On August 9, 2025, Soldier’s Field in Douglas, Massachusetts, looked like a scene straight out of the baseball movie, Eephus — because it was. Cast, crew, and locals returned to the small-town diamond where the acclaimed film was shot, this time for a real-life game.
The movie, released in March 2025, is set on October 16, 1994, and follows a group of middle-aged men playing their final recreational game before their beloved field is torn down to build a school. Lund, the film’s writer-director, calls it “a comedy about the end of an era,” and on this summer day, life imitated art.
The film’s title comes from the eephus pitch — an intentionally slow, high-arching pitch meant to catch a hitter off guard. It’s a fitting metaphor for the easy-going, sometimes meandering pace of a senior league baseball game — and also the movie! At the reunion game, that same leisurely rhythm played out on the very field where the story was first brought to life. It was a nine-inning contest that lasted just under four hours, as Adler’s Paint beat the Riverdogs 14–10.
Carson Lund: Fighting Against the Flow of Time
“It’s a movie about fighting against the flow of time.”
Standing by the same backstop where he’d 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, set in the mid 1990s, captures that bittersweet moment of farewell for a tight-knit group of senior league ballplayers in Douglas, Massachusetts, as they gather for one last game at Soldier’s Field before it’s replaced by a school.
For Lund, it was more than just a story idea — 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 of both the movie and the real games it portrays 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.”
As long as there’s a field — real or cinematic — Lund seems intent on keeping the spirit of Eephus alive.
Keith William Richards: The Right Fielder Who Pitched Nine
“I would have been the guy that didn’t want to pitch at all.”
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.” He brought the same swagger and stubbornness to the reunion that had made his on-screen performance so memorable.
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.
For someone who had never planned to take the mound, it turned into a performance — and a memory — that still brings a smile today.
Erik Lund: Bringing the Field Back to Life
“It’s going to feel like the return to Soldier’s Field — the same camaraderie, the same energy, the same feeling as the day we shot it.”
As Eephus’ production designer, art director, costume designer, and graphic designer, Erik Lund shaped every visual element of the film’s fictional farewell game — from the look of the uniforms to the details on the scoreboard.
On this day, he was wearing just as many hats. “I’m also doing some production design here, producing the event, but also playing in the game,” he said, smiling at the chaos of managing both the aesthetics and the action.
His hope was that the reunion captured the same feeling the movie did. “We’re… hoping that this game that we play right now recreates some of the energy of what’s in the movie,” he said. “So I think it’s going to feel like the return to Soldier’s Field is what it is.”
For Lund, that meant more than just nostalgia — it was about immersing everyone back into the world they had created on screen. From the dugout chatter to the slow pace between innings, he wanted the afternoon to feel like stepping into a living frame of the film.
And, with a laugh, he added, “It’s going to be a real beer league game… We’re going to have some fun errors.”
Chris Goodwin: Acting While Playing (and Feeling It)
“It went about as good as a bunch of actors trying to play baseball could go.”
For Chris Goodwin, who played Garrett Furnivall, the reunion game at Soldier’s Field brought both excitement and a little physical apprehension.
“This is the first time on the field since we shot the movie… I can’t wait to get out there and actually play for real,” he said. When asked about his expectations for the day, his answer was simple: “Pain.”
He explained that most of the cast had at least some baseball in their past, but only one or two were still actively playing. “The director was the best baseball player out of all of us… Anything off camera that we couldn’t do ourselves, he did.”
Goodwin laughed as he remembered Carson Lund’s commitment to filming real baseball action. “He wanted to do a lot of the baseball stuff in the camera… the first or second take was us acting while doing. Then when we couldn’t do it right, we… were just worried about getting the throw right, getting the catch right, hitting the ball where it’s supposed to go, more than acting at that point.”
For him, that challenge was part of the fun. “It went about as good as a bunch of actors trying to play baseball could go,” Goodwin said. The result was a mix of genuine competition and on-screen comedy — the same blend that made Eephus feel so authentic.
Stephen Radochia & Luis Vicente: Banter in the Dugout
“The energy of this movie is really just the atmosphere of this whole day… and the importance of this single game.”
Stephen Radochia, who played Graham Morris, still savored the time spent filming in a uniform.
“It was October, so it was a beautiful month. Playing, catching between takes, hitting the ball around… definitely, I can’t even say it’s a dream come true because I don’t even think I would have ever dreamed of it,” he said. For him, the experience felt like an unexpected gift — a rare chance to live out a ballplayer’s routine, even if it was for the camera.
Luis Vicente, who brought the movie’s heckler Eddie to life, thrived on the playful side of the game. “I think one of my favorite lines was saying, my character says, ‘What’s the score?’” he said. “Obviously, he doesn’t even know that he’s watching baseball… he’s just trying to give everybody a hard time.” That mischievous spirit carried over to the real-life dugout, where Vicente kept the banter going between innings.
For both actors, the reunion carried the same spirit as the shoot — a mix of competition, humor, and shared appreciation for the moment. “Whether or not anybody cares, the players care about this one game,” Vicente said. “That’s what makes it incredible.”
And just like their characters, they found themselves back in the middle of it all, savoring every at-bat, every laugh, and every inning under the fall sky.
After Sunset, a Movie by the Moonlight
As the sun dipped behind the trees, the reunion game wrapped up and attention shifted to the giant screen set up behind home plate.
It was a fitting stage for Eephus — a film about one last game — shown on the same field where both the real and fictional games had been played. As darkness settled, families and friends spread out on the grass, some players still in uniforms from the afternoon.
When the credits rolled, laughter and applause greeted familiar moments. Eephus once told the story of a last game — but as long as they keep coming back to Soldier’s Field, that game might never truly end.
Relive the day in pictures. See more than 200 photos from Eephus, the game, courtesy of Adam Field.
Brett Rudy is a trailblazer in the world of baseball. As the founder of Baseball Is My Life and co-founder of Charity Hop Sports Marketing, he’s dedicated to elevating the sport and supporting the athletes who play it. With a passion for making a difference, Brett has created successful philanthropic initiatives like Charity Wines and 100 Innings of Baseball for ALS. He’s also the mastermind behind the Corked Bat Collection, Cooperstown Classic at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Winterball for Toys for Tots. When he’s not working to improve the game, Brett can be found playing outfield in the Boston Metro Baseball League, living and breathing the sport he loves.