Ever wonder what Ballhawks do in the winter?
76 days till the home opener but the Ballhawks are ready!
I've been fortunate to be involved in a documentary about the Wrigley Field ballhawks, titled appropriately enough, Ballhawks. Filming took place a few years ago, before the bleacher expansion. Editing, promoting and getting MLB approval has taken up most of the time since then.
The film's in the can now and it's being shopped around but no guarantee it will ever see the silver screen. Still, it's made it as far as getting an entry in IMDB and has been submitted to several film festivals, among them SXSW, Sundance and Tribeca. And with Bill Murray doing the narration, it's got some star power, so who knows...
Anyway, the title link above (and here) should take you to a somewhat humorous trailer for the movie. Thankfully, we got it done in one take...
6 months ago
ballhawk
51 comments
8 recs |
Email
PrintComments
Which one are you?
Some men learn through what they read. Some men learn through what they're told. Some men have to piss on the railroad tracks. And some men keep on pissin'.
Oh I could tell you (and I most likely will), but first you gotta guess... ;-)
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
The one with the glove?
For some reason, I thought the one in the green jacket was Zeke. Lol. Probably because of the whole MSU thing.
Some men learn through what they read. Some men learn through what they're told. Some men have to piss on the railroad tracks. And some men keep on pissin'.
by Ryno Runner on Jan 25, 2010 12:21 AM CST up reply actions
Yep, that's me. The only lefty in the group.
Too bad I can’t hit worth a shit (or throw a decent curve) or I’d be playing inside Wrigley instead of outside. Left-handed and possessing a body very capable of clogging the bases – I coulda been somebody… ;-)
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
Is my response.
Some men learn through what they read. Some men learn through what they're told. Some men have to piss on the railroad tracks. And some men keep on pissin'.
by Ryno Runner on Jan 25, 2010 12:20 PM CST up reply actions
LOL! That's my stunt double! Actually, I'm probably not worthy of even standing out there with the true "Ballhawks".
They’d eat me alive and I’d probably wind up tearing the one remaining good Achilles tendon I have left. It wouldn’t be pretty.
I love the trailer. Well conceived, simple and elegant. It’s done it’s job.
I want to see the film.
Well done bh!
Now only 12,859 on the "Cubs Season Tickets Waiting List"...
Oddly enough, I am a Spartan too...
…but of the Case Western Reserve kind, not Michigan State.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
"SPARTANS: What is your profession?"
HA-OOH! HA-OOH! HA-OOH!
We’re ALL Spartans brother!
Now only 12,859 on the "Cubs Season Tickets Waiting List"...
They got LUCKY
Last night. Thought Michigan would pull it off
"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher
As Branch Rickey once said: "Luck is the residue of design."
I’ll take luck over the alternative- a loss to our one time arch rivals.
Now only 12,859 on the "Cubs Season Tickets Waiting List"...
will you be making it to SXSW?
If so let me know, I would love to see it with you
Wait for it....POUND SAND Without me this board is Al Yellon talking to himself.....................by BLou
Nope.
I’m guessing the producer and maybe a few others will make the trip, but I don’t think there’s enough in the marketing budget for full-fledged publicity tours. If we have a screening here in Chicago though, I’m sure the ballhawks will be there in full force on the red carpet, climbing out of limos, dressed in our fancy designer summer wear, posing for the paparazzi… ;-)
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
dangnabbit
Wait for it....POUND SAND Without me this board is Al Yellon talking to himself.....................by BLou
Totally cool
I’d be interested in seeing that. I hope it gets published.
Awesome Ballhawk!
Got your name in the IMDB and everything! Hope you guys get a distributor.
So is that really where you stand?
"It's been my policy to view the Internet not as an 'information highway,' but as an electronic asylum filled with babbling loonies." - Mike Royko
Yeah, right by the fire hydrant used to be my "spot" before the bleacher expansion
More balls came out a little more towards left-center, right where the back fence goes lower, but Ballhawk Andy (the guy in the Butkus jersey) usually patrolled that area and he’s more of a base-clogger than me so that was his spot.
But now, in the post-expansion era, I usually can be found leaning against the yellow brick building a little more towards the LF line. As long as the rooftop folks aren’t spilling beer, it’s a little more physically appealing to lean against something instead of just standing in the street all game. Plus in April and May, those bricks sure do soak up the sun – keeps me nice and warm.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
And that way...
… I can just turn around from my seat and watch him scampering after baseballs bouncing down Waveland…
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I hate to be an evil cynic
but thousands are films are submitted to each of those festivals and it does not sound like it made the cut for any of them and certainly not Sundance which is on now. As for theatrical distribution, outside of a showing at the Gene Siskel or The Music Box, I would not hold my breath. I would think trying to sell it to MLB Network and go to to the home market via both DVD and download would be best. There are a number of smaller fests that might go for it but I have trouble seeing it any of the big ones.
FYI how is Charlotte Newfeld in the film ? Does it talk about neighborhood oppostion to lights or something ?
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
aww... who are you kidding - you love to be the evil cynic...
especially when it comes to movies and all things maddux.
Yes, I’m sure the producer realizes the odds are slim at best to be shown at any of the festivals, let alone the more trendy ones. Kinda goes along with being a Cubs fan. But the effort has been made, and at least with SXSW, he’s got Joel Murray stumping for him so who knows.
As for Charlotte, I don’t know for sure as I have not seen the entire film. My guess would be it involves the bleacher expansion since that had a dramatic effect on ballhawking.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I may be a cynic about many things but never Maddux.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Jan 25, 2010 11:11 AM CST up reply actions
If you guys don't have much luck with the festivals, it seems like other options are opening up
With services like Youtube’s movie rentals, it seems like the gap between indie producers and audiences is narrowing.
