Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

PodBill Just what I expected

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Michael_Elliott The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014)**** (out of 4)Excellent documentary from Netflix that takes a look at Bing Russell and his attempt to rebuild baseball in Portland, OR when their minor league team left. Russell created the Portland Mavericks, a team that wouldn't play by any rules but their own and over a five year period they would be a smashing success, which would lead to Major League Baseball trying to get back into the action.I, like most people, probably best remember Bing for his acting as well as him being Kurt's father. I honestly had no idea about this bit of history but there's no question that this was a rather remarkable documentary that was certainly incredibly entertaining but it also showed what someone could do if their heart was behind it. Independent baseball was pretty much wiped out by MLB and yet here's someone who spent his own money because he loved the game and tried to deliver something for real baseball fans.The great thing about this documentary is that we get interviews with Kurt as well as several members of the actual baseball team. With so many direct interviews you certainly got a terrific idea of what it was like to be on this team and go through the the fun of rebuilding this town into a team that they could be proud of. There are a number of terrific interviews with the players as well as some archival television material. If you're a fan of baseball then this is certainly a terrific documentary that you'll want to check out.

MinistersofGoodTaste 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

D. Bruce Brown The deliberate pace of this movie might not be to the taste of all viewers, but I found it riveting. It is a fascinating chapter of the history of Portland, Oregon (in fact the history of the entire Northwest) that has been brought back to life in an unforgettable way.The mix of current interviews of actual participants, contemporary interviews, news reels clips and professional editing cement the documentation. Truly Oscar worthy.You don't have to even LIKE baseball to sink yourself into this story. It will carry you. However, if you like the sport, if you have ever watched "Bonanza", ever heard of Lefty Gomez or know who Snake Plisskin is, you're in for a treat.

PartialMovieViewer 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.