In the middle of baseball season, here are some Major League Major Facts: -Dennis Haysbert actually hit multiple home runs on camera while filming. In the final game when he hit his final home run, he was so excited he forgot to drop the bat and ran the bases with it despite that not being in the script. -For many of the wide crowd scenes of the climactic playoff game, there were over 20,000 extras in the stands. When the team first ran onto the field with the crowd roaring, Haysbert admitted to being emotionally overwhelmed by the experience. Former Major Leaguer and technical advisor Steve Yeager noticed Haysbert's reaction and said to him, "That's what it's like 162 times a year." -In the scene where Jake invades Lynn's party, one of the guests asks how much Jake makes in the Majors. He replies, "I make the league minimum." At the time (1989) the MLB salary minimum was $68,000. Average household income in 1990 was roughly $30,000.  -The opponent slugger known as Yankees' home run threat Haywood was played by former pitcher of the Milwaukee Brewers, Peter Vuckovich. Vuckovich never hit a single home run in his entire 11-year major league career. In fact, during 8 of those 11 years he never made a single plate appearance since he was pitching in the American League, which uses a designated hitter to bat for the pitcher. -At the start of the "pennant race" montage, Willie Hayes is shown with 16 pairs of gloves nailed on his bedroom wall, indicating that he had stolen 16 bases in the first 101 games. At the end of the montage, he has at least 78 pairs on the wall, having stolen 62 additional bases in fewer than 60 games. -Haywood's line of "How's your wife and my kids?" was completely improvised by Pete Vuckovich. Ward couldn't think of a good insult that Haywood could say to Taylor, and Vuckovich, assured Ward that he could come up with something on the spot, which was what was caught on camera. -Chelcie Ross (Eddie Harris) played baseball in high school. He was a three-sport star, also playing football and basketball. -Wesley Snipes was not very skilled at baseball in real life, never having played much before. Ward said Snipes was so awful there were no scenes of hom throwing. -The vehicle that Willie Mays Hayes drives to opening day of spring training is a customized VW Beetle with a Rolls Royce grill, replacement trunk and hood ornament. The "Elegant Beetle" kit, as one was called, was popular in the mid-70s to the mid-80s until Rolls Royce sued a company responsible for one of the conversion kits.  -Charlie Sheen admitted to Sports Illustrated that he took steroids to prepare for his role. He believed the steroids he took caused him to increase his fastball to 85 MPH. -Former Major-League catcher Steve Yeager served as a coach for the actors in training for the movie, also serving as a stunt double for Tom Berenger in many scenes when Jake Taylor would make a throw from home plate or be in a home plate collision, as well as play third-base coach Temple. -While not particularly specified, many of the players in the movie seem to be based on, or inspired by, former Major League stars. Pedro Cerrano, according to author/director David S. Ward, is based on Orlando Cepeda and Wade Boggs, who would superstitiously eat chicken before every game. Willie Mays Hays is based on Rickey Henderson. Ryne Duren was the inspiration for the character Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn, according to Ward. Eddie Harris appears to be inspired by Gaylord Perry, who was well known for using outside substances to enhance his pitches. Jake Taylor may be inspired by Carlton Fisk, a catcher who had a long career with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. Lou Brown mentions early on that Taylor was an All-Star in Boston.