There's a very good chance that, being a Red Sox fan, you're also a fan of the knuckleball. That's a convenient situation, as Knuckleball!, a baseball documentary on the very subject as well as the men who throw it, is premiering at the Regal Fenway on September 18, and then playing at the Coolidge Corner Theater on the 19th. It will also be available on digital and video on demand platforms on the 18th, in case you can't make it to the showings.
You can check the movie out at the official site, or you can read Brendan O'Toole's take on the documentary, as he saw an early screening back at the start of the baseball season. Shorter Brendan: It's worth watching and enjoying.
If you would like a bit more detail on the documentary, we've been provided an exclusive, Tim Wakefield-centric clip from the movie that you can check out after the jump, along with the film's synopsis. As for info on how to watch Knuckleball!, be it in person or digitally, you can check out this particular portion of the movie's website.
Knuckleball! Synopsis: From acclaimed filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (The Devil Came on Horseback; Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work) this heartfelt, funny and deeply engaging film delves into the legendary subculture of the knuckleball and the brotherhood of men who share the drive, imagination and humility to throw baseball's slowest, most disrespected pitch.
Filmed throughout the 2011 season with extraordinary access from Major League Baseball, the story follows 37 year-old R.A. Dickey (New York Mets, now a 2012 All-Star) and 18-year veteran Tim Wakefield (now retired), the oldest player in the major leagues and an icon of the Boston Red Sox. Knuckleball! details their personal and professional triumphs of the season, while exploring the bond between these two active pitchers and their only allies, the five living retired knuckleballers: Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, Charlie Hough, Wilbur Wood, Jim Bouton and Tom Candiotti. Knuckleball! tells the story of these extraordinary men, and the sacrifices they made to a pitch that would come to define their lives.
Interviews include beat reporters, columnists and writers like Ben McGrath, Roger Angell and Tony Massarotti; catchers Jason Varitek, Doug Mirabelli, and Josh Thole, as well as familiar icons Derek Jeter, Terry Francona, Joe Torre, Carlos Beltran and Buck Showalter.
Rich with footage from deep within the Major League Baseball archive, we get a glimpse of the resonance of baseball through a single pitch. KNUCKLEBALL! shines a light on the matchless journey shared by a small brotherhood of men, and the undervalued pursuits of honor, craftsmanship, and survival.