The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014) User Reviews

Threatening the status quo...

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 25 July 2014]

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.

Perfect documentary of the 1970s. A delightful, educational watch.

[bbrown8870 · 9/10 · 16 September 2014]

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.

Ba-da-Bing

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 28 July 2014]

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.

A Very Good Message

[PartialMovieViewer · 10/10 · 20 July 2014]

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.

A surprisingly interesting Netflix documentary

[MacTheMovieguy · 8/10 · 23 July 2014]

A surprisingly interesting Netflix documentary about the Portland Mavericks, and their owner Bing Russell. The film starts out chronicling Russell's childhood, where he grew up watching the Yankees in their summer training, and tried to parlay that into his own professional career. After being injured, he tried his hand at acting, and became most well known for his role on Bonanza. He's also Kurt Russell's father.

In the early 70′s, Russell formed a minor league professional baseball team in Portland, called the Mavericks, and they caused quite a ruckus in baseball history. They were the only independently owned minor league team at the time. Todd Field (In The Bedroom) was a batboy for them.

The film chronicles both the rise and fall of the Mavericks, and Bing Russell. Kudos to Netflix for wanting to tell this story. Bing Russell was a good man, and fought a good fight. I was completely unaware of this story before, and I'm glad I know more about it.

One of the best baseball movies

[markinsac · 9/10 · 30 May 2018]

This is the kind of film that makes you want to go to the ballpark and eat a sack of peanuts. I see a lot of minor league baseball as I go around the country and relate to the fan friendly experiences. Thoroughly enjoyed the story from beginning to end. Thumbs up on NFLX. 9 Stars IMDB. Not sure why I don't give it a 10. It's that good.

A fabulous doc you've probably scrolled past

[helenahandbasket-93734 · 10/10 · 17 April 2019]

Where do I begin? I remember my dad driving us cross-country to see this team play. That's how big the phenomenon was at the time. I was all of 11, when we loaded into the Plymouth Fury, and by the time we made it to Portland, I was amped up to see this 'miracle team' play. Dad was a student of baseball; he knew everything, everyone and every stadium intimately. When word got around about this team, he had to go, and I was lucky enough to witness firsthand the greatness of this team/organization. The storytelling of this documentary took me right back to those days and even threw a few curveballs at my brain. I didn't realize at the time that I had watched Kurt Russell playing baseball, or that Todd Fields was the ballboy, or that Bing Russell was Kurt's dad. Such a well done picture that really takes you into the time and sets a beautiful scene of triumph, heartbreak and a longing for what used to be. Thank you for this amazing piece that draws you in and never lets go.

Excellent Baseball Documentary

[Michael_Elliott · 2 January 2017]

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.

Entertaining and educational

[marcresto · 7/10 · 3 April 2021]

You know that scene in moneyball where the scouts say he looks like a baseball player he fits the mold of course I'm paraphrasing but yeah you don't see a lot of misfits in MLB but this was misfit heaven Island of misfit Toys whatever you want to say they were successful there's a lesson to be learned there I wonder if people will ever learn it.

Geeky Randy

[Geeky Randy · 8/10 · 4 August 2014]

Documentary about Hollywood veteran Bing Russell creating the only independent baseball team in America at the time, operating without a Major League affiliation. From public tryouts to the in-your-face attitude, the 1973–1977 Portland Mavericks are a thrill to watch. Featuring interviews with Kurt Russell, Todd Field, Frank "The Flake" Peters, Joe Garza, Jim Bouton and Joe Garagiola. What's even more exciting than hearing about these underdogs win is hearing about Bing Russell going face-to-face with the powerful establishment of Major League Baseball and basically telling them that the only rules he'll play by are the rules of baseball. Nowadays, however, it feels a bit ironic that a guy like Bing Russell, the man who did it all for the love of the game which included practically giving the middle finger to the bureaucracy of sporting establishments, would be a New York Yankees fan.

***½ (out of four)

Cool story Bro, except...

[meverly-22986 · 6/10 · 8 May 2019]

It's not exactly giving us all of the information. The Portland players weren't exactly some bums that showed up out of nowhere and magically started winning. A lot of the players were 24, 25, 26, 27... and had minor league experience whereas the other players in the "A" league were just out of high school. The Portland players were just not good enough to make the big leagues, but they were better that the 19 & 20 year old kids because they had WAY more experience.

Very good

[blixakos · 9/10 · 7 August 2018]

I know nothing about baseball. I dont know why players are running, how they earn points, you get the idea. But I enjoyied this film very much, it makes me feel realy good

Most Wins by Any Minor League Team in 1977?

