Bill I’s Review – 3 out of 5
A film about a baseball pitch? What’s next, Sky Hook about Kareem? Crossover Dribble about Iverson? There’s already been Slapshot…Actually, this is a superb documentary about that small fraternity of otherwise ordinary athletes who have mastered that freak pitch that moves in unanticipated directions and makes big sluggers look foolish as they swing at empty space. The two pitchers that are focused on, Tim Wakefield (long-time Red Sox ace) and R.A. Dickey (current Mets star), are interesting people with good back stories and of course happy endings (in Tim’s case he retired last year, and in R.A.’s case, he pitched in this year’s All-Star game). We see insights from famous old-timer practictioners such as Phil Neikro, Charlie Hough and Wilbur Wood, who act as mentors passing on their wisdom. At the screeing I attended last night, Tim Wakefield attended and answered questions from the audience. He’s a classy gentleman, and I am now a big admirer of him. He’s most proud of receiving Baseball’s Roberto Clemente award for his off the field contributors to charities and his communities. And R.A. Dickey also seems to be an admirable character, with his wife that he met in 7th grade (he was also in 7th grade, so he’s no cradle robber!). I don’t know if non-baseball fans will find this as captivating as the rest of us though.