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EXCLUSIVE: Winter State Entertainment has wrapped production on Kitty to Cooperstown—a new feature doc on MLB great Jim “Kitty” Kaat, who just this past Sunday was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame.
The film will explore the 83-year-old’s life via exclusive interviews and never-before-seen footage, examining his legacy in light of his 25 years as a pro baseball player, as well as his 35 years as a seven-time Emmy-winning commentator.
Kaat’s story can be connected from the beginning of baseball to the present day, accompanied by baseball lore and legend at every turn. From his 1950s pitching with the Washington Senators against Yankee greats like Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, to facing off with Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers in the 1965 World Series as a Minnesota Twin, to winning the 1982 World Series Championship with the St. Louis Cardinals and teammates Ozzie Smith and Keith Hernandez.
In his career playing for the Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals, Kaat earned 16 consecutive Gold Gloves and three All-Star selections. After his time on the field, he found a spot with the Cincinnati Reds as a pitching coach for manager Pete Rose, then going on to a second successful career in broadcasting for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, College World Series, Summer Olympics and World Baseball Classic. Kaat has also written three books in recent years about his eight decades in baseball titled Still Pitching, If These Walls Could Talk: New York Yankees and Good as Gold.
Nick Hagen is directing the film on the life of Kaat, which will feature interviews with former pro baseball players Ozzie Smith, Pete Rose and Tony Oliva, and sportscaster Bob Costas, among others. Hagen is also producing alongside Camille and Hamid Torabpour, William and Angela Roaf, Eric Leaman and Winter State Entertainment, with an eye toward a streamer sale later this year.
“I am so excited to tell the story about my life in baseball. So many stories the past 8 decades!” said Kaat. “It is a pleasure creating it with Nick, Camille and Hamid! First class people. I couldn’t be happier with the care that the Winter State team is taking with my legacy.”
“Though Jim is so much bigger than just his time in Minnesota, it has been a dream of Camille and I, to tell stories that have connection to our home state!” said Hamid Torabpour. “[Jim’s] is the perfect story to tell.”
Remarked Hagen, “It has been a great honor to experience the story of a baseball legend like Kitty (Jim). Everyone in every field that we have talked with loves Jim. His legacy still impacts the game today on and off the field.”
Added Willie Roaf in closing: “Angela and I are so proud to be part of telling outstanding athletes’ stories, Jim’s story is one that is most deserving. Huge Congrats to Jim on being inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame.”
Hamid and Camille Torabpour are a Minnesota-based husband & wife film producing team who have been steadily growing their Winter State Entertainment banner toward becoming a significant production hub throughout the Midwest. They pivoted to documentaries when Covid hit and look forward to growing their slate on the doc side, while getting back into narrative features. They’ve previously backed titles like the Vans Warped Tour film Summertime Dropouts, starring Nicholas Podany and Josh Richards, and the football drama Under the Stadium Lights, with Laurence Fishburne and Milo Gibson. Also coming up for the company is the comedy Lapham Rising from director Charlie Kessler, and the feature doc ROAF on the life of Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Roaf, which is currently in post.
The Torabpours are represented by Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks.
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