Trailer For The Baseball Documentary THE LEAGUE Explores The Journey of The Negro League Baseball
When it comes to baseball, I love movies based on the sport, I’m fascinated by its history, and I like going to games every once in a while. But, I just can’t watch baseball on TV! I enjoy the sport, though, and there’s a documentary coming out that is a must-watch for baseball fans.
The doc is titled The League, and Magnolia Pictures has released the first trailer for the film. The doc focuses on the Negro League in baseball, which was originally formed in 1920.
The movie “celebrates the dynamic journey of Negro League baseball's triumphs and challenges through the first half of the 20th century. The story is told through unearthed archival footage & never-before-seen interviews with legendary players like Satchel Paige and Buck O'Neil – whose early careers paved the way for the Jackie Robinson era – as well as celebrated Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Hank Aaron who started out in the Negro Leagues. From entrepreneurial titans Cumberland Posey and Gus Greenlee, whose intense rivalry created two of the best teams ever to play the game, to Effa Manley, the activist owner of the Newark Eagles and the only woman ever admitted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, The League explores Black baseball as an economic & social pillar of Black communities and a stage for some of the greatest athletes ever, while also examining the unintended consequences of racial integration.”
The movie comes from director Sam Pollard (Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me, Maynard, Mr. Soul!, Bill Russell: Legend, and Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes). It was executive produced by Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson, Robin Espinola, Jen Isaacson, Jon Kamen, and Dave Sirulnick.
The League is premiering at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival this month. It will then debut exclusively in AMC Theaters on July 7th, 2023. It will later land on VOD starting July 14th.