Oh, great. The New York Post’s Page Six reports that Boston Red Sox fans Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are working on a film called “The Trade,” about Yankee pitchers Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich’s ’70s wife-swap.
It’s an infamous story — I once wrote an article for the Daily News looking back on the incident — but is it really worthy of a movie? Especially when the people involved in the story – most notably Kekich, who changed his name, don’t want a film to be made about it? And especially when it’s going to be made by Yankee-haters? I think not.
And you can forget about Affleck being fair and balanced here. This is what he told MTV.com last fall about the movie:
“I’ve come to have a little more respect for the Yankees. There are some of those guys, I have to say, that look like good guys,” Affleck admitted, but quickly added, “But as an institution? Disdain. Contempt… We couldn’t talk about… and Jeter has another great year! Nope. Guys f—ing each others’ wives — that’s those Yankees.”
Oh, please. I find it hard to believe that somebody who has worked in Hollywood for two decades would be so shocked over this story. Besides, is what the Petersons and Kekiches did any more odious than Affleck foisting “Gigli” upon the world? Not to mention his work in “Jersey Girl,” “Surviving Christmas,” and “Daredevil.” Oh, and the Aflac duck would have done a acting job in “Pearl Harbor” than Affleck did!
Aside from the fact that Damon and Affleck are not bloody likely to get cooperation from the team (and I don’t see the franchise allowing them to portray the players as Yankees — expect them to be called The Generals or something else,) I don’t quite get who the audience is going to be for the movie. What Bombers fan is going to see a movie mocking the team, and made by Red Sox fans? And, for that matter, how many Boston fans are going to watch a film about Yankee pitchers? It’s the problem Selena Roberts ran into with her book — A-Rod fans wouldn’t want to read it, but neither would A-Rod haters want to spend the time hearing about him for hundreds of pages.
Besides, as one of my Facebook friends notes, didn’t Hollywood already delve into the wife-swapping fad with “The Ice Storm”?
The snarky side of me sez that if Affleck wants to make a movie about unsavory aspects in baseball history, maybe he can start with bringing to the big screen Howard Bryant’s Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston
, which reportedly talks about Sox owner Tom Yawkey’s profane reaction to Jackie Robinson getting a tryout with the club.
But on a more positive note, why not make a biopic on Red Sox star Ted Williams’ life? He hit homers, flew fighter jets, and had an undeniable charisma. It’s unfortunate that some remember him more for being frozen than for his great life. How many sports figures have gotten movies, but Williams hasn’t? If Affleck and Damon made a film about Teddy Ballgame, even I would go to see it!
What do you think? Tell us about it!
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