When the producers of Eephus — a baseball movie about one last game at Soldier's Field in Douglas, Massachusetts — reached out to the Boston Metro Baseball League (BMBL), it was a natural fit. The film, set in October 1994, follows a group of senior league ballplayers saying goodbye to their longtime home field before it's replaced by a school.

For the reunion game, BMBL members joined the cast and crew to bring that farewell to life again. Brad Hall, former Douglas Tigers' manager, returned to his home field to play first base for Adler's Paint. Chris Currie, Commissioner of the BMBL's MetroWest Division, suited up as catcher for the Riverdogs and kept spirits high with a steady stream of one-liners. Behind the dish, BMBL's own Dan Field worked as home plate umpire alongside base umpire Angie Santomauro — the wife of Zach Santomauro of the Bay State Pirates and Metro Red Sox.

At the reunion game, the same leisurely rhythm captured in the movie played out on the field. It was a nine-inning contest that lasted just under four hours, as Adler's Paint beat the Riverdogs 14-10. And when the final out was recorded, the night was far from over — the field would transform again, this time into an open-air theater for an on-field screening of the film itself.

Carson Lund: Fighting Against the Flow of Time

Standing by the same backstop where he once called "action", Carson Lund reflected on the origins of Eephus.

"I played baseball my whole life, but I actually left the game at some point around high school, so I missed it quite a bit," he said. "I ended up coming back and playing again, but I've also gotten older, and it's gotten a little different and harder, and I get more sore all the time. So I was just thinking about how all these things inevitably come to an end, and how we're always saying goodbye to things in our life as we get older."

The movie captures that bittersweet moment of farewell for a tight-knit group of players. For Lund, it was rooted in his own nostalgia for the game and the people who play it. "We really tried to capture the camaraderie, the humor, and the pace of the game," he said, noting that the slow, almost meandering rhythm mirrors the easygoing spirit of the league.

The irony, Lund admits, is that the story's ending keeps sparking new beginnings. "In the movie, it all ends, but we come together pretty often," he said. "This is the second time we've played a reunion game, so I would love to continue doing it."

Keith William Richards: The Right Fielder Who Pitched Nine

Keith William Richards laughed about the irony of playing Ed Mortanian, a stubborn pitcher who insists on going the distance.

"I would have been the guy that didn't want to pitch at all," Richards admitted. "I'm not a pitcher, first of all. I'm a right fielder. So pitching was a challenge."

But in many ways, he was born for the role. On the day of the reunion game, Richards showed up as a chain-smoking Italian in a wife-beater — just like Mortanian might have — and, as he put it, was a "legend in my own mind."

Carson Lund's casting instincts made the role an easy fit. "When you compare personalities, we're pretty much the same. Pretty much wanted it my way," Richards said. That connection between actor and character made the part feel almost autobiographical.

And Carson, the director, gave the cast room to make the roles their own. "We were all close to our characters, so it really wasn't that hard to embrace even though it was a script, he let us play, so it made it that much more fun," Richards said.

Brad Hall: Back Where the Magic Happened

For Brad Hall, Soldier's Field isn't just a filming location — it's where he made one of his favorite baseball memories. Hall managed the Douglas Tigers in the BMBL's MetroWest Division in 2023, the team's final season. And in the very last game the Tigers ever played there, he delivered a walk-off hit.

"It was an absolute honor to be able to get back out there," Hall said. "This field's got a lot of meaning for me. I've spent a lot of time here, and to be part of a game that ties into the movie — that's something special."

Thanks to his Douglas connections, Hall was invited to play in the reunion game, taking first base for the winning Adler's Paint squad. He relished the opportunity to contribute on the same diamond that had given him so many great memories. "It's rare you get a chance to literally step back into the past like this," he said. "You look around and it feels like nothing's changed — but it's also like you're in a whole different world because of the movie."

Chris Currie: The Voice Behind the Mask

Chris Currie didn't just show up to catch — he brought his trademark mix of humor and energy behind the plate. The MetroWest Division Commissioner, Currie lives only a few minutes from Soldier's Field and normally plays for the Framingham Orioles during the BMBL season.

"This is my neighborhood," Currie said. "I've been coming by this field for years, so it was easy to say yes to playing in this game."

During the reunion matchup, Currie was constantly keeping the dugout lively, firing off one- liners, heckling in good fun, and busting balls with his teammates. "That's part of what makes these games great," he said. "You've got to keep it loose — we're all here because we love the game, and it's supposed to be fun."

His chatter and playfulness behind the plate matched perfectly with the film's tone — a mix of competitive spirit and easygoing camaraderie.

Dan Field: Calling Strikes and Keeping Pace

As home plate umpire, Dan Field knew the Eephus reunion game would move at a different pace than a typical BMBL matchup. When asked how it compared, he didn't hesitate. "Slow. Very slow," he said. Getting through the marathon four-hour game, he joked, was a matter of endurance — and maybe a little creativity.

"We'll complete this game by the grace of God and a lot of water, maybe some vodka." Field admitted he tried to help move things along more speedily, but the hitters weren't making it easy. "I'm trying, but they're not even close to the strike zone. It's hard. It's been hard. We're getting through it."

A Night at the Movies — on the Field

As the sun set, Soldier's Field transformed again. A massive screen was set up behind home plate, and as darkness fell, the crowd settled in for an outdoor screening of Eephus on the very diamond where much of it had been filmed. Families, players, and crew members — some still in uniform — spread out across the grass, turning the field into a ballpark cinema.

For the BMBL, it was another brush with Hollywood. League players had appeared in Fever Pitch, where they filled the field and South Shore Mariners pitcher Tom Levett even snagged a foul ball. In ESPN's Pete Rose on Trial, three BMBL players served as members of the jury. And in the ALS documentary The 100th Inning, filmed and produced by Lowell Angels' player Alex Koppelman, dozens of BMBL players joined league umpire Walter Bentson in a 32-hour, 100-inning game that raised nearly $1 million for ALS research.

As long as there are games to be played, on screen or on the diamond, the BMBL will be there to help write the next chapter.