Play Ball

Two of the great passions of my life come together in a film screening in Kansas City on Wednesday. The Emerald Diamond, a documentary about baseball in Ireland by John Fitzgerald will be shown at the Tivoli Theater in Westport at 7:30 PM.

The film gained international attention during it's production by auctioning off an appearance in the film and a credit as "executive producer" on E-Bay. The Emerald Diamond is a 90-minute documentary that describes both the early years of baseball in America, with legions of Irish players and fans, to the game in present day Ireland where after only 10 years the Irish National Baseball Team won a bronze medal in the European championships last year. The history of Irish immigrants in the States and the rise of baseball are inextricably linked, and it's a fascinating history. There have been 40 players in the Major Leagues that were born in Ireland, though none since the 1940's. Baseball in it's early days is peppered with names like McGinnity, Walsh, O'Neill, Delahanty, Shaughnessy and Sullivan. Even a Regan or Reagan or two.

The Emerald Diamond, at The Tivoli. Wednesday May 3, 7:30 PM. Sponsored by Boru Vodka, who will host a party at Kelly's Westport Inn after the screening.