the show....may be it was a little overlooked as being the grail...mickey saw it....that way i understand....i wasted my 700 batting average put it on a shelf because of other sports

[@dawoool]

Mickey Mantle became discouraged and almost quit while in the minors. He was looking at life as a lead miner. Perhaps that's why he always felt bad for the guys who didn't make the Show.

[@radar0412]

With the MLB scouting industry in place, its unlikely that all the organizations are going to pass on a player with good statistics.

[@tomb4575]

Davis made it to the show for a week. There are many players with great numbers in the minors but are exposed in the bigs. Before expansion, when Mantle broke in the top clubs top minor league affiliates had better players than the Browns and A's did.

[@marcschneider4845]

@@tomb4575 That's the point. Great players get to the majors. The guys who get left behind are those with some skills but not enough for the majors. The difference between the majors and the minors is huge.

[@viktorcheng2061]

The difficulty of telling the story.

[@cogitatione1]

It's true about excellent players getting stuck in the minors. Wade Boggs. Hit over .300 five straight years in A, AA, AAA before the Red Sox finally had the wisdom to promote him.

[@hawsrulebegin7768]

He finds it hard to tell a tale.

[@1thommyberlin]

My fave movie. and I don't like baseball.

[@travisgunn1075]

The story of Crash Davis always bothered me. Here's a switch hitting catcher with power, who can obviously handle a pitching staff. No reason that player shouldn't have been at least a 2nd catcher in the major leagues. Just nitpickin a little

[@SixFeetUndr101]

I think that Crash would've made a great MLB manager later in his life. =]

[@marcschneider4845]

That's exactly what I thought. Especially a catcher.

[@chesterbanks623]

Unfortunately I

[@jimcoulter4324]

Every catcher has been annoyed with his pitcher and tipped off a hitter to a pitch at least once.