The Kid from Cleveland on AllMovie

The "kid" is Johnny Barrows (Russ Tamblyn), who runs away from his nasty stepfather and hits the streets of Cleveland. Seemingly destined to become a juvenile delinquent, Johnny is rescued by sportscaster Mike Jackson (George Brent). Making it his mission to put Johnny on the right path, Mike gets the youngster a job as batboy for the 1948 Cleveland Indians. As the Indians overcome a bad season start and slug their way towards the World Series, so too does Johnny clean up his own act. If Kid From Cleveland has any value today, it is manifested in the presence of Johnny Barrows' "30 Godfathers" on the Cleveland team, including Lou Boudreau, Tris Speaker, Hank Greenberg, Bob Lemon, Bob Feller, Gene Bearden, Satchel Paige, Bob Lemon and Larry Doby. As to the quality of the film, Bill Veeck, general manager of the 1948 Indians, once stated "I have an unwritten law at home that I adhere to: I never allow my kids to mention or see that abortion." Even more succinct was ballplayer Lou Boudreau: "I would like to buy every print of [Kid From Cleveland] and burn it."