Sam Pollard’s “The League” Is Not Your Typical Baseball Doc.
The documentary filmmaker grew up in the 1960s watching the St. Louis Cardinals, whose roster of players included Black or Latino players including Bill White, Curt Flood, Orlando Cepeda and Lou Brock, but did not know much about the Negro Leagues that existed when the sport was still segregated.
“I knew who Jackie Robinson was and that it was because of him Blacks had integrated the Major Leagues in 1947,” says Pollard. “But what I did not know much about in 1964 at the age of 14 was that he had come out of the Negro Leagues and that the Negro Leagues had been home to Black and Latino ballplayers who had to play segregated baseball during the height of the Jim Crow era.”
While some segregation in the sport always existed, the color line in baseball was not rigidly enforced until...
The documentary filmmaker grew up in the 1960s watching the St. Louis Cardinals, whose roster of players included Black or Latino players including Bill White, Curt Flood, Orlando Cepeda and Lou Brock, but did not know much about the Negro Leagues that existed when the sport was still segregated.
“I knew who Jackie Robinson was and that it was because of him Blacks had integrated the Major Leagues in 1947,” says Pollard. “But what I did not know much about in 1964 at the age of 14 was that he had come out of the Negro Leagues and that the Negro Leagues had been home to Black and Latino ballplayers who had to play segregated baseball during the height of the Jim Crow era.”
While some segregation in the sport always existed, the color line in baseball was not rigidly enforced until...
- 7/7/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Tim McCarver, the All-Star catcher whose cerebral approach behind the plate over four decades led to a Hall of Fame career as a baseball broadcaster, has died. He was 81.
McCarver died Thursday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced. The cause of death was heart failure.
McCarver broke into the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959 at age 17 and took his final swings for the 1980 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. Blessed with a good eye and a disciplined approach in the batter’s box, he compiled a .271 batting average over 21 seasons and pushed the Cardinals to titles in 1964 and ’67.
The Memphis native, who also played for the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox, developed a strong rapport with Hall of Fame pitchers Bob Gibson and Steve Carlton, earning two All-Star appearances and a spot in the Cardinals Hall of Fame.
In 2012, McCarver received the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting,...
McCarver died Thursday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced. The cause of death was heart failure.
McCarver broke into the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959 at age 17 and took his final swings for the 1980 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies. Blessed with a good eye and a disciplined approach in the batter’s box, he compiled a .271 batting average over 21 seasons and pushed the Cardinals to titles in 1964 and ’67.
The Memphis native, who also played for the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox, developed a strong rapport with Hall of Fame pitchers Bob Gibson and Steve Carlton, earning two All-Star appearances and a spot in the Cardinals Hall of Fame.
In 2012, McCarver received the Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Ira Kaufman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Say Hey, Willie Mays!, the Nelson George documentary that explores the life and career of Major League Baseball icon Willie Mays, will debut Wed., Nov. 8 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt on HBO and HBO Max.
Directed by George, the HBO Sports doc includes exclusive interviews with Mays and his family. The film will have its world premiere at the 2022 UrbanWorld Film Festival on October 27.
“Over the years,” Mays said in a statement, “the fans have given me so much joy, and I am excited to express my thanks again through this wonderful documentary and its telling of the story of my career and life. I have worked hard and been fortunate to do many amazing things over the course of my life, and I am excited and proud that the people who see this film, including younger fans who never saw me play, will have the chance to relive this...
Directed by George, the HBO Sports doc includes exclusive interviews with Mays and his family. The film will have its world premiere at the 2022 UrbanWorld Film Festival on October 27.
“Over the years,” Mays said in a statement, “the fans have given me so much joy, and I am excited to express my thanks again through this wonderful documentary and its telling of the story of my career and life. I have worked hard and been fortunate to do many amazing things over the course of my life, and I am excited and proud that the people who see this film, including younger fans who never saw me play, will have the chance to relive this...
- 9/29/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
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