[mjhill502000 · 7/10 · 28 August 2016]

This show was very entertaining because for me it brought back great memories of my minor league career. I happened to play for the best minor league team in baseball from 1976-1977. The Corpus Christi Seagulls in South Texas were members of The Gulf States League in 1976 and Lone Star League in 1977. Our two year combined record was 103- 54! Our manager for those two summers was not so famous then than he was later was Leo Mazzone. Pitching coach for Atlanta Braves. I believe the Portland Mavericks in 1977 were 44-22. The Corpus Christi Seagulls were 53-27and averaged close to 5,000 a game. In 1976 we were 50 and 27 with close to the same attendance in a city much smaller than Portland. Where would you rather be Curt Russell? I think you should have said City by the Sparkling Sea Corpus Christi! Come on Netflix we have some great stories about that league too!

A+ for _The Battered Bastards of Baseball_

[jwcohen-945-938965 · 10/10 · 20 December 2014]

Sorry to say that I'm no baseball fan but _The Battered Bastards of Baseball_ is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen.

Picture a workman television actor who loves baseball. He forms an independent baseball team in Portland, Oregon, when the current team takes a hike looking for greener pastures in another city. He holds open tryouts and potential players who never made it come for their shot from as far away as South Africa.

The story is likened to Professor Harold Hill of _The Music Man_ fame who isn't pitching a boys band to River City citizens but a baseball team to a city who sorely needs it share of quirky local heroes. A classic underdog story paired with a club owner who's a showman.., _The Battered Bastards of Baseball_ has feature film written all over it and is a film I want to see.

Best thing to hit Portland between triple A tens here.

[orca1045 · 11 July 2014]

Just want to say I was at the first tryouts for the team and it was a savory sight there were guys out there that when they had batting practice each one got so many swings I think and there were guy that couldn't even hit a batting practice picture. I remember a left-handed catcher from Vancouver WA, an older guy that was also a catcher I don't think he made the team rather he wasn't half bad but I think his age was against him. The game frank the Flake Peters played all nine positions I think he pitched the 8 inning and threw 9 pitches and retired the side all nine pitches were knuckle balls. One day in tryouts there was a kid from Spokane WA and he got hurt his shoulder and they ask if I would take him to the hospital I took him and when I went back the next day he left during the night They had no insurance and he didn't have any. They were a fun bunch to watch. At the time Frank Peters was the first to steal first base. He just picked it up and left the park.

Amazing and entertaining!

[deepc185 · 10/10 · 25 November 2021]

This isn't a story about baseball. This is a story about dreams, and faith, and family.

I'm not a baseball fan. But I am a fan of the underdog story - David vs. Goliath, USA Hockey vs. The USSR, Rudy. I can't begin to describe how much I enjoyed this documentary and how much I found myself rooting for a baseball team that ceased to exist nearly 50 years ago. All I can say is this - I don't believe I've ever given a movie 10 stars before, but this one earned every one!

Baseball in Portland, Oregon?

[MinistersofGoodTaste · 8/10 · 1 November 2014]

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

An absolute delight!

[wolverton7 · 10/10 · 20 April 2020]

My husband and I both loved this documentary! The Portland Mavericks played baseball for the love of the game. Mr. Bing Russell formed a team of real folks, including his female manager. He fought against the status quo and created a team that of players who brought joy and excitement to Portland. A ray of sunshine during COVID-19.

Great!

[Analog_Devotee · 8/10 · 28 April 2021]

I love a good baseball story, and this one was so well done.

Just a joy to watch.

[tbrennantb · 10/10 · 24 March 2020]

I have zero interest in baseball but this is one hell of a great documentary..what an amazing man and a story that should be a movie.

Brilliant baseball documentary

[EmeraldLorraine · 10/10 · 17 January 2022]

What a hidden gem of a flick to discover this 2014 film in 2022 via Netflix. I have been covering the Newport Beach Film Festival as a critic for over 20 years so I have seen a lot of movies since seeing my first movie of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Savoy Theatre in Dublin in 1969. I grew up as a batgirl for my older brother. On Sundays we listened to Vin Scully announce the Dodger games in LA. Yet this documentary struck a beautiful raw chord as I was a benchwarmer more than a player while in the grade school softball team yet I cheered on the team and I got a benchwarmer plaque at the end of the season. This movie is for all benchwarmers who are fans who love the game and the fun of being a fan. Well done.

A documentary that tells a great baseball story!

[mpolans · 10/10 · 1 August 2021]

An inspiring story about a man who sought to accomplish a dream...to start a minor league independent professional baseball team. The way it happens and the folks who played for the Portland Mavericks reads like something out of a Hollywood script...an interesting cast of characters!

I don't want to give away any spoilers, but this is an incredible documentary that tells an amazing story. It really deserves to be made into a feature film, in the vein of "Major League." Heck, Kurt Russell is a little on the older side, but could still play his dad, Bing Russell. I'd love to see it.

A Fun Throwback to a Lost Era of Professional Sports

[Agent10 · 8/10 · 3 October 2021]

In the modern times of sports, it's incredibly rare for some random Joe off the street to walk onto a professional sports franchise and actually make it. The Vince Papale's of the world don't exist anymore, and it is a sad parlance of our times. Steroids and other performance enhancing drugs have changed the landscape incredibly, not to mention the fact one would need years of training just to get a sniff at the big time. Great athletes are not just born anymore, they are built carefully and over the long continuation of hard work, good luck and talent. Teams like the Portland Mavericks would have a hard time against the new breed of today's athletes, and this is why their story is so interesting and genuine.

