Customer Reviews

Playing for Peanuts (Three-Disc Box Edition)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Playing for Peanuts" is a thoroughly enjoyable look at baseball in the minors. On the surface, it has the structure of a reality show series. But unlike most reality shows, every story feels real, genuine. Director John Fitzgerald is particularly strong at drawing out details--from the never-ending supply of bugs that plague the team as they prepare for a game or an interview, to the impact of less-than-stellar facilities and league management on the players' gameplay.

Fitzgerald wisely chooses a couple of threads to tie together the entire series. On the one hand, we get a strong focus on manager Wally Backman, a character with a great heart but sometimes a short fuse. He's certainly entertaining to watch, but he's also a phenomenal coach. It's fascinating watching his incredibly strong commitment to the players' and league's development. But Fitzgerald also tells the tale of the struggles of establishing and maintaining a minor league baseball league in the South. Throughout the series he snags some excellent interviews not only with players, but also sports reporters, managers, owners, and local fans. This DVD provides a rare look at a sport in search of a way to establish itself in a variety of communities, with a fair catalogue of most of its successes and failures.

My only criticism is that the end of the series--the last episode in particular--almost tried to do too much. It seemed a bit rushed in places. But viewers should keep in mind that Fitzgerald takes the project on as an independent director, doing most of the editing and production on his own. All things considered, it's an impressively put-together documentary, perhaps not as "professional" looking as the high school football documentary "Go Tigers" but far more comprehensive in its portrayal of all aspects of the minor league experience of baseball. Plus (and this should not be understated), the series has excellent humor throughout, showing the quirks of the various ballparks as well as the players goofing around with one another pre- and post-game. A bonus of the DVD is a feature called "Prank school," where the players give tips on the types of pranks played on each other and the coaches during the season.

All in all, this DVD is highly recommended for those who love baseball or who love good story-telling.

This DVD is a must buy for anyone interested in Baseball! What an action packed series with so many funny moments...especially with Wally Backman. Great cinematography too!

Wally Backman is a living legend! This show really captures how great of a manager he is. I am halfway through the series and I absolutely love it! Definitely a must have for baseball fans!

A highly entertaining look at an independent team in a now defunct league. The trails and tribulations are fun to watch. The politics of baseball at this level is exposed, along with the shortcomings of all involved. A real candid look at baseball on the fringes. Following the adventures of Wally Backman and the team is a real treat. If you want an unvarnished look at guys trying to stay in the game and more up the ladder, this is plenty good fun. The "Prank School" section is a kick.

Great show; really an engaging story line; Not just for baseball fans - the kids, my wife and I all loved it. Only complaint is that it ended so soon - I'm sure a lot of great footage ended up on the cutting room floor. I'm looking forward to seeing more of John's films in the future.

I watched the whole thing and it was wonderful. great job and great look inside the world of minor league baseball.

Get this DVD to help you beat cabin fever while you wait for the snow to melt and you are able to get back out to a ballfield!

Highly enjoyable DVD!

This is a great presentation of the South Georgia Peanuts. I had the privilege of umpiring in Albany for the Inaugural Season of the South Coast League. This DVD set is a nice summary of the season and its ups and downs.

My wife and her friends who attended several games love the DVDs. The pranks and umpire discussions are their favorite parts.

Thanks again for doing such a great job with the DVD set!!!

This is a must-see video for any fan of baseball. John Fitzgerald has hit this one out of the park! The bar has been raised from his previous masterpiece "Emerald Diamond." Add this to your video library and you can't go wrong. Keep it on the shelf by your copy of "Bull Durham" or "Major League."

This reality documentary follows a baseball team in the independent South Coast League. It shows the struggles of the players and coaches with an inept league management and poor working and living conditions. Former Met second Baseman Wally Backman is the manager and really makes the film interesting.Some players instruct the viewer how to pull baseball pranks. The only drawbacks to the DVD is that they didn't remove the bleeps from the TV version and there are lots of television teasers that could also have been removed for the sake of DVD format.

I found this great reality show thru seeing another great film this guy made, "The Emerald Diamond" a film about the creation of the Ireland's national Baseball team.
Playing for peanuts is a very unique look into the lives and minds of the young men who have a dream of playing in the "Show" someday. You watch a show like this and you truly get a great feel for what it really does take to get all the way to the "Big Leagues". The director was either very smart or very lucky, to have ex- New York Mets star Wally Backman as the manager of the "South Georgia Peanuts". His insight into baseball and how he deals with his "Kids" is the most interesting facet of this series. There are obviously a ton of great situations that come up for these players that create plenty of very funny moments, but in the end it is still all about Baseball, and if you truly are a passionate baseball fan; the kind of baseball fan that would actively seek out a Documentary about the making of the Irish national Baseball team,(Like me!!!) then you will adore this series of daily life in the minor leagues watching these kids play on there field of dreams.