Former MLBers Torrez (second from left), Rivers, Dent and Williams were part of the eventGETTY IMAGES
SI last night held a premiere event in N.Y. with several hundred invited guests for “14 Back,” its new feature-length documentary chronicling the ’78 AL East division race between the Yankees and Red Sox. The film, co-produced with MLB and narrated by Ray Romano, will be released Thursday on SI TV. Last night’s event drew former MLBers Bucky Dent, Mickey Rivers and Mike Torrez, who were part of that rivalry that season, as well as former Yankees CF Bernie Williams. The epic Yankees comeback that season and the storied Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has already been the subject of many books, articles and films over the years. However, director Jonathan Hock said he was still able to find new ground to explore in “14 Back.” “It’s less about finding facts you didn’t know but more about feelings you didn’t know,” Hock said. “The players involved are now really at a perfect age to look back on that season with a lot of perspective.” Hock was able to secure widespread participation for “14 Back” among the key players from that season that are still alive, with two notable exceptions: HOFers Reggie Jackson and Carl Yastrzemski. Both appear extensively in the film through archival footage (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer).
SI SALE APPEARS CLOSER: In N.Y., Keith Kelly reports Meredith Corp. is "said to be in final negotiations" with a "buyout group" that includes Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert and motivational speaker Tony Robbins for its SI, Fortune and Money magazine titles. The group is "being assembled" by Velocity Global Group Founder & CEO Josh Pollack, who had "briefly worked as a developer" on the nascent SI Films. One of the plans being considered would be to "further cut the frequency of Sports Illustrated -- the one-time weekly, which was cut back to 26 issues earlier this year." This comes after Meredith sold Time magazine to Salesforce.com Chair & CEO Marc Benioff (N.Y. POST, 9/18).
