Eephus is a movie about one very long baseball game.

In a small Massachusetts town, the local baseball field is about to be demolished to make way for a school.  Two rec league teams meet to play one final game, drink some beer, and shoot off some fireworks.  The Riverdogs are led by Graham (Stephen Radochia), who brokered the deal that’s leading to the field’s destruction.  He feels guilty and he wants the two teams to have one final great game.  The Riverdogs and Adler’s Paint play a game that, once it becomes tied, goes far into the night.  The few spectators leaves.  The umpire leaves.  But the players keep playing, even in the dark.

Though the player may be middle-aged and out-of-shape, they all love baseball and they love their teams.  But Eephus is about more than baseball.  It’s also about community and change.  Many of the players talk about their memories of growing up playing on the field.  They can’t leave until they finish their last game but they also know that their lives will be forever different once the game ends.  They may complain about playing in the dark but no one truly wants to get that last out.  The players give each other a hard time.  The dialogue is frequently very funny but the occasional angry word is still exchanged.  But deep down, they’re friends no matter what team they’re on.  They may not be professional athletes but baseball is what brought them together.  It’s their bond and it’s brought purpose to not only their lives but also to men like Franny (Cliff Blake), who have spend their free time watching the games and keeping the records.  When former pitching legend Bill “Spaceman” Lee appears as himself, he’s welcomed to the game as just another local who loves baseball.

Eephus may seem plotless but it’s not.  It’s about the community of players and how each of them deals with the inevitability of change.  There’s a scene where someone in the stands says that they’ve been watching 30 minutes and they still don’t understand baseball.  You don’t have to understand baseball to love Eephus.  You just have to appreciate the bonds that bring us all together.