The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014)

just watch it!

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Sorry to say that I'm no baseball fan but _The Battered Bastards of Baseball_ is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen.Picture a workman television actor who loves baseball. He forms an independent baseball team in Portland, Oregon, when the current team takes a hike looking for greener pastures in another city. He holds open tryouts and potential players who never made it come for their shot from as far away as South Africa.The story is likened to Professor Harold Hill of _The Music Man_ fame who isn't pitching a boys band to River City citizens but a baseball team to a city who sorely needs it share of quirky local heroes. A classic underdog story paired with a club owner who's a showman.., _The Battered Bastards of Baseball_ has feature film written all over it and is a film I want to see.

I've often said that Baseball was my first love, one of the few constants of my childhood I could drown myself in. It was always a savior in many ways, and I don't think I'm overstating it when I say it helped mold the man I've become to some extent. The attention to detail, artful strategy, and unique grace all wrapped into an athletic game of joy and childhood at heart.Growing up in what is considered the suburbs of Portland, Oregon in the dawn of the internet, I would wake daily and fire up the classic dial tone of logging onto the world wide web to quickly read over the previous day's box scores and dive into the articles of my favorite baseball writers John Sickles and Rob Neyer (I read my fair share of newspaper box scores); I dreamed of endless conversations with Bill James about what stats made the greatest judge of ball players. Now, if only my home-town could have had a team…. We flirted with the idea a few times, settling for short stints with minor league teams of the Rockies and Padres, and local broadcasts of the neighboring Seattle Mariners with Ken Griffey Jr. in his prime.So close and yet so far.Baseball never materialized in Portland and probably never will, it's just not how the local community wants to spend it's time in arguably some of the most beautiful summers in the United States. Even as I grew up baseball never left my heart: I took many trips to Seattle to see the greatest player of my generation, Derek Jeter; and while on the road with my job I couldn't even turn down ball games in Milwaukee, Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, and countless minor league clubs.This summer, Chapman Way and Maclain Way - along with actor Kurt Russell - at least for a moment brought baseball back to Portland (and childhood memories to the front of my mind) with the Netflix Documentary, The Battered Bastards of Baseball. An almost tall-tale of Kurt's father, Bing (of Bonanza fame), starting what would become a shining example of how the love of the game wins every time. Bing created what was the only independent baseball club of its time, The Portland Mavericks, a rag-tag group who was sure to fail... and fail in a raging ball of fire in a city that couldn't care less.They succeeded in ways that may never capture a city or Major league baseball ever again. If you've ever enjoyed watching a game or learning about its history, or if you live in the great city of Portland - this is a must watch for you; even soccer fans of the current team playing in the stadium the Portland Mavericks used to call home will appreciate the passion of the followers from 1973 to 1977. At its core, this father and son tale - mostly told by Kurt - is a heartwarming story of what baseball is all about. Hands down the best baseball movie I've seen since Field of Dreams, go check it out on Netflix.~ E.S. Norton ~ MinistersofGoodTaste.com

Greetings again from the darkness. What an excellent documentary on yet another in the seemingly endless string of baseball stories that are both fascinating and true. Don't make the error of assuming one must be a baseball fan to enjoy this ... it works just as well as a story of the little guy sticking it to the man (the man in this case is the court-protected giant known as Professional Baseball.An original production of Netflix, it's directed by Chapman and Maclain Way, brothers and grandsons of Bing Russell. You may or may not be familiar with Bing. He is the father of actor Kurt Russell, a well known character actor (a recurring role as Deputy Clem in "Bonanza"), and the driving force behind the Portland Mavericks. The Mavericks were an Independent Professional Baseball team from 1973 to 1977, and this is their story.As a kid, Bing hung around St Petersberg, where the New York Yankees held spring training. He ended up friends with Lefty Gomez, and hung around many Yankee greats. Bing had a true passion for baseball. He loved the game, the players, and the way of life. He even used to test Kurt on the intricacies of the game, and later created some very in-depth teaching videos.Bing's real impact on the great game came from his stint as creative force and owner of the Mavericks. The film does a terrific job with interviews, archival footage and other recollections of Bing and the rag-tag group of players that disrupted the industry that does not like to be messed with.Not only was the team successful on the field, but they also set attendance records and inspired true fan loyalty. They were the last independent league allowed to play in the minor leagues, and their legacy continued even after the team was shut down: two of the pitchers invented Big League Chew, one pitcher was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, the team hired the first female GM in professional ball, and they even had a left-handed catcher. Their bat boy (Todd Field) went on to become an actor and Oscar nominated director and writer (In The Bedroom). "Ball Four" author Jim Bouton made his comeback with the Mavericks, which led to his making it back to the big leagues, and even Kurt Russell spent some time playing during the Mavericks' first year.It's a shame this film didn't make the festival rounds, as it would no doubt have been well received. I expect every baseball lover will get a kick out of this, and I certainly hope others give it chance. Bing Russell's vision and passion are to be admired and respected, regardless of the industry. He was a "can do" guy who followed his bliss and made a difference.

A surprisingly interesting Netflix documentary about the Portland Mavericks, and their owner Bing Russell. The film starts out chronicling Russell's childhood, where he grew up watching the Yankees in their summer training, and tried to parlay that into his own professional career. After being injured, he tried his hand at acting, and became most well known for his role on Bonanza. He's also Kurt Russell's father.In the early 70′s, Russell formed a minor league professional baseball team in Portland, called the Mavericks, and they caused quite a ruckus in baseball history. They were the only independently owned minor league team at the time. Todd Field (In The Bedroom) was a batboy for them.The film chronicles both the rise and fall of the Mavericks, and Bing Russell. Kudos to Netflix for wanting to tell this story. Bing Russell was a good man, and fought a good fight. I was completely unaware of this story before, and I'm glad I know more about it.