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Documentary: Fastball
Theater release date: March 24th, 2016 (Currently on Netflix)
Director: Jonathan Hock
Narrated by: Kevin Costner
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“Baseball in the 21st Century. It is a game of specialists. A game molded by technology, driven by data and statistics. It’s a game managers try to win by predicting what can only be guessed at, by controlling what can only be hoped for.” – Narrator
Baseball nerds and those new to the baseball word can both enjoy this documentary. “Fastball,” which was produced by Thomas Tull, who also produced the “Dark Knight” trilogy and “42,” features an all-star cast… literally.
The movie includes interviews with athletes such as Derek Jeter and David Price as well as Hall of Famers such as Hank Aaron and Nolan Ryan. This documentary isn’t just an archive of baseball memories. Scientists in the film explore the growth of the fastball.
The scientists explain the physics of the pitch that reaches the plate in less than half a second. They also go on to answer which pitcher has thrown the fastest pitch. The documentary does a good job of encapsulating the intimidation factor of the pitch by asking several players which pitcher’s fastballs did they hate to face. The sport is shown like a clash of the titans between the pitcher and batter. After you watch this film you’ll leave with a greater understanding on how incredible the physics of facing a 100mph fastball truly is.
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More from the Documentary Series:
