Trivia

In an interview with the A.V. Club in 2012, Jackie Earle Haley revealed that he did actually fall in love with his on-screen love interest, Hatsune Ishihara and she reciprocated. However, because she couldn't speak English and he couldn't speak Japanese, their relationship didn't last long. He said: "And then, of course, there was one of the worst films ever made, 'The Bad News Bears Go To Japan' [Laughs]. But the experience of working on the film was a treat. I actually fell in love with that girl I was playing across from and she came out to L.A. [Los Angeles] and spent some time with me and we stayed in touch on the phone. And all of this is very funny because she didn't speak English. And I didn't speak Japanese [Laughs]. We both had, like ten words that we would just try to figure out how to organize them and communicate."

Cast member Jackie Earle Haley has called this movie he appeared in "one of the worst films ever made."

Jackie Earle Haley (Kelly), Erin Blunt (Ahmad), George Gonzalez (Miguel), David Pollock (Rudi Stein), Brett Marx (Feldman), David Stambaugh (Toby) are the only five actors to appear in all three Bad News Bears. In addition, George Wyner also appeared in the first film (as a different character).

The picture was nominated for Worst Picture at the Hastings Bad Cinema Society's Stinkers 1st Bad Movie Awards in 1978 but lost out to 'If I Ever I See You Again' (1978). In the 2003 Expanded Ballot, the film got further nominations including dishonourable mentions. These were: Worst Picture (Dishnourable Mention); Worst Director - John Berry (Dishonourable Mention); Worst Actor - Tony Curtis (Dishonourable Mention); Worst Supporting Actor - Jackie Earl Haley (Nominee); Worst Screenplay (Dishonourable Mention); Most Painfully Unfunny Comedy (Nominee); Worst Sequel (Winner); Worst On-Screen Group (Winner).

The first 'Bad News Bears' movie not to feature fan favorite Tanner Boyle played in the first two films by Chris Barnes.

Regis Philbin: As Harty Hahn.

Dick Button: As Himself.