It’s a week before Christmas but there is still time to get some last-minute gifts.

One that I recommend highly for ALL baseball fans — but in particular, those who happen to have Irish ancestry — is The Emerald Diamond.

The Emerald Diamond is a 90-minute documentary of the formation of the Irish National Baseball team, produced by my good friend and occasional MetsToday contributor John Fitzgerald. But I’m not hawking the DVD because John is my friend — but because it is a damn good documentary and indelibly entertaining.

Yes, they DO play baseball in Ireland, and their beginnings will remind you a bit of the original Rocky movie — playing on soaking wet makeshift diamonds located on soccer fields, using outdated and damaged equipment, attempting to transfer rugby skills to baseball, and the like. Whether you are Irish or not, you have to appreciate the lengths that the first men (and women) took, and the conditions they endured, simply to play baseball. It’s both fascinating and inspiring.

This quote from Jack Curry of the New York Times puts it succinctly:

Fitzgerald’s movie is a charming look at how baseball captivated some dedicated Irishmen. Those young men, supplemented by American-born players who had a parent or grandparent born in Ireland, transformed themselves from bumbling weekend warriors into respected competitors. Think of Rudy, the Notre Dame walk-on, and multiply it by about a dozen.

You can read Curry’s entire article here, and also find out more info from the official website.

The cost is $9.95 from Amazon, but the experience of watching it is priceless. Where else are you going to find a really cool Christmas gift for less than ten bucks?

Buy it here: The Emerald Diamond – Deluxe Edition DVD

It’s time for another installment of “Playing for Peanuts,” starring current Brooklyn Cyclones manager Wally Backman. Of course, “Playing for Peanuts” is a TV show about Wally’s team in 2007 – the South Georgia Peanuts. It’s a quirky, crazy story about Wally’s attempted comeback as a professional manager. In retrospect, it was a pretty good comeback attempt (Cyclones, remember?), but anyone who watched the show on SNY knows it was a very rocky road back for Wally Backman. Which leads us to…

“Peanuts” producer John Fitzgerald is offering Mets bloggers a $5 commission for every 3-DVD set sold on the web. Not a bad deal for us bloggers, but it also gives you the chance to help support some of your favorite Mets blogs, including OntheBlack, BrooklynMetFan and MetsToday.

The DVD set contains all 10 episodes of “Playing for Peanuts” on 3-DVDs. Also included are bonus scenes and interviews with Ron Darling and Conor Jackson.Click here for ordering information.

Since Backman will be back with the Mets organization this summer, John Fitzgerald will be sending me some of the bonus footage that he has released online, along with some commentary. Here’s the latest:

Playing for Peanuts – Web Extra Clip #38

John Fitzgerald:

In this clip, Wally discusses some of his biggest blowups while managing in the minor leagues. According to Wally, one of his most memorable blowups occurred while managing the Tri-City Posse of the Western League. It’s a great story… I can’t add anything more than that.

Buy the 3-DVD Set (10 episodes + Bonus Content)

You may have noticed a new ad for “Playing for Peanuts” over on the right side of the blog. As some of you may remember, “Playing for Peanuts” was a reality/documentary show about minor league baseball that aired on SNY. The show followed the South Georgia Peanuts and their manager – former Mets 2B and current Brooklyn Cyclones skipper, Wally Backman.

“Peanuts” producer John Fitzgerald is offering Mets bloggers a $5 commission for every 3-DVD set sold on the web. Not a bad deal for us bloggers, but it also gives you the chance to help support some of your favorite Mets blogs, including this one, OntheBlack, and BrooklynMetFan.

Click here for ordering information.

Since Wally Backman is back in the Mets organization and he has been mentioned as a potential Mets manager in the future, John Fitzgerald will be sending me some of the bonus footage that he has released online, along with some commentary.

Playing for Peanuts – Web Extra Clip #1

John Fitzgerald: This is Wally’s first game as a manager since 2004 and it was clear from the start that he was more than the volatile/fiery manager than we expected. First off, he was always thinking two steps ahead of the other manager – in this clip, he calls for a drag bunt from his pitcher, Damien Dantibo, and then he discusses basestealing strategy with catcher Tug Gillingham. In retrospect, this clip also shows the diversity of the team Backman put together – Dantibo was a former MMA fighter who Wally compared to Randy Myers, in terms of his personality traits and eccentricities. Gillingham, on the other hand, was the son of a high school teacher/baseball coach – he was also a high school coach before signing with the Peanuts. It’s a small thing, but it is interesting to see how Wally is able to effectively communicate strategy to both players in the span of a few minutes.

Buy the 3-DVD Set (10 episodes + Bonus Content)