TV REVIEW : Burt Reynolds Out in ‘Left Field’

Burt Reynolds directs as well as stars in the TV movie “The Man From Left Field” (at 9 tonight on CBS, Channels 2 and 8), which seems skewed toward grade-schoolers, despite an air time that ends past most of their bedtimes. About the best thing you can say about it is that, terrible as it is, it’s the least of Reynolds’ problems right now.

Don’t let the sight of the star in the vicinity of a playing field bring back any happy memories of “The Longest Yard.” With Reynolds playing a soft-spoken amnesiac who coaches a ragtag juvenile baseball team toward Little League glory and punches out abusive dads, think more of a very lowbrow “Bad News Bears”--as coached by The Man With No Name, or maybe “Regardin’ ” Henry Aaron.

These Florida sandlotters have a deadline to find an adult supervisor. With seconds to spare, they seize upon the filthy, scraggly haired, mysterious homeless guy who occasionally appears and disappears, specter-like, in, yep, left field.

But that’s no bum, that’s Burt--at least after being cleaned up by the local barber--and he’s soon teaching the boys lessons in hitting and character, naturally, as well as romancing Reba McEntire, mom to one of the players.

His only problem: the complete memory loss that causes him to answer seemingly every other question with “I don’t remember,” which makes him sound as if he’s testifying, not acting.

Producer Wayne Rice’s script is pretty shameless in every sentimental regard: One kid’s dad beats him up, another’s guardian is dying, etc., and Reynolds has a Big Tragedy in his past.

What that secret is remains murky even at the end; he muffs the all-important revelation of his identity near the climax, positioning his face behind a rock in the crucial scene, presumably so his ludicrous flashback soliloquy could be rewritten and looped in later.

“The Man From Left Field” crosses the line from mediocrity to campiness with the aid of a limp (but loud) demo-tape-quality synth score by ‘60s hit-maker Bobby Goldsboro.

Best/worst moment: Goldsboro croons “Look at those eyes, look at that smile, look at that face!” while tramp Reynolds gets his long hair and beard shorn, recalling nothing so much as Goldie Hawn’s recent Ode to Chevy.