Rookie of the Year Interview: Thomas Ian Nicholas

Henry Rowengartner.

The famous name of the 12-year-old boy who pitched for the Cubs back in the summer of 1993. But in reality Thomas Ian Nicholas was young at the time and was acting in his very first sports movie.

Fast forward 23 years, Nicholas has acted in many movies, started his own band, and has started his own family. Looking back at the movie Nicholas had nothing but great things to say about his involvement in the film, but how it still holds up to today’s films.

What was the process for you in getting the lead role as Henry Rowengartner?

Well they held casting auditions I believe in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. I think there was close to 2,500 kids trying out for the role. The funny part is I had my agent have me a tryout for the role and I didn’t get a call back. I was then in the process of switching agents and the new agent said she got me an audition for the movie. I told her I auditioned for it already but she said they don’t remember you so go again. The second time I got the role.

Daniel Stern was at my call back and after we read the audition scene he asked where I was from. I responded with “my mother’s womb”. I think it was complicated for me at the time. I was born in Vegas but left there when I was two and then I moved to Santa Cruz and then moved from there when I was five to LA. As a kid you can’t say LA because I wasn’t born there. I think I came up with the absolute answer. I don’t know where I was coming from but looking back at it, it was a tenacious answer.

I think there’s video of me getting the news that I got the gig. My Mom busted out her trusty Hi 8 camera and filmed me getting the news. I was just jumping up and down and super stoked.

Did you have any experience in playing baseball before getting this role?

No I didn’t. I grew up being raised in a single family household by my Mom and it was one of those things that I really only watched golf with my Grandfather. That was the extent of my sports connection. Once I got the role I had to learn the mechanics of pitching, that was taught to me by a neighbor. And of course filming a month in Wrigley Field and living in Chicago for 3 months I have been a fan of the organization ever since.
What was it like for you as a young actor filming on this legendary field while there was still a season going on?

Well we started filming toward the end of the season which was in-between a double-header. That was like only 10 minutes that we had to use the field and stadium. Most of the stuff though was filmed in the post season and it was cold.

They had me throwing from the regular mound but a lot of the times when I was going through the sequence I was holding nothing. Again from the mechanics of pitching, when you have no ball in your hand there is no resistance. Yet another way Tiger Balm became my best friend.

There were a lot of baseball films made at around the same time “Rookie of the Year” came out. Why do you think this movie still holds up to today’s standards but also created its own little niche at the same time?

You had the Sandlot, Angels in The Outfield, Little Big League all coming out around the same time. Each of these had its own special moments. All these films were centered around baseball and were fantasy movies. This movie in comparison though but appealed to any kid that dreamed of playing in the majors one day. I think it still strikes a chord with many kids who are now showing this film to their kids.

There have been fans of the film clamoring for a Blu-ray edition of the movie. Have you heard of any rumors of that finally getting released?

Well I don’t have any information on that but I do have something else I can share. Last week I had coffee with one of the main producers from the film. I pitched him the idea of Rookie of the Year 2. I was hoping we could have it come out during the 25^th anniversary year and then in turn release the original movie on Blu-ray. He wanted a clear-cut idea but I said I’m not going to write it. I think it has to be the right story so it protects what we once created which was very special. He called over to FOX and said they would get back to us with their interest.

The most reasonable story would be Henry’s son goes through the same arm problems that he went through. And you have to bring back everyone you can from the first film. There’s a lot of other elements that go into that. But I’m working on it and hopefully it happens.

Your band is a big part of your career now and you started a fundraiser to produce a new album from the American Pie movie series. Can you talk a little bit about how that is coming along?

Well I started my own band we decided to create an album on all the songs from the American Pie movies. So we are fundraising to get this new album off the ground. You can check out the progress here and hopefully we can get this completed in the next few months. I will actually be in Wrigley Field in a few weeks throwing out the first pitch and playing a few concerts across the street after the game. It will be fun again to throw out the first pitch.

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