Let’s Talk About The Ball: A League of Their Own

From my first watch of the 1992 film, A League of Their Own, the classic question posed in the final act has rattled around in my head. In the playoff game, as her sister Kit is barreling down towards home plate to try and grab that winning run, Dottie squares up to make that vital out. Both sisters stand their ground and refuse to relent as they collide and Kit sends Dottie reeling backwards. In the chaos of the collision, the camera tightens up on Dottie’s hand as she hits the ground, and the ball rolls gently out of her glove and into the dirt. This moment sparked a (to those passionate enough) heated debate over whether Dottie dropped the ball on purpose to give her sister’s team the win, or that the force of the crash was truly enough to shake the ball loose. The mere posing of the question is enough to make some (again, those with an extreme passion) decry that it could even possibly be up for debate, obviously she did or did not. Personally, this is not a question I have been able to decide on a definite answer for myself. But, this has recently left me wondering: is there an actual answer? Does solid proof exist somewhere, via either analysis or the original intent of those involved in its creation, confirming either ending?

Even the most thorough, closest watch of the film cannot adequately provide an answer, as both interpretations of that crucial moment fit perfectly into Dottie’s character arc. But, both interpretations of the ending effectively alter the entire story of the film, and, if I may wax a little too philosophical, actually feels indicative of the way the viewer themselves thinks a ‘good’ ending should look like, whether they desire endings to be kind or fair, to be generous or honest, to reflect an idealized version of human nature, or a realistic one. 

 Those in the “on-purpose” camp recognize that Dottie and Kit are both fiercely competitive and that Dottie usually comes out on top, from being the first to get scouted for the league, to the first to get married. This leaves Kit feeling deeply insecure- that for everything she accomplishes, Dottie always does it slightly better. But, despite this often tense back-and-forth, on multiple occasions, Dottie goes out of her way to make sure that Kit doesn’t truly think herself inferior- like refusing to play in the league without her sister, offering to quit when Kit gets traded, and trying to help her even when she protests against it. By choosing to drop the ball at the end and allow her sister to take the win, Dottie demonstrates the maturity her character displays throughout the entire film. In this way- her dropping the ball is obvious, it turns the story into a feel-good piece about family and its importance over anything else. To me, choosing to take this ending as truth feels hopeful, that the victory should not only go to the one with the most skills but to the one with the most passion- the one that wants it more. This ending takes the stance that love will allow the world to work itself out in this manner and honestly, just feels nice. It elicits the emotions that a movie about sports should, where the underdog wins because they deserve to, not for their skills but their pure hearts. 

Following the interpretation on the other side of the aisle, A League of Their Own takes on almost a new genre, disallowing it from being considered “heartwarming” in the former sense, but instead being fully a sports movie, one not colored by emotion or interpersonal conflicts rather an honest depiction of a beloved game. Dottie is without question the best player in the league and whose popularity among fans is the reason the entire league stays afloat. Her calm composure and emotional maturity quickly turn her into a leader who not only cares about performing at the highest level on the field but also about the lives of the girls themselves. So, many who view the moment as an error rather than a choice ask, ‘Why would she rob the team she cares so much about of the win she worked so hard to get in shape to earn?’ Even in recognition of Dottie’s care for Kit, her desire to beat her is still dominant over any softness she feels when on the dirt- in a game where they do take the win over Kit’s team, she tells the pitcher Kit’s greatest batting weakness and watches as she embarrasses herself on a series of the same high, outside pitch. Bearing this in mind, the crucial drop means that none of the emotional conflicts between the two sisters played any part in Kit’s team taking the win, that they deserved it not via intention or desire, but by just being better. This ending is fair and just and free from any grey area about their relationship and creates a narrative where those who possess the most skills will always be victorious. 

As earlier mentioned, in the realm of the film, both endings are entirely possible. Through my own searching, I have not been able to determine whether the ending was left up in the air on purpose, one interpretation is correct and the other is not, or that there was even meant to be any debate about this at all. Geena Davis, who plays Dottie, famously said that portraying this character gave her a deep connection with Dottie, and does know whether she did or did not mean to. However, she said she would never actually reveal it. Many other members of the cast have been asked the same question over the years, and all tend to give different iterations of the same response; having an opinion one way or another, but not being able to say for certain what the truth really is. Even the original script for the film gives up no information about what Dottie’s true motivation was, simply describing the ball rolling out. To me, all of this uncertainty leads to the conclusion that both endings are, in a way, simultaneously true. Maybe there is no answer to this question, and that to believe either way is a choice meant to be left up to the viewer as a means to look inward on what a satisfying ending really is. To make a movie good, should it reflect the best of who we are as a species, or the most real? That’s up to you to decide, for both the characters you’ve spent the last two hours playing ball with, and for yourself.

But I kinda think she did it on purpose.

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