In 1930s America, Neil Churchill, a wisecracking car dealer and part-time baseball coach, is down on his luck after a series of lost games and bets leave him broke. To help continue to support his family, Churchill begins looking for undervalued but talented players to trade to his team. This leads him to the best of The Negro League who are overlooked by the mainstream white-only teams. Churchill recruits Theodore "Double Duty" Radcliffe, an all-around showman, Quincy Trouppe, a religious catcher, Bullet Logan, a tough all-star hitter that can play dirty, Vern “Moose” Johnson, a bulky outfielder, and Satchel Paige, an unbeatable pitcher. The news gets out and everyone shows concern including their hometown of Bismarck and even members of the team who fear retribution from racist fans. After a difficult start, the new team players perform incredible during their first game. Though the team is met with racism even after winning by a landslide. Churchill has difficulty getting the team a second game as the other white teams refuse to play. He ends up getting them a game with an all-black team. During the game Al, one of the white players, starts a fight with Paige and a brawl breaks out. The game ends unfinished which loses Churchill money, but he is able to strike a deal and trade for Hilton Smith, another Black all-star pitcher, to join the team. This addition further angers Al and he walks out on the team. At their third game, the cracks in team begin to show as they have difficulty listening to each other’s signals and ultimately lose. However, after a bonding experience outsmarting some cops, the team starts winning game after game. at is until the team is attacked by racists who destroy their bus. This encourages Churchill to fight for a spot in an all-white baseball tournament, which they win, solidifying their place in baseball history.
