I wonder if Hollywood was trying to send MLB a message with films like Rookie of the Year (1993), The Sandlot (1993), Little Big League (1994), and Angels in the Outfield (1994). All of them seem to be about the purity and innocence of the game and they were all released around the time of the last players strike.
Oh, and by the way, all of them are awesome and HUGE nostalgia picks from my childhood.