Knuckleball!

Knuckleball! is a sports documentary that follows the lives of Tim Wakefield and RA Dickey, two knuckleball pitchers, during the 2011 baseball season. More than this, however, it is a story about the strange life of being a knuckleball pitcher, and goes into some depth, about the history and interesting personalities of knuckleballers over the years.

Knuckleball! is a movie that seems like it should be boring, but it is actually a wonderful human story of following a dream and finding improbable success. Knuckleballers, as the movie explains, are people borne of desperation--they see the end of their careers before them and conclude that, rather than quitting, they have to do something. They find their solution through a practice that at once gains them acceptance but also turns them into something of an outcast. We root for them because we appreciate people who can carve an unconventional path, and in watching them we feel like maybe we imperfect people have a chance also to make it in this world.

As a result, this movie is weirdly profound. For all of you who find the alternate path, this movie is for you. Watch it and cheer on the everyman, as he floats it up to the plate at 60 miles per hour and watches the world's most intimidating sluggers go up in smoke.

Knuckleball tells the story of baseball pitchers Tim Wakefield of the Red Sox and R.A. Dickey of the Mets as they go through the travails of the 2011 Major League Baseball season. In the process, viewers gain insight into the mechanics, the lore, and the history of the fluxiest of baseball pitches.

Wakefield in particular comes across as a likable straight-shooter who developed this pitch to salvage his hopes of making it to and staying in the Bigs. Dickey follows in the footsteps of Wake, and seems poised to carry the torch for knucklers into the 21st century. With great interviews and insights from Charlie Hough, Phil Niekro, and Jim Bouton, we learn that knuckleball pitchers are a small, proud fraternity who pass their wisdom down the line to keep the art of the knuckleball alive in an age of flamethrowers and the need for speed.

The art and chaos of the pitch itself lends itself well to the big screen, and for baseball fans and for anyone who loves to root for the underdog, Knuckleball definitely delivers.

If you are a fan of baseball, you should absolutely love this documentary on Knuckleball pitchers. Outstanding production. Loved every minute of it.

The knuckleball is an enigma in the sport of baseball. Only a handful of pitchers in the 100+ year history of the game have thrown it well enough to make a career out of it. This documentary focuses on two knuckleballers in particular (Tim Wakefield & R.A. Dickey) in trying to shed some light on both the physical and mental side of being a baseball oddity.

There are basically two distinct themes running through this doc:

1. A history of the pitch, so to speak, in which former knucklers like Charlie Hough, Wilbur Wood, Tom Candiotti, and Phil Niekro are interview regarding their thoughts on their bread-and-butter pitch.

2. A narrower focus on Wakefield & Dickey, delving into more the psychological toughness needed to soldier on despite being label a baseball "freak", of sorts.

This is a great little documentary for all baseball fans (especially those who vividly remember Wakefield's long career or Dickey's magical run with the Mets) and is about as unique as the fluttering pitch itself (I can't remember any other documentary covering similar material). It is lighthearted, emotional, informative, and serious all at the same time.

The only reason I can't give it the full five stars? I wish it would have focused on the personal stories of Wakefield/Dickey even a bit more. Their interactions with the "old gang" of knuckleballers is great, don't get me wrong, but there are WAY too many slo-mo shoots of fluttering knucklers used simply to fill time/space. The personal stories would have been compelling enough to explore even more fully.

Overall, though, this is a fun little baseball documentary that is very professionally produced and doesn't try to "ruffle feathers" by making outrageous statements for publicity's sake. It is clear that the filmmakers were truly interested in and inspired by their creation and that fact shows in the final product.

When this documentary Knuckleball was made only Tim Wakefield and RA Dickey were making their primary pitch the knuckleball. This domentary focuses on them with some reference to others of the past. Both Charlie Hough and Jim Bouton make appearances as well.

When I was a kid when you talked knuckleball you talke of Hoyt Wilhelm who was the number one relief pitcher pitcher of the New York Giants and was playing for the Baltimore Orioles when I started following the sport.

The knuckler which is thrown off the tips of your fingers floats rather than spins toward the plate. I behaves unpredictably for hitters and just as bad for catchers. I well remember that the Orioles first string catcher Gus Triandos couldn't deal with it. Oriole manager Paul Richards used their number 2 catcher Joe Ginsberg when Wilhelm as on the mound. They also developed an oversized catcher's mitt later banned.

With less strain on the arm knuckleball pitchers have lengthy careers for the most part. The downside is that they are used primarily in relief and can't run up Hall of Fame stats.

In this story the climax focused on Tim Wakefield in 2011 going for his 200 career win. At the ge of 45 and the oldest player in Major League basebll it was a struggle, Wakefield retired after that leaving RA Dickey of the Mets the only knuckleball pitcher in the Majors.

Both Wakefield and Dickey come off as fine athletes and a credit to the game.

Recommended for baseball fans everywhere.