Knuckleball!

Filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg's Knuckleball! is an entertaining and informative documentary that focuses on a controversial and often marginalized group of baseball pitchers who specialize in throwing knuckleballs. Although not an entirely respected or even consistently reliable pitch (some consider it a downright gimmick used by mediocre pitchers), the knuckleball—which is thrown off one's rigorously filed fingernails—moves slowly (around 60 mph) and doesn't spin. But its advantage—when it works—is that the ball moves unpredictably and drops suddenly, making it hard to hit. Knuckleball concentrates on two pitchers during the 2011 season: 18-year veteran Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox and 37-year-old R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets. Wakefield, now a Boston icon, describes how his entire career has been shrouded in doubt because of the knuckleball, and how his perseverance has kept him in the game despite being written off many times. Dickey talks about being similarly cast aside from time to time, and living with the hard economics of his sometimes mocked specialty. Dickey also notes that knuckleballers typically flourish in their mid-30s, after enough data has gathered to prove that they can win games. Viewers also hear from batters who have to face the pair, catchers who must anticipate them, and managers who have learned to be patient and have faith. The film also includes heartwarming scenes of Wakefield and Dickey together with older, retired members of the relatively small knuckleball fraternity, including Phil Niekro and Charlie Hough. DVD extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes and additional interviews. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)