Some Sugar

Sugar is the name of a movie that was filmed in various Midwest League Stadiums last season.

It gets a story at MiLB.com.

With the notable exception of "Bull Durham," very few baseball movies have dealt specifically with the experience of playing in the Minor Leagues. Fewer still have attempted to portray what it is like to be a Latin American competing in the United States for the first time.

This makes "Sugar" far from an ordinary baseball movie. The film, which opens in New York and Los Angeles on April 3 and nationwide on April 24, tells the story of Dominican pitcher Miguel Santos as he journeys to the United States in order to play his first professional season. After Spring Training, the 19-year-old is assigned to the Bridgeport Swing (in reality, the Swing of the Quad Cities, who have since changed their name to the River Bandits).

It goes without saying that Bridgeport, Iowa is a long way from San Pedro De Macoris. This extreme cultural transition lies at the heart of "Sugar," and it accounts for much of the film's narrative momentum and emotional resonance.

Want to see the trailer? I thought so...


Did you get a glimpse of the Timber Rattler uniform? I wonder if it gets a credit on the imdb.com page for the movie.

It has been mentioned before that former Burlington Bees radio announcer Randy Wehofer is in the movie as...well, it's not a stretch.

Wehofer, who plays the role of Jack Jeffries in the film. Jeffries is -- surprise -- a broadcaster.

"If I'm unconvincing in this role, then it's not just my acting career that's at stake. I'm going to be have to rethink my whole career," said Wehofer.

Wehofer is featured throughout the film, as his play-by-play narration often serves as an effective way to introduce the scene in question. As much as he enjoyed the experience, it certainly wasn't something he ever expected to happen.

"I got a random call from Ryan and Anna early in the 2007 season, because they wanted to do research on what was just an idea at that point," recalled Wehofer. "I invited them to Burlington and helped them facilitate interviews for the next three days. The players they talked to were always cooperative. They would tell them their stories, and answer all their questions.

"On their last day in town, Ryan and Anna came up to the booth to thank me for the help, and I said 'Hey, if you need a radio guy for the movie, let me know.' I was just being flip, but Anna said, 'We'll keep that in mind.'"

Ben Hill catches up with Randy for an post over at Ben's Biz Blog.

Wehofer's dedication to his role was so extreme that he spent the last decade preparing for it. He logged nine seasons as the broadcaster for the Midwest League's Burlington Bees before moving on to the Iowa Cubs prior to the 2008 campaign. In perhaps the greatest coup in Ben's Biz Blog history, I was able to land an exclusive interview with Wehofer.

So, without further ado, a glimpse into the mind of one of Iowa's most buzzed-about actors:

Ben's Biz: You bring a method actor's intensity to your role as play-by-play announcer Jack Jeffries. Did this make you difficult to deal with on the set? Any Christian Bale-style freakouts?

Randy Wehofer: Working in minor league baseball for 10 years, I've grown very accustomed to a specialized and pampered lifestyle and while on set, I demanded that things worked exactly like a real game. I was especially pleased when the guy who played the visiting manager changed his lineup five minutes before shooting the scene and didn't tell anyone so we could scramble in the press box to figure out who was coming to the plate. When we shot the road scenes, they were sure to bring me a cold hot dog in the fourth inning when I couldn't possibly have time to eat it or enjoy it. I really appreciated the way the crew went out of its way to keep me in my comfort zone.

Randy makes all members of the Midwest League Announcers Alumni Association proud. Well, I would guess. I'm not a member because I'm still in the Midwest League.

Sugar opens April 24.