Hardball (2001 Brian Robbins)

Gambler Keanu Reeves achieves redemption through basically winning a very risky bet, which enables him to pay off his debts, and coaching an inner city baseball team, who become magically good through no particular reason. Film thus is a little flimsily written and really quite chichéd and derivative of The Bad News Bears - indeed it's even released with it in a double DVD. However, Reeves is unusually watchable, he's paired with Diane Lane (which is always good) and the little bastards - I mean the lovely lads of the team - are neither too winsome nor too real. It would probably appeal to thirteen year olds.