For the second inning of our baseball season, newcomer (?) phenom Lex Friedman joins the down-and-out team of grumpy manager Dan Moren in 1984’s The Natural. Hot topics include allegories, villainous villains, and whether the main character is a ghost.

Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!

Lex Friedman and Dan Moren