Sugar (2008 film)

Sugar is a 2008 sports drama film directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. It follows the story of Miguel Santos, a. k. a. Sugar Algenis Perez Soto, a Dominican pitcher from San Pedro de Macors, struggling to make it to the big leagues and pull himself and his family out of poverty. Playing professionally at a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic, Miguel finally gets his break at agewhen he advances to the United States minor league system but when his play on the mound falters, he begins to question the singlemindedness of his lifes ambition.

After learning a devastating knuckle curve, Sugar is invited to spring training by the fictional Kansas City Knights. He is assigned to their Single A affiliate in Iowa, the Swing. He is housed by the Higgins family, who take in Swing players every year. Jorge Rufino, a veteran player and the only other Dominican on the team, also tries to help Miguel learn the ropes. However, despite the Higgins welcoming efforts and Jorges guidance, the challenge of Miguels acceptance into the community is exposed in small ways every day, from his struggle to communicate in English to an accident of casual bigotry at a local bar.Miguels domination on the mound masks his underlying sense of isolation, until he injures himself during a routine play at first. While Miguel is on the disabled list, Jorge, his one familiar connection to home in this strange new place, is cut from the team, never fully regaining his ability following offseason knee surgery. The new vulnerability of Miguels injury, coupled with the loneliness of losing his closest friend, force Miguel to begin examining the world around him and his place within it. Pressure mounts when Salvador, a young pitching phenom who used to play with Miguel, is brought up from the Dominican Republic to join the team. Miguels play falters, and the increased isolation begins to take its toll on him. As his dream begins to fall apart, Miguel decides to leave baseball to follow another kind of American Dream. His odyssey finally brings him to New York City, where at first he struggles to find community and make a new home for himself, like so many before him. Miguel ends up playing baseball with rejected players from the minor leagues. ........

Source: Wikipedia