The movie “Hardball” is the story of down-on-his-luck gambler Connor O’Neill (Keaunu Reeves), who is up to his neck in debt to some dangerous loan sharks. His life is going nowhere. Desperate to make some money, Connor agrees to take a job coaching a boys baseball team from a not-so-great neighborhood in the south side of Chicago. His intentions are purely monetary, but he soon realizes that these kids need someone to believe in them. The boys’ teacher (Diane Lane) might just be able to help Connor earn the trust of these boys, Ik o. In the end, Connor might will from him.