LatinaLista — Thirty-four percent of the Dominican Republic lives in poverty. For many young Dominican men, there is only one way out of their poverty — become professional baseball players or peloteros.
Every year, on July 2, 16-year-old Dominican boys line up for a chance to be signed by professional baseball teams to realize their dreams — play ball and earn enough money to help themselves and their families. Yet, corruption and politics has infiltrated the selection process and for many of these young boys it’s a whole new ballgame.
The documentary Baseball: Pelotero follows two hopeful players as they deal with the complex process of realizing their simple dream to play ball. Narrated by actor/comic/writer John Leguizamo, the film delves deep into the home life of the players, which impact their drive and determination where success means having to leave their families and home behind.
