WLRN-TV Channel 17’s award-winning documentary chronicling the legacy of the Negro Leagues in South Florida will be screened Monday, April 14 at Coral Gables Art Cinema. It's free to the public.
This event is presented in honor of Jackie Robinson Day and includes a Q&A with Emmy Award-winning director Michael Anderson, of WLRN, and Miami historian Abel Sanchez. It will be hosted by CBS News’ Hank Tester.
The one-hour documentary Never Drop the Ball takes audiences on an extraordinary journey to show how Black baseball players built a brand of baseball out of segregation into a worldwide pastime. Their unwavering love for the game led them to form leagues of their own.
These leagues showcased incredible teams like the Miami Giants, later known as the Indianapolis Clowns. Their talent captivated audiences with their dynamic playstyle and teamwork in the United States and internationally.
Despite the challenges of the Jim Crow era, Black players’ dedication to baseball and their barnstorming tours left an enduring mark on the sport’s history.
"We really wanted to focus on the South Florida and local aspect of the impact of the Negro Leagues and barnstorming and black baseball in South Florida," said Anderson, who is WLRN's director of TV production, and co-produced the documentary with former WLRN TV production coordinator Fabián Cárdenas.
"As a filmmaker, you have to be curious about the subject that you're choosing to introduce to audiences," Cardenas told WLRN in explaining how he and Michael approached making the documentary. "We were very curious about the Negro League and the connection to South Florida, and the film tells that story."
The documentary film recently won three Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The free screening at the Coral Gables Art Cinema is set for Monday, April 14, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Ticket info is here.
IF YOU GO
What: "Never Drop the Ball" documentary film
When: Monday, April 14, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, 33134.
