Just think of the numerous enduring films centred on baseball: in Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s so besotted with the game he rips apart his Iowa farm and turns it into a baseball field. In The Sandlot Kids, it’s baseball that brings together the motley crew of ragamuffins, injecting meaningful attachment into their lives. Meanwhile, films such as Major League (starring a shiny toothed Charlie Sheen) and Bull Durham (led by Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and a heartthrob performance from Costner) illustrate the diversity of wild-edged characters attracted to the game. Likewise the stirring documentary The Battered Bastards of Baseball, which charts the off-kilter exploits of Bing Russell’s Portland Mavericks.
Sure, these are all filmic portrayals of the game, but baseball couldn’t have been at the crux of so many great flicks if it didn’t have an intrinsic cinematic propensity. Given the prevailing mood among Australians, however, the Australian Baseball League (ABL) doesn’t even begin to rival its US equivalent, the MLB. In A League of their Own, it’s revealed how corporate structures often stunt progress and conceal the activities of legitimately impressive athletes. In a similar vein, the ABL is populated by players with just as much devotion as their American counterparts. The cream of the crop will be on display during the annual ABL All-Star game, which happens next Wednesday December 16.
As evidenced by Brad Pitt’s behind the scenes manoeuvring in Moneyball, success inbaseball is highly dependent on detailed strategising and fine execution. Meanwhile, out on the field, it’s a lavish spectacle – pristinely groomed grass, a beaming red diamond, and crowds spurred on by a live organist. For the All-Star game, performances from Saskwatch, The Delta Riggs and Tim Rogers will help enhance crowd enthusiasm.
Melbourne soul-pop collective Saskwatch are renowned for their explosive live shows. Though, taking charge of the national anthem at the All-Star game places them in entirely new territory. “I think we’re trying to explore some further possibilities for that,” says trumpet player Liam McGorry.
The performance of the national anthem at sporting events isn’t worth getting mad about, but it can feel a touch out of place. “I can understand the routine thing, but it’s pretty cringe-worthy,” McGorry agrees. “So I think we’re trying to explore a new angle on it.”
It must be said, Saskwatch are by no means baseball enthusiasts. “It’s probably one of the most un-sports [oriented] bands going round, I reckon,” says McGorry. However, they did have a first-hand encounter with baseball’s romantic persuasion.
“We played in San Francisco last year, when they won the World Series. It was fucking mental. The whole town just went nuts – amazing. We watched the game in the town square with thousands of people. It was awesome. It was amazing to see – everyone cared so much. It was super city-pride. Everyone was like, ‘This is a huge deal,’ and we were just in the middle of it. It was amazing.”
Considering baseball’s limited exposure in Australia, a lot of people are introduced to the game via its cinematic rendering. For McGorry, a child of the ‘90s, there’s one particular film that resonates. “Angels In The Outfield. That was a pretty seminal film at the time.”
In a similar manner to cricket, the pace and motions of baseball diverge from the hyper-macho competitiveness of many other sports, giving it a relaxing aesthetic quality. In this respect, Saskwatch are aptly suited to performing at next week’s event.
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
