Sugar

I think baseball movies are simply one of the greatest genres of sports movies. I could sit and watch Bull Durham, Rookie of the Year, The Natural, A League of Their Own or The Minor Leagues collection for the rest of my days and be happy.

Sugar offers a perspective I couldn't help but think STL great Albert Pujols endured on his climb to fame. The movie is subtitled through most of the film as it depicts young men from the Dominican Republic coming to the States to play in minor league ball out in Iowa and Kansas. These men, just like young American boys, dream of the days the announcer calls their names over the loud speaker at Yankee Stadium.

These boys who get "the call" up to the States to play in these farm towns, barely speak English and what they do know of English is "fly ball, home run, strike." One particular scene in the restaurant harps on this fact as the boys eat french toast for a month at every meal, since they don't know how to say anything else.

The film takes a different spin after some time and you see Sugar (the main character) depart for New York and his desire to do everything possible to stay in the States. Really makes you appreciate the fact you're already here.