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Maumee Little Leaguers Play Ball For Hollywood

BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER

Hollywood came calling at Gateway Middle School last week, and 30 lucky baseball players could end up in a movie.
“We were going for a special look and some diversity,” said Mark Ellis of Sports Studio, the company behind the film Home Run Showdown, about two Little League teams that take on their coaches’ sibling rivalry in the outfield of the Major League home run derby. The movie, due for release next year, is directed by Oz Scott and features actors Dean Cain, Matthew Lillard, Barry Bostwick, Annabeth Gish and Emma-Lee Hess.

On August 20, the scouting crew hit grounders and fly balls to Maumee Little League players, who will field balls for a final movie scene.
“The boys definitely need baseball experience. They will be catching Major League home runs. They have to be comfortable around baseball,” Ellis said.
The players had to be between ages 10 and 12 and according to Aimee McDaniel, assistant baseball coordinator, the child actors in the film are of a smaller stature.

“Our lead actors in the movie are a little shorter so we couldn’t use any players that were too tall,” she said.
Initially the film crew spent four weeks filming in Southfield, Mich., before coming to Toledo to film the final scenes, which are scheduled for production August 26-27 at Fifth Third Field.

Former Major League player Jose Canseco will be one of those on hand hitting balls to the Maumee players. “It would be amazing,” said 12-year-old Austin Calopietro, one of the 30 players chosen. “It would be great,” Aiden Maxwell agreed.

It’s unclear who will make it in the film, since many of those decisions are made in the editing process, Ellis said. The boys, who will be compensated $64.00 per day, won’t have any lines and will remain on the set for nine hours both days of filming, which means they will also miss two full days of school.

Susi Laranga is excited that her son Frank was chosen to participate. “What a great opportunity. This is something these boys will never forget,” she said.
Laranga helped organize a Maumee Little League scholarship fund-raiser earlier this month at the Maumee Indoor Theater, raising approximately $600 with a showing of the film The Sand Lot.

“I can’t even imagine if our own kids were in a movie what we could do,” she said.

http://www.themirrornewspaper.com/