Running Time: 63 mins
Year: 1993

synopsis

Chasing the Dream follows three young professional baseball players through a summer with the Blue Jay’s minor league farm team. It follows an American, a Latin American, and a Canadian who are all in their early twenties, all beginning their climb up the steep ladder of professional baseball and all dreaming of making it to the majors

From London, Ontario, Harry Muir, is strapping, articulate and, despite a serious nerve palsy in his throwing shoulder, determined to replace Todd Stottlemyre. From the Dominican Republic, Eddy Vasquez is one of thousands of Latin American ballplayers desperate to make it off the island and bring his family out of poverty. From Miami, Florida, Shannon Stewart is the Blue Jays’ first choice draft pick, and at the young age of 19 has already received a signing bonus of $450,000.

Today, there are 700 jobs in major league baseball. Some of the jobs will be held for eight to ten years. There are 7,000 players in organized minor leagues hoping for a chance to unseat the regulars. This one hour documentary tells the very human story of people striving to be the best they can be, athletes making the grab for the brass ring.

Credits

A film by Peter Raymont, David Barlow & William Thomas

Produced by Ballpark Pictures a division of Investigative Productions, in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and CityTV,
with the participation of the Ontario Film Development Corporation, The Rogers Telefund, with the assistance of The Parkway Inn, St. Catherines, John Deere Welland Works, John Deere Limited, Grimsby, Niagara Helicopters, Niagara Falls, Ruedi Hafen, Pilot, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Baseball America, CBC Sports Archives, Prof. Robert Barney, Nancy Bouchier, University of Western Ontario, David Crichton / William Humber, Ray McNeil, Budget Rent A Car, Santo Domingo, D.R.