Netflix-original documentary on the mid-70s minor league baseball team, the Portland Mavericks. The Mavs were founded and owned by Bing Russell, of Bonanza fame and father of Kurt Russell. Bing was a lifelong baseball fan who spent much of his childhood hanging out with the likes of Lefty Gomez, Joe Dimaggio and Lou Gehrig of the Yankees. After the 1972 season, the AAA Portland Beavers left Oregon for greener pastures elsewhere. A void was created and Bing created the Mavericks to fill it. The Mavericks would play in the short-season A Northwest League (home to my beloved Spokane Indians). Unlike every other team on the planet, they would be independent with no affiliation to any major league team. As a result, they grabbed players from wherever they could, including open tryouts. Their guys were older and (mostly) had no illusions about making a career out of it. So they were there to have fun. And they did. And their fans loved them for it. They were very successful, winning 4 division titles in 5 seasons while facing blowback from the major leagues. They do this against a backdrop of intrigue (major league teams sending higher-level players down for the playoffs against Portland to keep them from winning a championship) and controversy, all while having a blast. The whole movie is a good time and features interviews with several of the key figures (Bing Russell died in 2003, unfortunately), including Kurt Russell and Todd Field (director of 5-time Academy Award nominee, [b]In the Bedroom). Field was the batboy for the Mavs. Anyway, this is great, and anybody who likes a good story in general, or sports specifically, should watch it. 9/10.
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