More than 30 years after The Sandlot became a childhood staple, nearly the entire original cast is back together, this time coaching Little League.
Dugout Dads, a nine-episode short-form comedy series, dropped on YouTube this week. The show reunites the cast of the 1993 film, including Patrick Renna, Tom Guiry, Chauncey Leopardi, Marty York, Brandon Quintin Adams, Victor DiMattia, Shane Obedzinski, Grant Gelt, Will Horneff, and Michael Pena. Danielle Fishel co-stars as Renna's character's wife.
The series follows an idealistic dad, played by Renna, who volunteers to coach his kids' Little League team and quickly discovers that the adults involved are harder to manage than the children. According to Variety, the story was drawn from Renna's own experiences at his kids' games.
NBA star Chris Paul joined the project Wednesday as an executive producer through his company, Oh Dip!!! Entertainment, which he runs with his brother CJ Paul. The company was formed with documentary studio Words + Pictures to produce sports and entertainment content. Paul made the announcement in an Instagram video on a FaceTime call with Renna. "It looks like you guys need a ninth," Paul said. "I loved everything that I saw. My production company, we want to get involved and try to take this thing to the next level."
Renna also posted on Instagram when the series dropped. "This experience has been one I will never forget," he wrote. "Being back on a field filming a show with my brothers was something I wasn't sure would happen again. We so appreciate each and every one of you that's been with us for the last 30+ years! This is a passion project we've wanted to do for years and it wouldn't have been possible without you! Hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it."
The team behind the show views the short-form season as a kind of pre-season, hoping it leads to a full-length series. Dugout Dads was written by Sebastian Jones and Dan Kopelman and directed by Victor Nelli Jr. All nine episodes are streaming on YouTube now.
