BALLPLAYER: PELOTERO Documentary Set for Dominican Republic, VOD Release Today, July 13

Strand Releasing will release a new documentary called BALLPLAYER: PELOTERO about the underbelly of baseball recruiting in the Dominican Republic in theaters and on VOD today, July 13th. The film is directed by Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin and Jon Paley, and narrated by John Leguizamo and executive produced by Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine.

The documentary is a gritty and never before seen look inside the world of Major League Baseball (MLB) training camps in the Dominican Republic. Miguel Angel and Jean Carlos are two of the top prospects and they are both about to turn 16, which means they can be signed to an MLB farm team and ultimately move up to the majors. BALLPLAYER: PELOTERO filmmakers Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin and Jonathan Paley take you inside this never before seen world for an up close and personal look at the cost of the American dream.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT from Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin and Jon Paley:

"The central question behind Pelotero was a simple one: Why are Dominicans so good at baseball? The tiny island nation is consistently overrepresented in the Major Leagues, and as America’s pastime continues to globalize, every year brings a fresh crop of young Dominican Peloteros to the top levels of the game. We had a romantic image of these players’ humble beginnings etched in our minds; poor kids chasing rolled up socks through dusty streets as motorbikes whizzed by. However, that vision of street ball felt disconnected to another romantic idea of Dominican baseball; Big Papi, Sammy Sosa, or Robinson Cano slowly trotting around the bases under the bright lights and cheering fans of a big league ballpark. How does one lead to the other? And what is the story in between the two?

When an opportunity arose to secure some grant money in college to produce a documentary, we decided to travel to the Dominican Republic and do our best to connect the dots. That research trip allowed us to survey the country, build relationships and get a feel for what was really going on. More importantly though, we left the island infected with the spirit, passion, and zealousness of Dominican baseball.

When we came back a year later, this time for the long haul, we discovered that our simple question had a very complex answer -- one that had more to do with the hallways of Major League offices than with any dusty street. Where we had expected to find the “Wild West of Baseball” that we had read so much about, we instead discovered a highly nuanced system struggling with its own identity.

The Dominican system is one of stark contradictions. It’s institutionalized yet independent. A free market, yet frequently manipulated. It is a system where integrity and corruption are interchangeable tactics in the pursuit of the country's top players. Indeed, the forces that make Dominican players so successful are the same forces that make the Dominican system so dangerous for MLB. Most importantly, for all these reasons, or perhaps in spite of them, the Dominican system is extremely effective.

Pelotero sheds light on some of the most pressing issues regarding the export of Dominican baseball players to the US: age and identity fraud, exploitation, and the opaque role Major League Baseball plays in determining the fates of young players and their families. However, at heart, the film is a story about two gifted young men with a shared dream, doing their best to navigate a mercenary world with the hopes, fears and burdens of their entire families riding on their success or failure."

Check out more about the film on Facebook and www.peloterothemovie.com.

Photo courtesy www.peloterothemovie.com.

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