Scotty Smalls moves to a new neighborhood with his mom and stepdad, and wants to learn to play baseball. Rodriguez, the neighborhood baseball guru, takes Smalls under his wing - soon he becomes part of the local baseball buddies. They fall into adventures involving baseball, treehouse sleep-ins, the desirous lifeguard at the local pool, the snooty rival ball team, and the travelling fair. Beyond the fence at the back of the sandlot menaces a legendary ball-eating dog called The Beast, and the kids inevitably must deal with him.