I was lucky to discover this film running on the Christian Broadcasting system, it's
a nice family entertainment film and no overt preaching.
The basic plot outline of the story reminded me of Bob Feller who at the age of
16 was discovered working on the family farm in Van Meter, Iowa. Like young
Luke Schroder he had blinding speed. Unlike Schroder in the film, Feller had his
family support and his father was the one who made the decision to sign with
the Cleveland Indians. 266 career wins later and Feller is in the Hall of Fame.
Feller also did not suffer from Asperger's syndrome. I've met people with that
disability and some are high functioning. None channeled in the direction of
throwing a baseball and learning the art of pitching. Which minor league
manager Dean Cain teaches him.
The best parts of A Mile In His Shoes are some truly touching scenes with Dean
Cain and Luke Schroder. They borrowed a lot from Rainman for their performances and it's as special as Rainman.
This one is a sleeper and belongs in a list of good films about baseball. I
think Bob Feller would have liked it.