When the movie opens, the owner of the Tigers is selling his baseball team. The new owners then have to make a decision whether or not to trade their star player, Billy Chapel. After playing with the Tigers for 19 years Billy suddenly finds himself forced to make a decision- retire from the team he�s played for his entire career or continue playing the game he loves for another team. He also has to make a decision about his girlfriend Jane. She has decided to take a job in Europe. He does not want to let her go. He pitches a perfect game, and through out the game he reminisces about his past- injuries, love and passion for the game and the woman he wants to be with.
Before he pitches his final inning, Billy begins to feel numbness in his arm from a past injury. He decides at that moment that he�s going to make it a career and retire in the top of the game. He informs the club before he pitches the last inning that he�s going to retire which also makes the last inning more significant. He has taken for granted how long he�s been playing and how the game has treated him. He finishes the game and flies out to England to go after the woman who is the other love in his life. Jane is so interested in the watching the game on television that she misses her flight and Billy is able to catch her at the airport. He tells her how much he misses her and how important she is to him and how he has walked away from the game he loves to be with her.
An interesting theme in this movie is growing up and leaving behind what you know. Billy leaves behind his first love, baseball, in order to be with his other love, Jane. He is finally letting go of his childhood to mature into adulthood. He was able to take a leap of faith into a territory that was new to him. Previously baseball was his whole life. The potential loss of Jane wakes Billy up and he is forced to make the decision.
Another topic touched upon in the movie was friendship. Billy had friendships with some of the other players in the movie. One in particular leaves due to free agency and this really bothered Billy. Billy felt that the guy was only thinking of himself, and not the team. Another ballplayer, his catcher, Gus and Billy have a close relationship because they�ve been playing together for many years. That relationship is special because they are so close that Billy can read Gus� body language. They understand each other without even having to speak.
Overall, For The Love Of The Game is a good movie that would appeal to people. It shows that even though baseball is a temporary game, the relationships gained through it are forever. Sometimes in order to be happy we have to take chances on the unknown.