Semi-OT: the movie Sugar

by aap212 on Feb 24, 2026 5:40 PM EST Comment 12 comments

I'm just curious how many of you have seen the movie Sugar and what you think. For those of you who haven't seen it, it's a very non-Hollywood movie that follows the path of a teenaged Dominican pitching prospect in the DR and in the minors. It sort of gave an interesting perspective to go along with all the time we spend talking about Latin prospects or only seeing them on the field. Any thoughts on it?

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I thought it was very good

The person I watched it with, who does not follow baseball whatsoever, thought it was the most boring movie ever and literally fell asleep.

by aCone419 on Feb 24, 2026 6:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think it's brilliant.

As someone who’s lived in the DR and spent a lot of time with players in and out of academies and with their families, it was absolutely amazing: not sanctimonious, it didn’t romanticize anything, it just tried to tell an honest story, and succeeded to a remarkable degree.

Huge fan.

by slamcactus on Feb 24, 2026 6:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

A must see for prospectors

humdrum for most others. To understand what the kids go through and the crucible that they’re tested in that has nothing to do with the game is mind blowing.

by Robber on Feb 24, 2026 6:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Very good movie. I don’t necessarily see it as a baseball movie, but basically a movie about dreams, loneliness, expectations and finding happiness.

by JP_Frost on Feb 24, 2026 7:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

I’m with Frost - and I guess somewhat against Robber - in that I don’t think it’s just a baseball movie only aimed at fans or particularly at the subset of prospect geeks.
It’s a nice little quiet film that’s more about (quoting here) “dreams, loneliness, expectations and finding happiness” than about baseball itself, it just happens to use the sport and specifically one version of the Latin American experience in it as the vehicle to deal with those topics.

It’s a lot in the same way that ‘Moneyball’ was, IMO, a broader business book whose business happened to be baseball.

by Frayed Knot on Feb 25, 2026 9:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Immigrant movies

Always make me feel much more patriotic than war movies. That people would leave their families and homelands and sacrifice so much because of the opportunities here - its amazing really. “In America” and oddly enough the movie “Spellbound” about spelling bee champions (who are largely the kids of immigrants) both stirred a lot of patriotic feelings in me as well as Sugar.

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Feb 25, 2026 9:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I really enjoyed it

I watched it with my wife, who is only a casual baseball fan and she really identified with the alienation part as her parents are immigrants. I agree with JP Frost, its a movie about expectations, hopes, America, and finding what you want out of life.

SPOILER ALERT!

I am curious how often players just up and leave like that. Do teams have any obligation to send them back to the Dominican? I assume if that happens they don’t make too big of an effort to try to get the bonus money back?

Also, wasn’t it hugely ironic they cast Jose Rijo as the director of the Dominican Academy considering his bonus skimming scandal?

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Feb 24, 2026 9:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ended well

I was especially pleased that they avoided the glaringly obvious “returns to baseball and becomes a star” ending.

by Ophidian on Feb 25, 2026 8:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

One of the film professors here recommended it

I really want to see it.

President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Feb 24, 2026 10:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Horrible Pitching Scenes

Decent movie, but is too much to ask that the baseball scenes be filmed a little more realistically? In the several scenes that showed Sugar throwing at the mound (particularly the shots from behind) he couldn’t have been throwing any harder than 70 mph. It looked almost softball-ish. This really took me away from the serious plot of the movie as all I was thinking was how unrealistic this looked………especailly since hey made constant references to the fact that Sugar was throwing in the mid-90s. I understand the guy is an actor and not a “real” minor leaguer, but reading about him on the internet it said he played amateur baseball…..shouldnt have he been able to gas it up to at least 80 to make it look somewhat realistic. Or why didn’t they speed up the film or do some sort of special effect to make it appear faster.

Still though…..a good movie worth watching (a little slow at times though)

by fartballs on Feb 25, 2026 4:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

He was a legit teenage shortstop prospect in the DR

I heard he was touching the low to mid 80’s when they filmed.

by rghan on Feb 27, 2026 12:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Incredible movie

One of my favorites. I think it’s near the top of the baseball movie cannon, though as pointed out above, it’s less of a baseball movie, and more the story of finding one’s self in a foreign place.

by rghan on Feb 27, 2026 12:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs