Here’s the Special Edition DVD’s lineup (as a baseball coach might say):

1. Audio Commentary with director Penny Marshall, and cast members Megan Cavanagh ("Marla Hooch" ), and Tracy Reiner ("Betty 'Spaghetti' Horn"). This commentary shows how strongly everyone remembers working on the picture, more than ten years later, as well as the camaraderie between cast and crew. Fond memories, interesting factoids, and information abound.

2. Deleted Scenes. There’s fifteen – count them, fifteen deleted scenes here. Some are very short and light, and, while they don’t seem as pointless as many movies’ deleted scenes tend to seem, I’d say, though, that overall, they might be more fun for big fans. BUT – scenes 13-15 are fascinating, and show that, if they’d been kept in the film, so much of what happens would be seen in a very different – and far more melodramatic – light. I, for one, am glad they were cut. Especially since one of the things I love and respect about the movie is the charged, yet chaste friendship that develops between Dottie and Jimmy. So, check these last few scenes out.

3. “Nine Memorable Innings.” This hour-long documentary takes you into just about every aspect of making A League of Their Own, from the auditions (the stars, we find out, had to already play baseball, or be trainable), to the impact of factors like having a woman director working in the typically male-dominated genre of the sports flick. Worth watching if you enjoyed the movie, or, if you’re curious about any of its aspects, since it’s conveniently broken up into chapters based on subjects.

4. Filmographies. Isn’t it cool that sweet, stubborn little sister Kit, is played by the same person who played Tank Girl? Lori Petty, you have range.

5. Madonna’s “This Used to be My Playground” video. A pretty example of one of Madonna’s less popular ballads. The video’s a bit sappy, but the song’s appropriately sad, in a “Live to Tell” sort of way.

Okay, so there’s the lineup, and I’d say that it’s a fan’s paradise. There’s just one way I think it’s lacking. As I’ve said, League’s Special Edition is a sign of a hero getting its due. Here we have this film treated like a rare treasure, at times even like a relic in a museum (in one of the most noticeable examples, the written message about the process of obtaining footage for the deleted scenes reads like an explanation of the restoration of an ancient work of art). On the other hand, the very heroes the film is celebrating – ...