Negotiations with the Yankees and the unpredictable New York weather were factors to be considered during production. The negotiations, although arduous, were finally successful and the weather worked to the benefit of the production. Notes Executive Producer Ron Bozman, "It was a record-setting warm November never seen before in New York City history. We were very lucky." After securing the stadium for some five weeks of filming, the production needed to organize the shooting schedule. Since For Love of the Game is the first motion picture to deal with only one baseball game, each play was pre-choreographed. "I think that the biggest logistical challenge was recreating the baseball game. Between the players, the setting and the extras, there were many issues that had to be dealt with," remembers Bozman. The production used between 800 and 2000 extras for its days at the stadium, and they evolved into a small village. Computer graphics will be used to fill out empty seats in the stands. One of the primary focal points for the filmmakers was to make the baseball game believable. Costner and the producers were adamant about realistic baseball action from the players as well as Costner himself. Costner's personal baseball experience included only playing organized baseball in high school. As a late bloomer physically, his confidence level kept him from pursuing higher level athletics although he showed great natural abilities in college. "Failing to continue my athletic career was actually a motivating factor in deciding to pursue acting," explains Costner. "I realized that just because I hadn't acted in high school productions didn't mean I couldn't go on and make a livelihood out of it."

To insure baseball credibility, the producers hired Augie Garrido, University of Texas baseball coach. Garrido, who won two College Championships at Cal State-Fullerton and is the third winningest active coach in college baseball, was a long-time friend of Costner and a knowledgeable baseball connection. Garrido comments, "Kevin is a great athlete. He cannot only play baseball, but he can ski, golf and play basketball. And he has this fabulous mind that allows him to get focused like a true athlete or exceptional person in any field when he is performing." With the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and Major League Baseball concerned about team images and the quality of athletics, it was imperative to cast the players carefully. Both the Tigers and Yankees management insisted that anyone who wore their uniforms had to be either a former or current member of their organization or an actor. Ultimately, every player cast was either a professional or an actor with at least some organized baseball experience. Even actual major league umpires Rick Reed, Jerry Crawford and Richie Garcia were cast in their real-life profession. Hall of Fame Broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers Vin Scully and former major leaguer and a current Fox Sports on-air personality Steve Lyons were brought in to call the play-by-play of the game. Their respective commentary and analysis adds immeasurably to the realism of the Yankee-Tiger game. Being able to pitch in Yankee Stadium had a certain fantasy feel for most of the players, including Costner, whose previous baseball-themed movies include Bull Durham and Field of Dreams. "A lot of things haven't surprised me," notes Costner, "because I've imagined them in my life as a kid. As an adult, I've been able to live out a lot of my dreams, but I try to make sure that I don't let the awe get in the way of doing my job." Raimi notes that Costner "is the only actor of his stature that could have played the part of Billy Chapel. The professional ballplayers in the movie commented more than once that he had the stuff to be a real professional."

Portraying Gus Sinski, Chapel's favorite catcher and close friend, John C. Reilly adds acting experience and depth to the film's cast. "He was the heart and soul of the piece," says Raimi. "He's the guy that cares for Chapel and watches out for him. He knows the pain that Chapel is going through. "And, Chapel is quick to stick up for him. It's a real story of friends," adds Raimi. Reilly had a lot of help in perfecting his role as a major league catcher. He worked with Andy Nienta, an assistant coach at USC, Brent Mayne, a major league catcher for the San Francisco Giants and his father, Mike Mayne, a major league scout who is legendary in terms of training catchers. "Mike Borzello, the bullpen catcher for the World Champion Yankees, was my eye in the storm while we were shooting in New York," says Reilly. "He kept me focused." Jane's teenage daughter, Heather, is depicted by Jena Malone. Her recent work in Stepmom garnered rave critical notices, and Raimi described her as a "powerhouse of talent" that has barely scratched the surface. Raimi also directed The Quick and the Dead starring Sharon Stone, and most recently, serves as the co-creator and executive producer of syndicated television's hit shows, Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. According to Preston, "I adore Sam Raimi. He is so delicate in the way that he approaches you, yet he is so smart and completely in tune with what's going on with your character. It's so refreshing." Costner agrees, "Sam has a sincerity and a humility that is really a quick way to my heart. He had a complete natural understanding of what I needed."