BALLPLAYER
This compelling documentary, narrated by John Leguizamo and executive produced by Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, is a gritty and never before seen look inside the world of Major League Baseball (MLB) training camps in the Dominican Republic. Miguel Angel and Jean Carlos are two of the top prospects and they are both about to turn 16, which means they can be signed to an MLB farm team and ultimately move up to the majors. BALLPLAYER: PELOTERO filmmakers Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin and Jonathan Paley take you inside this never before seen world for an up close and personal look at the cost of the American dream.
"It's an eye-opening look at a flawed, potentially exploitative system and how it is being gamed from all sides of the table -- the story of the collision of youthful dreams and a cutthroat adult cartel."
-Kenneth Turan, LOS ANGELES TIMES
"The next time I see some superstar athlete giving an interview that suggests the absence of a functioning soul, I'll think of the two tense, joyless boys at the center of this quietly devastating documentary."
-Joe Morgenstern, WALL STREET JOURNAL
"An efficient and often-enthralling documentary that follows the plight of two Dominican hopefuls on their path to the major leagues."
-David Malitz, WASHINGTON POST
Navigating the compelling but unsettling divide between dreams coming true and exploitation, BALLPLAYER: PELOTERO is a bare-bones look at baseball and the business behind the sport. The filmmakers and its subjects uncover an honesty and narrative that is addictive. Don't miss this examination of one nation's past time and the men from another nation that propel the sport.
Directed by Ross FInkel, Trevor Martin, and Jonathan Paley. Unrated.
USA, 2012, Digital Projection, 72minutes, Color, English and Spanish with English Subtitles.