The Battered Bastards Of Baseball

[BigDrinky]

If you have Netflix, watch this.  The story of the Portland Mavericks. 

[Tinker to Evers to Chance]

Saw it this afternoon.  Fun story.

The most surprising thing about it is that Bill Veeck wasn't involved.

[Tonker]

Saw it this afternoon.  Fun story.

The most surprising thing about it is that Bill Veeck wasn't involved.

Bing Russell was basically the West Coast Veeck.

I just watched this, too, and really enjoyed it.  Slak should definitely watch it because the Portland Mavericks were the absolute antithesis of modern-day baseball.

Todd Field comes across really well in this film, by the way.  I had no idea who he is, but he's a very, very intelligent and articulate bloke.

[Slaky]

Saw it this afternoon.  Fun story.

The most surprising thing about it is that Bill Veeck wasn't involved.

Bing Russell was basically the West Coast Veeck.

I just watched this, too, and really enjoyed it.  Slak should definitely watch it because the Portland Mavericks were the absolute antithesis of modern-day baseball.

Todd Field comes across really well in this film, by the way.  I had no idea who he is, but he's a very, very intelligent and articulate bloke.

I definitely plan to check this out.

[Quality Start Machine]

I enjoyed the fuck out of this.

Bouton has a few Portland stories in some editions of Ball Four, if you're looking for supplemental reading.

[CBStew]

Where the hell was I in the mid-seventies that I was oblivious to this? 

[Bort]

Finally watched this. Outstanding.

[ChuckD]

Great recommendation. I also dug this a lot. The "where are they now" stuff at the end was great.

[Saul Goodman]

A little too much MLB money bitching (it's just not interesting to hear person after person complain about baseball-as-business, because no shit), but a great watch nonetheless.  RIP Mavs.

[InternetApex]

A little too much MLB money bitching (it's just not interesting to hear person after person complain about baseball-as-business, because no shit), but a great watch nonetheless.  RIP Mavs.

It's not just MLB money bitching. It goes beyond that. Name just about any industry, and as soon as someone comes up with a good idea that starts making people happy, someone with more money feels threatened and tries to shut them down. It just says a really ugly thing about who we are as a society and there's really nothing anyone can do it about it.