Change Up

I had the opportunity to see CHANGE UP at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. The film is a documentary about two young Dominican baseball players who have quit school to try out for Major League scouts and get signed to the Big Leagues. The two boys are best friends and pitchers: one a 17-yr-old lefty and one a 16-yr-old righty. You can't help feeling for the boys who live in situations that in the United States would be considered severe poverty. The contrast between the precariousness of their lives in the Dominican and what you see of professional baseball in the U.S. is drastic. Their families are relying on them to "make it" and bring the whole family out of poverty. The film also demonstrates the free-for-all of Major League scouting in the Dominican Republic, where there is no organized draft and where kids' best chance of being signed is before their 18th birthday. Besides the story, the images of the Dominican Republic are beautifully shot. The movie would interest people who are not necessarily interested in baseball because it is primarily a human interest story about two charming young men struggling to use their talents to help their families out of poverty.

I sat down to quickly view Change Up and found myself wishing for more after the 46 minutes had ended. In Change Up, we are given entry into the world of the Dominican Republic and are witness to the pressures put on talented young athletes to rescue their families out of poverty and squalor. The film focuses on two teenage baseball players as they attempt to rise above the rest of the talent pool in the DR and earn their tickets to the U.S. and hopefully a spot on a major league baseball roster. While the baseball footage and facts looked right out of ESPN, the story of best friends and their struggles to get a major league contract was the real treat. The two young men displayed such a will to please not only themselves, but also their families and agents. As they traversed this arduous journey they counted on each other for help and support. The story pulls you in and you find yourself talking to the screen in hopes of convincing a scout to sign these young men and bring them to the U.S. The story that unravels is both harsh and heartwarming and must be seen in order to be truly enjoyed. I look forward to the next installment from the makers of Change Up.

As a baseball I have been waiting for a view of the stories behind the game. Change Up offers a gritty look into what it takes to follow a dream of being a Major League pitcher. Many in America do not see what a difficult road it is for the Dominican Republic baseball players to make it to the Big Leagues. Change Up offers that insight. You cannot help but cheer for these two players in this compelling and heart wrenching cinematic work.

If you are a baseball fan or just love a good "real life" story I highly recommend "Change Up". I look forward to seeing it on the major sport channels where it should be rightly shown for a wider audience.

Great story about two Major League Pitiching prospects in the Dominican Republic. Change Up offer's the viewer a great snapshot not only into the trials of young ballplayers in the DR trying to get out of the DR, but also focuses on the driving force behind their desired exodus; providing for their families. As a baseball fan I found the movie very interesting as it portrays these off-shore prospects as fair game to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, the reality is that for most, baseball remains just a game through little league, and for these teenagers quickly becomes the business of survival. As I found myself interested in the Baseball aspects, I caught my wife teary-eyed and focused on the human-side of the story, which the director's seamlessly integrate into the Baseball bravado. This movie offers the grit of 'Hoop Dreams' and the humanity of 'When We Were Kings', the viewer finds themself rooting for the young men to achieve their dreams.