By April MacIntyre Jun 8, 2007, 15:51 GMT
MOJO features "The Show," a six-part Baseball Documentary that debuted May 30th, and features the struggles of the minor league baseballers as they play the numbers game to win a coveted “25” spot in the majors.
Joe Mantegna - © Glenn Harris / Photorazzi
Filmed by Phoenix-based True Story Films, and a co-production of Shoot and Move Media (Chicago), Major League Baseball Productions and Al Roker Entertainment, “The Show” tracks six minor league baseball players on the Tucson Sidewinders as they battle for a place on the roster of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Two of the featured players, Carlos Quentin and Chris Young, are now current key D-backs players.
The backstory on the mini-series is a story on its own. For seven years, Chicagoan Sam Ciaramitaro planned to develop a documentary of the struggles of minor-league baseball players. He spoke at length to Teddy Greenstein at the Chicago Tribune about his real-life battle to make the "Show" happen.
Teddys-interview-with-Sam
With the help of actor Joe Mantegna’s smooth voice over narration, Ciaramitaro chronicles six ballplayers for MOJO’s six-part series that premiered May 30th Wednesday on MOJO - formerly the INHD network.
There are 5 classifications of minor league baseball: Triple A, Double A, Class A Advanced, Class A and Rookie League. "The Show" covers the fight to attain each level on the way to the brass ring of the majors.
Ciaramitaro connected with MLB executive Tim Brosnan and the result is an excellent fly on the wall moment where you feel the frustrations and fears of the guys who are fighting for a spot in the “show” – the major leagues.
Mark Grace, a former 24th-round draft pick, says: "It wasn't just one person telling me I'd never make it. It was thousands of them. Only you can get yourself to the big leagues."
"The Show" interviews the players, like Casey Daigle, the husband of softball star Jennie Finch. "I'm not gonna lie," Finch says during the series. "Being married to a minor-league baseball player, it's tough. I mean, half the year you see him, half the year you don't."
Chicago native Joe Mantegna's voice over adds a great deal to the show, his love for baseball comes through.
"We are very proud of our work with this project," says Cary Truelick, True Story Films co-owner and Director of Photography of The Show. "The minor league baseball system is grueling; the vast majority of players won't make it. The behind the scene access that we were granted really allowed us to capture what these players go through. I think it will make for great television." says Truelick.
True Story Films plans to participate in more documentary television projects that capture the raw emotions of human experiences.
For more information on The Show, Jerabek or True Story Films, please visit www.mojohd.com, www.jerabekmovie.com or www.truestoryfilms.com.
If you love sports, insider stories and especially baseball, this is a series to savor.Grade: A
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