Bob Lawrence CEO of AVB-Brand Source, the nation's largest buying group, will introduce the film produced by Joe Scherrman of Dyersville Iowa. Mr. Scherrman a long time member of BrandSource stated, "If it wouldn't be for the benefits of belonging to the nations largest buying group, I would of had a lot harder time getting the stories of the Ghost Players told and preserved."

The mission of the Illinois Festival is to encourage filmmakers of all ages to create and distribute films that entertain, inspire, and stir the human spirit.

Sun, 08/09/2009 18:00:00 (6:00 p.m.)

Tue, 08/11/2009 19:03:00 (7:03 p.m.)

Wed, 08/12/2009 12:00:00 (12:00 noon)

Thu, 08/13/2009 06:00:00 (6:00 a.m.)

The documentary spans the 20 year history of the team. No one knew that once Hollywood built it, the field would become a tourist attraction that would spawn a baseball team that would then travel the world.

"Ghost Player: Relive the Magic" movie was also shown on a big screen set up on the pitchers mound after the game. It was a special night in Iowa.

GHOST PLAYER tells the story of how this zany team ranging from a farmer to a state representative moved audiences around the world and changed the players' lives forever. From Dyersville, Iowa, we follow the Ghost Players around the world as warm hearted, comedic ambassadors of the best that the American Heartland has to offer - baseball, tomfoolery and good old-fashioned family fun. We see them bring the comfort that only baseball can give to men and women stationed in the military in the far-flung corners of the world. But most of all, we witness how America's favorite pastime and a Hollywood movie set can give one group of men from a small Iowa town a second chance to live the life they've always dreamed.

GHOST PLAYER: RELIVE THE MAGIC

THE TEAM. THE TIMES. THE HISTORY.

Hometown heros and MLB Hall of Famers grace the pages of this retrospective on Ghost Player baseball.

The Ghost Players team started as a lark that soon grew into something amazing that changed the lives of the players and the community they represented forever. They traveled the world and shared the magic of baseball with the Japanese people and US military personal and families in Asia, Europe and North America.

This image-rich coffee table book has a wonderful mixture of moments preserved for readers to enjoy. Roughly 200 pages of 4-color photos. The book holds stories, poems and images of the team told through the voices of players, family and fans. Many of the stories are those of the players but included are stories from fans from as far away as Alaska and Japan. Also included is a piece from Rob Edelman, author of Great Baseball Films and Baseball on the Web. Other members of the Society of American Baseball Researcher Association (SABR) are participating as well.