A Player to Be Named Later (2005 Video) User Reviews

The Big Difference between AAA & the big leagues

[DJJOEINC · 8/10 · 27 May 2007]

A Player To Be Named Later follows several minor league players through a season in AAA- for the Indy Indians- the AAA squad for the Brewers-- a snapshot documentary where we see bits and pieces of the process- it is fascinating and sad to watch Kyle PEterson struggle thru rehabbing his shoulder and Micah Franklin's mid season slump- it is rewarding watching the progress of Marco Scutaro- I don't know how much this DVD will work for none baseball fans- but it is areal eye-opener for this lifelong baseball fan of how big the struggle is to get even a cup of coffee- only 6% of minor leaguers make it to the bigs- B-

The DVD has an update on the players plus their stats-baseball card style

"Hoop Dreams" Lite for baseball...

[MrGKB · 7/10 · 6 September 2008]

..."A Player to Be Named Later" is nevertheless an engaging look at the penultimate stage of the ascendancy of hopefuls to the rarefied strata of Major League Baseball. Via a well-assembled mix of interviews, game play broadcasts and on-field photography, and tangential reporting, director Bart Stephens focuses primarily on four notable members of the Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A farm team of the Milwaukee Brewers and winner of the 2000 Triple-A World Series, as they pursue their careers throughout a grueling 2001 minor league season. Along the way we meet everyone from managers to wives to Number One Indians Fans, each with a different voice to add to the story. Babies are born, triumphs and failures occur, hopes are lifted and dreams are dashed. One player, toward the end of the season, accomplishes the amazing feat of hitting six home runs in seven at-bats. The (presumably) primary cinematographer, Christopher Ralph, went on to make his own baseball documentary, "City of Baseball". Though of interest mostly to baseball fans, "A Player to Be Named Later" remains a fascinating look at the nature of modern sports as a career, not only by illuminating its difficulties (only 1 out of 20 or so minor league players ever attain even "a cup of coffee" in the Bigs) but also its embodiment of the American Dream. Recommended viewing to all with an interest in the human condition.

A Field Of Unrealized Dreams

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 2 April 2009]

I think the most telling statement in the 85-minute documentary came early on when a Milwaukee Brewers' executive noted that only six percent of all players playing minor league ball ever get a taste of Major League Baseball.

That sort of set the tone for the rest of the documentary, which focuses on the Indianapolis Indians, the AAA farm club of the Brewers. It follows the team during the 2001 season. Specifically, we follow a handful of players and see the struggles they and - in most cases - their wives go through.

As far as I know, most of the guys never made it. I know of Marco Scutaro who now plays with the Toronto Blue Jays. He's a second baseman/utility guy who hails from Venezuela. His wife is beautiful and both are well-spoken for two people raised in a different language than English. Actually, all the players profiled are well-spoken. One is a Stanford grad.

We also meet Micah Franklin, Kyle Peterson, Brad Tyler and other players. One of them, who I believe is playing in Seattle as of 2009, is Allen "Meat" Levrault, a big pitcher

Some of the stories are kind of sad, like Peterson, who has arm problems and didn't play after the season shown here on the documentary. Brad Tyler and his wife, I think, were the most impressive people. Peterson, Tyler, Franklin and others are about at the end of their dreams and it's a shame. You feel for the people in this film. Baseball is a "field of dreams," and for most, those dreams are never realized.

We also meet "Miss Jackie," the number one fan of the Indianapolis team for 40 years, a woman who bakes cookies for the all the players.

All in all, anyone who loves baseball should enjoy this film.