Upon his passing at 93 years old Monday, the world reflected on the wide-reaching influence of actor James Earl Jones, whose contributions to media, film, and narration touched the lives of so many people.
Born in northwestern Mississippi but raised in Michigan, Jones was first thrust into the limelight for his booming deep reverberation used to voice the famed Star Wars character Darth Vader, but his legendary contributions to the public space reach far deeper.
With roles like Mufasa from The Lion King and James Greer in The Hunt for Red October, Jones became a member of the exclusive EGOT club, reserved for those who have won at least one each of a Tony Award, Emmy Award, Academy Award, and Grammy.
Jones was also an avid sports fan, especially enamored by the mystique of the nation's pastime, baseball. A University of Michigan graduate in 1955, Jones used his narration expertise to create numerous memorable moments for sports fans throughout his career. It's remarkable to reflect on his storied career, especially considering Jones had a stutter as a child, which he claimed was overcome through poetry and acting.
The Sporting News lists the most legendary and memorable moments and works from the life of James Earl Jones across the vast world of sports.
The Sandlot — Mr. Mertle
Perhaps the most iconic sports role for James Earl Jones showcased not just his famous voice, but his acting skills, as well.
Jones portrayed Mr. Mertle in the 1993 film The Sandlot, a character considered, like Jones himself at times, larger than life by the main children of the movie. However, once they get to know him, they realize he's actually a kind-hearted man who enjoys reflecting on his now-distant baseball career and is simply searching for human connection.
When the boys lose their baseball over the fence and go to retrieve it, they meet the blind and eclectic older man and get a history of the sport. He gives them a baseball signed by the 1927 New York Yankees. "That's the way I played, 100 percent all the time. Baseball was life, and I was good at it, real good," Mr. Mertle said, before revealing he was blinded by being hit by a pitch in the head.
Jones only had a bit-part role in the movie, but his stature as the wise, all-knowing individual helped bring the fascination of baseball to millions of kids across the world in the 1990's.
Actor Patrick Renna, who played "Ham" in the movie, told the Rich Eisen Show in 2023 that the only interaction any of them had with Jones while filming saw the famed actor tell Marty York "I am your father," which delighted the young cast.
Field of Dreams — Terence Mann
While The Sandlot is close to the heart of many millennial baseball fans who grew up at the time, the 1989 film Field of Dreams reached a wider baseball audience — and again James Earl Jones was at the heart of its most memorable scene.
In fact, Jones uttered its most famous line, playing author and historian Terence Mann who urges Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner) to build a baseball diamond in a cornfield. "If you build it, they will come," Mann tells Kinsella.
We all know what happened next.
National Anthem — 1993 MLB All-Star Game
Largely through The Sandlot and Field of Dreams, Jones would become synonymous with baseball history. He narrates the informational video at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and has been involved in many baseball-related projects.
However, possibly his most chill-inducing narration was prior to the 1993 MLB All-Star Game in Baltimore, where he spoke the United States national anthem, backed by the Morgan State Choir.
If you watch any video from this list, make it this one. It's incredible.
The Great White Hope
While his main love was for baseball, James Earl Jones often delved into the sport of boxing, which has a rich history, especially in black culture.
In 1970, Jones starred in the boxing movie The Great White Hope, playing African American boxer Jack Jefferson who goes on a run of victories against white opponents. The press searches for any white boxer to beat Jefferson, but it's his eventual pursuit of a white love interest that sees him done in.
The movie, an adaptation of a 1967 play of the same name, explores the feeling of invulnerability and superiority among white athletes in the early 1900s, and the effect it had on the public when that notion was challenged.
2021 Michigan Football hype video
As a Michigan alum, it was only right that James Earl Jones lend his voice to the university's most visible sport.
"We are loyal Wolverines," Jones would emphatically state, "standing for midwestern values — hard work, determination, and an enthusiasm unknown to mankind."
Starting the season unranked but backed by the reverberations of a famed graduate, the Wolverines would put together a 12-2 record to finish the year ranked third in the nation.
The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings
The fascination of the Negro Leagues for James Earl Jones goes far beyond just his appearances in the mainstream movies already mentioned.
Over a decade prior, Jones played Leon Carter, a Negro League player, in the 1976 movie The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings. The movie details the life of a few black baseball players who follow pitcher Bingo Long to enjoy a life of what was at the time known as "barnstorming."
The life of a barnstormer took them from team to team on short-term contracts, playing exhibition matches and becoming the main attraction of attending fans, rather than rooting for a particular team.
Reading of Casey at the Bat
James Earl Jones continued his fascination with baseball history with a fantastic reading of the 1888 poem Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic, Sung in the Year 1888 written by Ernest Thayer.
The poem is what's known as a "mock-heroic" poem which uses satire to put a classic stereotype character on a pedestal in a mocking tone. In it, a baseball team from the fictional town of Mudville is losing as they come to bat in the ninth inning.
Fans are certain that they will win if star player Casey gets to hit, but he's due up fifth and therefore isn't guaranteed to hit. Against the odds, the team manages to bring Casey up to the plate, but he strikes out after arrogantly watching two strikes and overconfidently swinging at the third.
In 1996, Jones recorded a rendition of the poem backed by an arrangement from Steven Reineke by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.
