Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy sports film written and directed by Ron Shelton. The film stars Kevin Costner as "Crash" Davis, a veteran catcher from the AAA Richmond Braves, brought in to teach rookie pitcher Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh about the game in preparation for reaching the major leagues. Baseball groupie Annie Savoy romances Nuke, but finds herself increasingly attracted to Crash. Also featured are Robert Wuhl and Trey Wilson, as well as "The Clown Prince of Baseball", Max Patkin. The film is partly based upon Shelton's experience in minor league baseball, and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor-league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina.