Name: The Saint of Second Chances
Director: Morgan Neville, Jeff Malmberg
Released: 2023-09-19T12:30:00

The Saint of Second Chances chronicles the life of Mike Veeck, son of baseball hall of fame Bill Veeck, and his journey toward redemption. The film is streaming on Netflix.

Story

Mike Veeck was the son of legendary baseball hustler Bill Veeck, who got into the sport for the people. He brought a completely different attitude as owner of the Chicago White Sox and Mike had a front-row seat to learn from his father.

Mike was the man behind many of the gimmicks that played out during the White Sox game and he worked himself down to the bone to prove that he deserved the position handed to him.

However, what was supposed to be a simple night for anti-disco supporters turned out to be the beginning of the end for Bill as the owner of the White Sox and it was down to Mike’s idea.

Mike was blacklisted from the MLB and suffered from alcoholism for several years before he found his way back on track. He met his second wife, Libby, and had a daughter named Rebecca.

Mike redeemed himself and gave a second chance to several people throughout his life until a terminal diagnosis for his daughter switched his focus to making sure he spent as much time with her and made her happy.

Positives

Just like Mike and Bill, this film is filled with gimmicks of different kinds, with Charlie Day playing a young Mike one of the many attractions. The reenactments aren’t exact but a fun depiction of the life Mike lived.

Mike Veeck is a wonderful personality and it comes across even on screen in the way he talks and tells his story. He’s an everyman who was asked to be authentic and doesn’t disappoint.

It is a brisk film that is easy to watch and periods of Mike’s life progress at an agreeable pace for them to be processed and enjoyed.

Negatives

The jumpcuts are frustrating and the editing department goes overboard with the frequency. There are some reenactments that are too silly and could have been ignored outright, such as Mike and Libby reenacting their own memory.

Verdict

The Saint of Second Chances is a feel-good movie about a man who persevered and came back from obscurity so that could bring others up with him. He also pioneered many staples of major and minor league baseball that make the game fun, but he also loved his children and showed that it is never too late to make up for lost time and rebuild your life.