About the Screening
When Portland, Oregon lost its longtime minor-league affiliate, legendary actor Bing Russell bought the territory and formed a single-A independent team to operate outside the confines of major-league baseball. Skeptics agreed the open-tryout team would never work, but when the Mavericks took the field in 1973, the quirky, unkempt castoffs won games, and they won fans, shattering minor-league attendance records. Their spirit was contagious, and during their short reign, the Mavericks-brought independence back to baseball and embodied what it was all about: the love of the game.