You may never get the movie shown at a theater but there are still ways of getting the movie to peoples eyeballs, and maybe even making a few bucks in the process.
I should note the details of Youtube’s service are still very scant, but it seems promising enough.
Send it up north
Here in Traverse City Michigan we have the TC Film Festival, founded by Michael Moore. Pretty expansive selection for such a small town. Get it shown and I’d have reason to go to my first film during the festival! (missed Sugar which was shown this summer).
ABSOLUTELY! Great idea! It would "play" in TC.
Also, East Lansing (MI) hosts a film festival each year. The producers could try that one as well…
Now only 12,859 on the "Cubs Season Tickets Waiting List"...
An event at the Music Box seems like a good fit.
Maybe have it on a summer evening following a day game at Wrigley? MLB Network is a good idea, too.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
by dat cubfan daver on Jan 25, 2010 1:23 PM CST up reply actions
And I also thought the ballhawks were in the "gym" gaining 40 pounds and exercising their arm and throat muscles
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
@Twitter as @brommmietze
naw... that's only IF the film gets distributed somewhere.
Like I said above, chances are slim but nothing wrong with a little hope.
btw, I notice a definite lack of serving wenches in the above picture. Please don’t tell me the world wide economic conditions have affected the German beer fests and forced reductions in serving personnel. That would disturb me (and many others I’m sure) greatly.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
No fear, they are still around, in many shapes and sizes... ;-)
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
@Twitter as @brommmietze
I love the bottom pic
12 liters of German beer! You’re making me thirsty! lol
"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse
Huhh
I always assumed ballhawks just flew south for the winter…
"What a lot of people don’t see is the tremendous amount of progress that has been made in the organization over the last few years. We have a lot of very talented guys coming up through the system. Jim has built an incredible scouting organization." - Tom Ricketts
well kinda - but not till late Februray and March...
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
I wonder why???
;-)
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
@Twitter as @brommmietze
Too bad the Hawaii Winter League
didn’t last…
"What a lot of people don’t see is the tremendous amount of progress that has been made in the organization over the last few years. We have a lot of very talented guys coming up through the system. Jim has built an incredible scouting organization." - Tom Ricketts
What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen ballhawk?
"Fasten those seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
by katie casey on Jan 25, 2010 10:07 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
American League or National League?
"There are no curses here...Games are won and lost on the baseball field" - Lou Piniella
by El Borto on Jan 25, 2010 12:04 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
What? I don't know that!
Auuuuuuuhhhhhh!
"Fasten those seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
by katie casey on Jan 25, 2010 12:55 PM CST up reply actions
How do you know so much about ballhawks?
"It's been my policy to view the Internet not as an 'information highway,' but as an electronic asylum filled with babbling loonies." - Mike Royko
Well, you have to know those kinds of things when you run a Cubs website, you know.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
The BALL Hawk T1/Cubs
This Hawk was designed to be manoeuvrable and can reach Mach 0.88 during batting practice, and Mach 1.15 in the play offs.
"A waist is a terrible thing to mind." - Terry 'Fat Tub of Goo' Forster
@Twitter as @brommmietze
What we need is a great season!!
If the Cubs have a winning season, all those documentaries will start surfacing. So….
GO CUBS
Do it for the ballhawks!
baseball.........is Kool Aid the remedy, or the cause of my desire for it
I am thinking the WE BELIEVE movie might need the Cubs to win the WS
to get distributed. People like happy endings.
"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim
by Doggie Stalker on Jan 25, 2010 9:05 AM CST up reply actions
Looks cool to me.
Let us know if it ever gets out there.
Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.
by dat cubfan daver on Jan 25, 2010 1:26 PM CST reply actions
I guess I always assumed....
that ballhawks do what the rest of us do in winter. What Rogers Hornsby did. Stare out the window and wait for spring. When we’re not working, at least. Of couse, sometimes I do that even while I am working. Probably all of us do.
"Don't complain to me about the stormy weather, boys. Just bring the ship into port." --Steve Stone, September 2004
or behind the end zone waiting for FGs
Wait for it....POUND SAND Without me this board is Al Yellon talking to himself.....................by BLou
back when the Bears played at Wrigley, some of the ballhawks did exactly that.
But you had to be quick and/or lucky. Whenever a touchdown was scored at the north end of the field, the doors at Murphy’s and Bernies would open up and lots of rather large, inebriated Bears fan would come running/stumbling down the street, converging on the corner of Waveland and Kenmore to try and catch the extra point if it came out. And according to some of the veteran ballhawks, the extra points came out about half the time and quite the melee would ensue.
Unfortunately all this occurred before my time in Chicago, so I missed out. I doubt I would have ever gotten a football anyway, but it would have been fun to watch a street scrum or two.
Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."
i didnt know that
Wait for it....POUND SAND Without me this board is Al Yellon talking to himself.....................by BLou
That clip would be a great commercial
for when tickets are going on sale. Not that they’d need a commercial for that.
"Fasten those seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
Ever wonder what Ballhawks do in the winter?
Actually…no.
But good luck to you and my fellow filmmakers anyway. Much success to you.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
Cubs By The Numbers
Cubs By The Numbers is a history of the ballclub by uniform number, but the biographies help trace the history of our beloved team in a new way. For everyone who's a Cubs fan, anyone who ever wore the uniform is like family. Cubs By The Numbers reintroduces readers to some of their long-lost ancestors, even ones they think they already know.
Click here to order your copy, available now!
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
