The Rookie is a 2002 American sports drama film directed by John Lee Hancock and produced by Walt Disney Pictures.

The film stars Dennis Quaid as Morris, alongside Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez, Angus T. Jones, and Brian Cox.

Jim Morris is the son of a career Navy man who moves the family from Hollywood, Florida, to Big Lake, Texas.

The town to which Jim's family moved, Big Lake, has lost its love for baseball, preferring football.

Jim is told of a tryout nearby for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and decides to attend without telling his wife Lorri, afraid that her fear of him re-injuring his shoulder will keep him from going.

Having told her of the dress code for players, Jim finds his sports coat, a necktie, and his St. Rita (the saint of impossible dreams) medal hanging in his locker when he arrives.

The Big Lake High School trophy case displays Jim's major league jersey.

Apart from scenes filmed at The Ballpark in Arlington, locations included the following: Most of the population portrayed in this movie of Big Lake, Texas were fictional.

The critics consensus reads, "A heart-warming sports flick, The Rookie greatly benefits from understated direction and the emotional honesty Dennis Quaid brings to the role of Jim Morris.

"[2] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score 72 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".