A Standing Ovation for “Curveballs” — and the Ballclub Behind It By Jay Pritchard

BURLINGTON, Vt. — The Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center welcomed a full-
capacity crowd Friday night for a private screening of Curveballs … Secrets to the Game
of Life, a feature-length documentary spotlighting the Louisville Slugger Warriors — a
competitive men’s baseball team made up entirely of amputees and athletes with limb
differences from across the United States.
Curveballs isn’t a story of sympathy; it’s a story of grit, drive, and a team that takes the
field with one goal: to win. Many of the Warriors played college baseball, and today they
compete exclusively against able-bodied adult teams in high-level matchups throughout
the country. The film follows this skilled and determined club, united by resilience and a
shared love of the game.
The club is buoyed by sponsorship backing from the Louisville Slugger company, one of
the most venerated equipment manufacturers in American sports history, whose early
endorsements included names audiences might recognize: Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth,
and Ted Williams.
Each player profiled in the film has faced life-changing physical challenges — some
enduring chronic discomfort — from combat-related injuries and traumatic accidents to
congenital limb differences and childhood illness.
Some wear prosthetics; others step onto the field with missing limbs, fingers, or even
implanted supports. But together, they’ve turned adversity into strength, proving that the
game — and the human spirit — has no limits.
Cormac Walsh, a Vermont men’s league baseball and softball veteran, attended the
premiere and reflected on his experience playing against the Warriors at Burlington’s
fabled Centennial Field in the summer of 2023.
Walsh’s was part of an all-star crew assembled from one of Vermont’s premier adult
baseball leagues, the Green Mountain Baseball Association.
“Our guys show up — it’s a Sunday morning, hot, early summer. We had some cheapy
T-shirts made so we’d at least look respectable. We handed those out in the lot before
we entered the park,” Walsh recalled at Friday’s screening.

“We walk into Centennial, and in right field a group of Warriors players were doing
organized calisthenics, all in sync with each other — like the pros do. And they’re
wearing crisp fitted caps and these really nice uniforms. And one of the guys looked at
me and said, ‘I think we’re in trouble.’”
Walsh did not elaborate on the score of the game that day, only saying his squad “kept it
close” for a few innings. It was the first of two games the Warriors played that day at
Centennial — both victories.
“Once the game started, and you could hear the pitches whiz by when you’re at bat, and
they’re making every play out there — I mean, those guys are legit,” he said. “You’d
never have any idea, playing against them, the challenges they’ve faced.”
The film, produced by Dreamtime Entertainment and helmed by nine-time Emmy Award
winner John Biffar, made its world premiere on May 14 as the opening night selection of
the Fort Myers Film Festival — where it went on to earn Best Feature Film honors.
In addition to inspiring profiles of Warriors players, the film also details the story of the
team’s manager Curtis Pride — a veteran of 11 MLB seasons despite being born deaf.
Pitching coach Len Whitehouse, himself an MLB veteran, and team founder and
general manager David Van Sleet are also featured.
Curveballs … Secrets to the Game of Life earned a standing ovation upon its conclusion
Friday, capping off a packed screening that concluded with a spirited Q&A. Audience
members heard stories about the team’s unique recruiting process and learned more
about how the film came together.
The Warriors’ next stop is Progressive Field in Cleveland this August, where they’ll take
the field at the home of the MLB’s Guardians. From there, they’ll head to Las Vegas in
September before wrapping up their fall schedule with a game at Western Kentucky
University in October.
For the Warriors, each stop is another chance to compete — and to inspire.