Back in the 1973, the concept of the professional athlete was still in a strange middle ground. While some guys could make decent money playing the game, the everyday jobbers still had to work during the offseason just to continue chasing a dream. Some guys just got lost in the shuffle and never got a chance, and this is where Bing Russell turned the game on its head. Independent baseball teams competing against affiliated baseball teams was unheard of in the post MLB draft era. It had not been a concept since the 1950s when major league teams started mimicking the successful St. Louis Cardinals model of creating a "farm system" for their parent baseball club rather than competing for minor league players. You can see how this would put a bit of imbalance to a system that wanted to remain rigid and exclusive.

The Mavericks were basically the last stop for a lot of guys holding onto professional baseball dreams. Many of them knew they were never going to make it to the big leagues but Bing Russell gave them the opportunity to live out the dream for as long as possible. He also gave them personal freedom, with a limited dress code that completely clashed with the conservative attitude of the era. While Major League Baseball was a party of people wearing nice suits to a dinner party, the Mavericks were the weirdos that showed up in plaid polyester get-ups and tacky leisure suits with beards and hair that had not seen a barber in years. What made it even worse for the establishment is they were a pretty good team, even though they never won their league title.

Independent baseball still exists in the United States to this day, but the lack of resources makes it difficult to survive and the quality of players means making it from their leagues to the big leagues is an extreme longshot. But they owe their spirit and their enthusiasm to the original group of rag tags. Watch it for the fun stories and watch it for classic Kurt Russell playing baseball.

"It was a dream-making kind of place." - Carren Woods

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 4 July 2020]

This is a Cinderella story about a baseball team that stopped just short of grabbing the brass ring. From 1973 to 1978, the Portland Mavericks, under the ownership of former actor Bing Russell, defied the establishment of professional baseball to become one of the most successful franchises in Class A history. Russell, for those who might not have heard of him, was a character actor who portrayed Deputy Clem Foster on the television series 'Bonanza'. And if you're not familiar with him, you'll be shocked to check his stats here on IMDb, with a hundred seventy six credits spanning 1951 to 1990. Interestingly, right after watching this documentary, I caught a Russell appearance in the TV Western 'Bronco', titled 'Destinies West', one of those serendipitous moments that I experience while pursuing this hobby of mine.

Bing Russell was also the father of actor Kurt Russell, and a neat point of trivia you'll come away with here is that Kurt actually played for the Portland Mavericks in it's first year of existence. Kurt is on screen any number of times talking about his Dad and the history of the team. Interviewed as well are a number of former players and sports writers of the era, all attesting to the remarkable success of the Portland team, which made history with it's pitcher Gene Lathorn throwing a no-hitter in the Mav's very first game, and Bing being named Sporting News Class A Executive of the Year in 1974. On a somewhat bizarre note, at least for this viewer, film clips of the team's premier player, Reggie Thomas, show him wearing the numbers #5 and #27 in different games. That's one I couldn't figure out!

The biggest name of course to be hired by the Mavericks was seven year retired former New York Yankee pitcher Jim Bouton, who's 1970 book 'Ball Four' stunned the sports world with it's behind the scenes look at teams and players in a most uncharacteristic fashion. Controversial to say the least, Bouton fit right in with the outwardly seeming misfits who made up the Mavericks roster. The former World Series winning pitcher with the Yankees couldn't be happier with his four hundred dollars per month salary with the Mavs!

To give you just another flavor of what the Portland Mavericks were all about, I'll offer up this quote from one of their pitchers, among the many hundreds of players who showed up in 1973 to try and make the team. Larry Colton probably summarizes it best when he says - "It was clearly the only team in America that would have even let me try out". For both fans of the game and those who don't care much about baseball, this is an entertaining documentary about achieving the American dream by following one's passion. The name of Bing Russell will stay with you after watching this picture.

A Great Sports Doc, Even for Non-Sports Fans

[anatomyoffear · 8/10 · 3 March 2023]

Sports are not a primary area of interest. I don't watch real sports, and I don't generally watch sports films. However, there are occasionally movies so smart, surprising, uplifting, and clever that I enjoy them despite the fact that I know nothing of the subject matter. The movie reminds me that the journey is universal, as are the stakes and emotions, and it doesn't matter where it's happening, I just care that it is happening.

Battered Bastards of Baseball broke through at first because I heard Kurt Russell appeared in it. Smart move to start off with. But even without his presence, I would have been fully riveted by this ultimate underdog story that reminds us the way true heroes and leaders never look to join something, they look to start something.

Smart, irresistibly funny, and illuminating about the strange and complicated systems that rule professional American sports, this film is a great watch for anyone who wants to see a hero rise and a system get bucked.