Kevin Costner Fought a Real Life Billionaire to Get Sam Raimi’s 1999 Baseball Movie Get Approved: “Yeah, the Yankees can’t lose”

Kevin Costner had to convince Yankees boss to gain access to the stadium for the film ‘For Love of the Game’

Kevin Costner is one such storyteller whose films are known for their heartwarming stories and creative nuances. It is, however, not only his finished cinema but also his personal anecdotes behind a film’s creation that add to the rich movie-going experience.

It is often said that the pen is mightier than the sword, or simply put, words are more powerful than violence. Costner, 70, would probably be one of those people who had to agree with it wholeheartedly.

After all, words, albeit laced with far-fetched embellishments, helped him win over billionaire George Steinbrenner in a battle of wills, which allowed the Oscar winner to use the Yankees’ Stadium.

Kevin Costner won over George Steinbrenner in an intense showdown…with the help of a little ‘lie’

In an instance of an epic face-off, Kevin Costner’s creative zeal went head-to-head against Steinbrenner’s protective streak over the use of the New York Yankees’ Stadium in Sam Raimi’s beloved baseball classic, For Love of the Game. 

Kevin Costner in a still from For Love of the Game | Credit: Universal Pictures

Steinbrenner, who became the principal owner of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees after paying over $10 million in 1973, naturally had an emotional connection with the team. Thus, his fond fanboy heart could not accept the use of the Yankees Stadium in a film where his beloved team would be handed a loss, even in fiction.

During an interview, Costner, who portrayed the role of the fictional Detroit Tigers pitcher Billy Chapel, shared that he had to go to great lengths to convince the late businessman to save Raimi’s 1999 film.

Speaking to GQ in an interview, the actor-turned-director shared,

The movie wasn’t gonna happen in Yankee Stadium, and we already had a crew out there, and no one knew what to do about it, but George wasn’t gonna let it happen. It wasn’t fair, and it came down to I didn’t have no lawyer, no studio executive. Our movie was dead in the water.

As the situation went downhill, someone persisted, “Kevin, you need to talk to him.” However, The Bodyguard star was still not confident of his eloquence. Costner claimed that he was looking for all the “tough guys” to do the job.

Nevertheless, at the end, Costner was convinced that even if his endeavor ended with a firm no, he had to try and convince “the Boss,” as so much was already on stake.

The major point of contention stemmed from the fact that in the script, Costner’s character, Chapel – would hand the Yankees a round drubbing on their home turf. Naturally, it failed to please Steinbrenner, who strongly opposed the use of the ‘House that Ruth Built’ for such an ignominy!

Though they were initially unaware of his motive, the Dances With Wolves star shared that Steinbrenner revealed the reason after a tense exchange.

I said, ‘All right, George, you wanna explain that to me? Why?’ He goes, ‘Well, the Yankees lose.’”

As Costner replied in astonishment, “‘The Yankees what?’” the late Yankees owner revealed, “‘They lose, can’t let that happen, Kev.’”
The Yellowstone actor continued,

I said, ‘George, it’s a perfect game. I pitch a perfect game.’ ‘You don’t even get a hit. Yes, you lose.’ ‘Yeah, the Yankees can’t lose.’ And I thought, ‘Well, we’ve just lost the stadium ’cause I’m not gonna change the plot.’ So, I listened to him.

That’s when Costner realized that a little embellishment on his part would not harm the negotiation; rather, it might help in landing the deal.

It was a little bit of silence, and I finally said, and I use different words than I’m gonna use with you, I said, ‘George, what are you talking about?’ You can guess what I filled in. And he said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ I said, ‘The Yankees don’t lose. They win.

The Field of Dreams star revealed that, using his creative license, he started “really lying” and created a fiction while telling Steinbrenner that in the film, the Bronx Bombers would not be defeated, as opposed to the original script.

To get Steinbrenner on his side, Costner further embellished his elaborate fiction, as he added that the Yankees would win the World Series in the long run.

And I said, ‘You win. In fact, you not only win the pennant, George, you go on to win the World Series.’ He goes, ‘We do?’ I said, ‘You do in my story. Just, we’re not gonna see that part.’ And he, I don’t know what the hell happened, but he said, ‘Okay, but you know what this organization means to me.’ I said, ‘I certainly do. You win the World Series, George. I swear to God, you do.’

Whether it’s the power of Costner’s twisted prophecy or the blessings of the theatrical gods, the real-life Pinstripers were indeed crowned the World Series title, even though the film went ahead without a Yankees win.

What was George Steinbrenner’s net worth?

The battle for the Yankees Stadium for Raimi’s For Love of the Game was not an easy one, as it was headed by two behemoths. While the Oscar-winning Costner was on one side, the other side was fiercely protected by billionaire Streinbenner, who was estimated to be worth $1.1 billion at the time of his death in 2010.

Kevin Costner in a still from For Love of the Game | Credit: Universal Pictures

The business tycoon, who died aged 80, made his initial fortune in the Great Lakes and Gulf Coast shipping industry.

However, he was elevated to be a cult figure in contemporary pop culture following his acquisition of the Yankees, for which he also served as the longest-serving owner in the team’s century-old history.

For Love of the Game is currently available to stream on Netflix (US).