Troy (Denzel Washington), an African American, was once a promising new star in baseball, but he was imprisoned because of an accidental robbery and murder. At that time, the racial segregation policy of the American Major League Baseball had not been completely abolished, and blacks had few opportunities to appear on the field. In addition, Troy was old after he was released from prison, so his baseball career ended and he became a sanitation worker in Pittsburgh. The film also tells the complicated relationship between Troy and his wife, son and friends.