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.

This film is a very compelling documentary about the little guy tweaking the nose of baseball and getting away with it...kind of. It's about Bing Russell (father of Kurt Russell) and his ownership of the minor league ball club, the Portland Mavericks. But, unlike most other teams, his team was not affiliated with a major league team but was an independent that scraped together players rejected by other teams. And, what shocked the league was that the team was SUPER-successful and set attendance records...and won a lot of games. But, this rag-tag group of castoffs also irritated the powers that be because they had attitude and didn't play the game exactly like the rest. What's next? See the film.Aside from some music that was too repetitive, the film was amazingly well made--especially since it was made for Netflix. You just don't expect this sort of thing being made for this DVD service!! But, it's well done and will be of interest to everyone--even those who couldn't care less about sports. Worth seeing.

Who would have thought? The results germinating from a person's kindness and a real love of baseball, would end up the forcing the stars into alignment. An excellent exposé on that perfect culmination of people, time, and place; each of which in perfect sync with one another guaranteed the inevitable 'magic moment' to occur. I am not a daily rider on 'The Karma Train Express', but Mr. Russell's charitable actions saved baseball for Portland, and gave a glimmer of hope to many who had none. This man earned praises and reverence - and my respect. Guilty as charged - often, I assume that most movie actors are usually empty shells, acting for quick cash and nothing more. To augment their moral paydays, they do a little of this or a little of that adding some phony sheen to their humanity. After all their self-aggrandizement is published, they go home and admire reflections in their mirrors. Boy am I wrong and I do apologize. Like I said, guilty as charged. This documentary made me eat my words…and those words did not taste very good. Chapman and Marclain Way did an absolutely excellent job directing this masterpiece. You did not overdue this…you showed respect and love…well done.Good job. Bravo Zulu and keep up the good work.