American Yankee - Last Walk to the Mound

Title: American Yankee

Genre: Political Third World Love Story Inspired by: Real events

Locations: NY, Managua Nicaragua

Period: Iran-Contra

Logline: In 1990, a failing MLB pitcher joins a Nicaraguan baseball team with the hope of getting his career back on track, and inadvertently becomes a force in helping to secure the country's first free election in decades.

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Washed up personally and professionally, high-profile NY Yankee right-hander Brooks Crawford makes one last stand for credibility and legacy - to get back his prized 100 MPH fastball at the hands of Nicaraguan pitching great, Osniel Echevarria. As the country's first democratic election looms, so does lingering, factional fighting between Sandinista forces and American backed Contra guerrillas. Upon arriving, Crawford meets American, ex-patriot Faith St. Thomas who works tirelessly with NGO, Witness For Peace (WFP) to aide the fragile country toward a secure, safe, and fair election between the entrenched opposition parties. Unfortunately, Crawford has just found his wife with his ex-best friend, Boston right fielder, Tim Williams. Destroying his capacity to control his highly prized-pitch, Crawford is quickly walked-out of the majors with as little fanfare as a whisper. Humiliated, washed-up personally and professionally, the high-profile hurler makes his one-last stand - to get his prized 100 MPH fastball back by way of Nicaraguan pitching great Osniel Echevarria.

Unaware of Nicaragua's pending first democratic election in 100 years, so too is present lingering factional fighting. Upon arriving in Managua, more self-absorbed than self-aware, Crawford meets American, ex-patriot Faith St. Thomas who works tirelessly as a political Witness for Peace advocate who endeavors toward a safe, secure, and free election between the opposition parties.

Upon arriving, Crawford is met by American Central American scout and liaison Clayton Ashton. To Crawford's astonishment, he finds the facilities state of the art, and the level of play, exceptional. Much like European soccer, a mid-afternoon baseball game at the National Stadium is an ecstatic national pandemic - an outbreak of relief and pride where ballplayers sit in their opposing dugouts yet along with their put-aside, automatic weapons. The consideration of the country's first open-election, along with a famous American taking the National Stadium's center-stage - raises both political expectations, and more expected factional violence.

As a budding relationship grows between Brooks and Faith, Crawford's growing sports notoriety provides a platform for an expanding, unwelcoming light onto those pernicious forces who would like to see the election as something as "less-than-fair". Crawford's presence and close proximity to Faith and her political work begin to wield an unanticipated influence with his new-found popularity - popularity in spite-of-himself.

Crawford's pitch begins to return as the political atmosphere intensifies. Outside pressures are brought to bear on the national election. Much of it targeted toward the efforts of Faith and her organization, Crawford and that of his new teammates. Her headquarters is burned down as a warning sign. Fellow ballplayers and friends are besieged by local policing and military entities who push to see Nicaragua's first-election go to the CIA back candidate, Vialetto Chamorro. Arrests are then made and the campaign to demoralize gets fully underway.

As the election nears, Brooks and Faith are directly targeted by what paramilitary organizations do best - nullify their opposition by low-impact, subversive means. Committing for the first-time to something much larger than only the precision of high-inside fastball, Crawford embraces the perilous, geopolitical setting and that of his new love, Faith St. Thomas.

As the election emerges, Nicaragua itself teeters on the precipice of violent, regional conflict and the outbreak of yet another all-out civil war. Crawford finds himself thinking little of his prized pitch and more toward the safety of Faith, his new friends, and those of his targeted coaches and teammates.

Crawford is then leveraged to leave the country by the corrupt Managua police Captain but is confronted by Faith not to do so. She encourages Brooks to "see the impact he's had, and to how the elections may be swayed to another strongman if he goes."

As the city of Managua is overtaken by CIA backed, enemy shock troops, Crawford is pushed to his limits. Now with a plan of his own, he summons a squad of eleven retired Major League American ballplayers. Confronting forces who would intimidate voter turn-out, and the voting precincts in the countryside, Brooks, along with the Managua Giants and his American make-shift squad, barnstorm the countryside with his own brand of political activism - American Baseball.

The right-hander with teams in tow, crisscross Nicaragua from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast in support of free and fair elections, orchestrating strategic exhibition baseball games near all of the polling stations across the country - pushing back operative voter intimidation by their presence - exporting America's best, that of true American values, and securing the safety of Nicaragua's first voter-turnout.

With the final game of the Central American World Series on the line, Brooks learns he's been called back-up to the majors in the U.S. with the Cincinnati Reds. Torn between worlds, he leaves knowing a safe-election has been secured, a new meaning for the game has been found, and the 1990 World Series awaiting his arrival.

 

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