Once upon a time, boys played Baseball in whatever space they could find with whatever gear they could scrounge up. They rattled off the names of their idols and dreamed of the day they'd be playing in a World Series of their own.
In this country, where soccer nets are erected in what were once-busy Baseball diamonds, that passion has switched over to basketball and its hoop dreams, or football and its gridiron glory. In another country, however, a passion for Baseball drives generations of boys and young men toward a future in the major leagues.
That passion comes through in "Road to the Big Leagues , " a documentary about the love those in the Dominican Republic have for what once was America's Pastime. Each year, on average, 450 Dominicans sign professional Baseball contracts. The nation has provided a bumper crop of superstars, including David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox, Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals, Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels and Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers .
These players are heroes to the youngsters who want to follow in their footsteps, but it isn't easy. In many ways, this is the reality version of the feature film "Sugar," which is scheduled to open at Sundance in late May.
"Road to the Big Leagues" starts out with the story of one young boy who plays stickball on a road. He dreams of being the next David Ortiz so he can help provide for his family. It's a lot of pressure on a kid, but he seems to accept it with grace.
If Ortiz is any example, that game of stickball could be the youngster's ticket to the big leagues, except Ortiz admits he played the game by tearing the heads off his sisters' dolls and using them for balls.
The film is aided by the presence of Ortiz and Guerrero, who tell their stories and show their commitment to helping their communities. Both work out there and are a living presence to the boys who idolize them.
A nother featured youngster, Juan Cabrera, is 17 and struggling through tryout camps. His work ethic is laudable, but it's no guarantee of success. Other things stand in the way of success, too, such as doctored documents. One scout estimates about a third of the paperwork they see has a detail, such as the player's age, that's forged. Once that's discovered, the player is banned, and "Road" documents one player whose dodgy paperwork turned him from a hot prospect to a stadium vendor.
Those dark moments don't bring down the film, however. "Road to the Big Leagues," which originally aired on ESPN Deportes, bursts with the passion of these young players and the warmth of the Caribbean nation in which they live. Yes, there are hundreds of players seeking an elusive dream, but it doesn't have the exploitative feel of some of basketball's high-end recruiting camps and all-star games.
The film is an hour, but there's another half-hour of extras, including a feature with Ortiz and a feature about Quisqueya, the Yankee Stadium of the Dominican Republic. It's not every day you see a Baseball diamond maintained with a machete.
Another icon of Latin American Baseball got his due with a PBS special last year that is also out on DVD.
"American Experience: Roberto Clemente" recounts the story of the first Latino player elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Clemente's story goes well beyond Baseball, however. He was a champion of civil rights and humanitarian causes, dying at age 37 while delivering needed supplies to Managua, Nicaragua, after an earthquake devastated the city in 1972.
Clemente's friends and family share their stories, with commentary from columnist George Will and Madison native David Maraniss, Clemente's biographer. There's also wonderful footage of Clemente's magnificent career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"If he had died as a player, only sports fans would have remembered him," one friend says. "But by dying while helping others, he would be remembered as a humanitarian."
It's a story worth remembering, all these years on.
