Pat A

Jean Shepherd killed a longtime friendship with Herb Gardiner over this play now movie. Anyone who was in Radio TV back then would relate. and it's the ONLY movie whose ending brings the tears out.

It's a puzzling movie. To atone for his lack of Judaism, Larry Baras, thinks start a baseball league in Israel, with no idea how. He encounters rude Israelis who have no idea what baseball is and have no interest in it. One guy says "we don't need it" at all. No idea about customs, no idea what fields are there or even interest. Now I hear there is an Israel baseball team and has since _1986_??!! Why were they not consulted? The idea escaped me and may have Mr. Baras. What he did do was burn money far ahead of doing any research. The sport itself doesn't quite lend itself to other countries, give or take a few, certainly not to Israel. The movie is basically a warning how NOT to start a league, with the players being the enthusiastic, yet naive victims.

Gripping movie and very true to the book!