Ballplayer: Pelotero (2012)
Average Rating: 7/10
Reviews Counted: 25
Fresh: 22 | Rotten: 3
Gripping and surprisingly nuanced, Ballplayer: Pelotero is a frank exploration of the nature of corruption in baseball recruitment.
Average Rating: 7.4/10
Critic Reviews: 15
Fresh: 14 | Rotten: 1
Gripping and surprisingly nuanced, Ballplayer: Pelotero is a frank exploration of the nature of corruption in baseball recruitment.
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Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 384
Movie Info
This compelling documentary, narrated by John Leguizamo and executive produced by Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, 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
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All Critics (25) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (22) | Rotten (3)
[The] Directors...try to soften...ugly truths with sentimental stories of teenagers getting signed and pulling their families out of poverty, but the portrait of widespread exploitation overwhelms the intended effect...[ END HERE ]of these subplots
Top CriticIt's an eye-opening look at a flawed, potentially exploitative system and how it is being gamed from all sides of the table -- the story of the collision of youthful dreams and a cutthroat adult cartel.
Hard-hitting sports doc examines the darker side of the recruitment of young baseball players in the Dominican Republic for the major leagues.
What gives Pelotero its edge is a nexus of corruption, exploitation and betrayal that transforms this well-shot, cannily edited item into an engrossing expose.
The next time I see some superstar athlete giving an interview that suggests the absence of a functioning soul, I'll think of the two tense, joyless boys at the center of this quietly devastating documentary.
A documentary narrated by John Leguizamo that provides a seldom-seen look inside the training camps run by MLB in that impoverished nation.
The dynamic here suggests what's at stake for Miguel and his family.
Illuminating -- gets into the uneasy combination of moral benevolence and almost parasitic business interest that informs non-familial adults helping shepherd poor Dominican kids into pro baseball.
Although this film is a "must see" for baseball aficionados, its narrow scope takes it out of the big leagues.
Can you say 'Moneyball' en espanol?
Ballplayer: Pelotero answers the question on some sports fans' minds-Why is it that 20 percent of American professional baseball players are Dominican?-by tracking the rise (and sometimes fall) of hopeful young players in the Dominican Republic.
It's a wealth of semi-examined ideas about globalization and a twist on the commoditization of our national pastime, all of which are tumbled out, then largely set aside.
An interesting film that requires you to think about where and from whom statements are coming from and consider the ideas and speculative accusations appropriately.
The doc is a sly, interesting achievement: It opens as an entertaining sports story and closes as a metaphor for government corruption.
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Movie: ID: 771269610 Title: Ballplayer: Pelotero Release Date: 2012-07-13 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 6 Status: 1
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Foreign Titles
- Ballplayer: Pelotero (Pelotero) (DE)
- Ballplayer: Pelotero (Pelotero) (UK)
