“The worst part of this sport is the running.”
These words, spoken by an aging catcher, his chest heaving, who just hit for a double and barely made it to the base, is a comical moment. It is uttered during the last game ever to be played on Soldier’s Field in the town of Douglas in Hillsborough County, Massachusetts, to a crowd of eight onlookers on Sunday, October 16.
It’s a showdown between the Riverdogs and Adler’s Paint, two amateur New England baseball teams, who meet one last time before the demolition of the field to make way for a new school. Local old timers, among many others, aren’t ready to pack it in, and play well beyond sunset.
Bill Lee, Keith William Richards, Cliff Blake, and Wayne Diamond play the aging amateur athletes in Eephus, a movie directed and written by Carson Lund, who with Erik Lund also performs the music.
Between each inning, the director includes famous quotes by popular players throughout the decades, a nice touch that captures the hearts of diehard fans.
Eephus is filled with comical baseball dialogue common during idle moments between plays. Players banter, local ads play on a cassette radio player, dedicated baseball enthusiasts reminisce. The title of the film, co-written by Nate Fisher and Michael Basta with Lund, refers to a very rare, slow moving, and deceptive trick pitch, which is analogous to the pace of the game and the film itself.
“Is there anything more beautiful to see than a fat man stealing second base?”
Eephus symbolizes days gone by, in small town communities as life moves on. When an Adler’s Paint player hits a home run, both teams congratulate the hitter, and their chatter during the game emphasizes community connections.
Despite sundown and the umpires calling the game, the players carry on deep into the night, not ready to end their long-standing tradition. Immersed in the movie’s beautiful New England fall foliage—and despite the warm California weather here—we feel the crisp chill of autumn in our theatre seats.
Eephus takes baseball, a timeless game, to the greatest levels, making it unlike any other comedy about the game. It is noteworthy and endearing for any audience, but a must-see for true baseball fanatics.
Editor’s Note: Eephus is now playing at The SLO Film Center at the Palm Theatre.