Knuckleball! (2012) - 7 stars out of 10

Knuckleball! (2012) - 7 stars out of 10

"Knuckleball!" is an interesting look inside of a rare breed of pitchers.  The knuckleball requires a sacrifice of normal pitching technique in order to effectively develop this unpredictable pitch.  While the film does not take you through the entire history of the knuckleball, it explores the risk of committing to this method.  When the documentary was released, there were only two knuckleball pitchers in the entire MLB - Tim Wakefield and R.A. Dickey.  The film examines their lives and the unpredictable nature of a career with this pitch, since most ball clubs are not willing to give one of these pitchers a chance.  I was particularly interested because of Tim Wakefield's history as a player cut from the Pittsburgh Pirates, who then became a successful knuckleballer with the Red Sox.  Aside from the feel-good success stories of these two pitchers, I really enjoyed the segment that gave the perspective of the catcher.  It is just as difficult for the catcher to catch this crazy pitch as it is for the hitter to hit it.  I don't really know if a non-baseball fan would enjoy this film but for anybody who is into baseball, it's a film that you need to see.