It’s a busy week for baseball legend CC Sabathia. GTG Studios has announced its latest film, the Sabathia-inspired “Vallejo,” in partnership with Creative Control and Grapefruit Media.
The coming-of-age film chronicles the extraordinary journey of the 1989 North Vallejo Little League All-Stars, navigating the challenges of growing up in a crumbling city. At its heart, the film tells the inspiring true story of World Series champion and New York Yankees icon Sabathia, long before his rise to Major League Baseball stardom. Rapper and Vallejo native LaRussell is set to star.
The film news comes on the tails of Sabathia’s election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, in which he earned 86.8 percent of the vote in his first year on the ballot.
“In Vallejo, sports was a place of innocence for us; a pass to stay out past the street lights and stay out of the street life,” says Sabathia. “Before I became a World Series champion, I was just another kid from Vallejo trying to survive. ‘Vallejo’ tells the story of me and my friends finding ourselves, making sense of the world around us and trying to avoid the wrong path.”
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Set against the backdrop of Vallejo, Calif., during the late 1980s, the film paints a vivid picture of a city in freefall, according to the official synopsis. “Grappling with a devastating economic crash, rising crime and systemic challenges, the story captures the harsh realities of the time. Amidst these challenges, ‘Vallejo’ shines a light on the resilience of young athletes who find solace and strength on the baseball field. Through the eyes of a teenage Sabathia, ‘Vallejo’ explores life-changing friendships, the bonds of brotherhood and the relentless pursuit of hope in the face of adversity.”
GTG Studios, led by Samir Hernandez and known for films such as “38 at the Garden” and “Two Distant Strangers,” has tapped Coodie and Chike of Creative Control (“jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy”) to direct the film.
CC Sabathia
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“’Vallejo’ is about showing life as it really is — raw, unfiltered, and honest,” say Coodie and Chike. “This project marks an important step for us as we transition into scripted storytelling. We’re always drawn to themes of empathy because it’s what connects us all. Growing up in neighborhoods like Vallejo, Chicago, or New Orleans, you see the world through the eyes of kids just trying to navigate their reality — rough around the edges but full of heart and hope.”
Academy Award-winning writer and co-founder of The Unreasnble, Travon Free, and emerging talent Jacory Gums (a Vallejo native) will write the script.
“Being from Compton, I know what it’s like to live in a city with a rich history that punches way above its weight class, and that’s what Vallejo is to the Bay Area,” says Free. “There’s no shortage of musical and athletic talent that emerges against all odds, and I’m excited to help bring the story of the enduring spirit of the ‘itty bitty city by the bay’ to the big screen.”
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The film will be produced by GTG Studios in collaboration with CC and Amber Sabathia’s Grapefruit Media, Creative Control and The Unreasnble.
“’Vallejo’ is more than a baseball story; it’s a story about resilience, unity, and finding hope in the face of adversity,” says executive producer and founder of GTG Studios Hernandez. “CC’s journey reflects the resilience of countless young people growing up in challenging environments, and we are honored to bring this powerful narrative to the screen.”