Well, the Fall Classic is here and we had an exciting baseball season. The Yankees kicked some butt, the Mets allegedly smoked everything but the competition, Soriano almost joined the 40-40 Club and Sammy Sosa was one home run away from reaching the elusive 500 Homerun Milestone. It seems that hitting homeruns is that damn easy, if you are Sosa, but it wasn't always that easy.
Slammin' Sammy is the latest release by Urban Vision's Lil' Vision a company aimed at younger anime viewers. A deviation from their usual anime projects, this experiment in alternative animation, worked. Yes, I really enjoyed this animated documentary about a young boy who played baseball with a glove made out of milk cartons and a ball made up of a rolled up sock with tape around it. What a change as the young boy from a poor community in the Dominican Republic becomes a rich young man playing for the Chicago Cubs.
I learned how Sammy Sosa was not the original Sosa brother expected to make it to the ranks of major league baseball. I discovered how often Sosa was actually sent to the minors and how the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox gave up hope in the legendary slugger when he lacked the control to achieve the great things expected of him. This documentary was not only very informative, it was also heartwarming as we see a family stick together through thick and thin despite Sosa's struggles with success. Yes, Sammy is a great ballplayer, but he had to overcome his stubbornness, lack of respect for his coaches and a swelled ego to get that way.
With success comes great responsibility and Sosa must remember his father's dying words to never forget his family that included his extended family in the Dominican Republic. So, not only do we get to see a lot of the emotions and events that took place during the race between McGwire and Sosa to break Roger Maris' homerun record, but we also see how Sosa reacts to troubles back home. When the devastating Hurricane George hits his homeland, Sosa does his best to rebuild it, remembering the values his father taught him. This story is not just about baseball. This is an educational film that teaches more than just how successful Sosa was. It goes deeper into what makes Sosa the man he is on and off the field.
Slammin' Sammmy is beautifully animated with old school animated dream sequences and live footage of an MVP season interwoven through the tale. Moreover, this DVD contains extras like trailers for other Lil' Vision movies, a fun little game of trivia that must be won by not striking out and a heartfelt interview with Sammy Sosa himself. Not only does this DVD prove entertaining to baseball fans, I feel it can be shown in class to students who like to dream. Fun, warm, entertaining and educational, Slammin' Sammy proves that dreams do come true.
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