[1] The television film was directed by Martin Davidson and starred William Petersen, Virginia Madsen, and Dermot Mulroney.

[2] At a game against the Crestview Cats in Alabama, Cantrell meets a beautiful young woman just voted Miss Strawberry Blossom of 1957, Dixie Lee Boxx (Virginia Madsen),[4] botching the lyrics of the Star-Spangled Banner, but still wowing the crowd in her skimpy skin-tight outfit.

[3] Cantrell signs a slick-fielding but light-hitting second baseman named Jamie Don Weeks (Dermot Mulroney), fresh out of high school.

Weeks soon falls for a virginal and church-going local girl, Esther Wrenn (Katy Boyer), who is looking to escape Tampico.

On the verge of a pennant, however, Cantrell is told that throwing the big game would give a substantial boost to his sagging career.

[4] He is offered a managerial position in the minor leagues with the Cardinals organization, on the condition he does not show up for the final game.

While the pennant-deciding game is being played at Tampico, Cantrell and Brown meet at a local bar where they discuss their moral and ethical dilemmas.

[3] John O'Connor, a writer for The New York Times, wrote that Long Gone makes classics such as The Pride of the Yankees look like promotional fantasies.

[2] It also rated a mention in another book, The Great Baseball Films, which stated Long Gone was an above-average comedy-drama that is full of bite, grit, and good feelings.