In the 1970s, Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee aka, “Spaceman”, became a folk hero to the bleacher bums in Fenway Park. One of the most freewheeling eccentrics ever to play the game, Bill lived in a world like no other; where competitive fire, Tibetan Buddhism, slapstick comedy, social activism, and counter-cultural medication co-existed in relative harmony. He joined the Boston Red Sox out of USC, where he was a starting pitcher on the National Championship team in 1968. An outstanding athlete, Bill instantly became a favorite in the interview room when he asked “Do they keep it (the Green Monster) there during games?” He baffled opposing hitters with a variety of pitches and equally baffled management and owners with his verbal acrobatics. As a pioneer in the baseball labor movement, he beanballed corporate duplicity and worked to end the era of indentured servitude in baseball. Instead of free agency, Bill embraced a more radical vision – a socialist utopia where players owned the teams and ballparks. Was he blackballed from the game as a result?

High & Outside is an endearing and sometimes hilarious account of the man the Portland Press Herald called “the iconoclast of our times.” It chronicles The Spaceman’s fall to earth and his subsequent rise from the ashes. The film includes archival footage, interviews, and extensive travels with the incomparable Spaceman himself. Making appearances in the film are Red Sox legends Bernie Carbo, Dwight Evans, Carl Yastrzemsky, former director of the Major League Player’s Association Marvin Miller, Hall of Fame writer Peter Gammons, sports writer Chaz Scoggins, author Tom Adelman, Hall of Fame player Brooks Robinson, and many more.

Director Peter J. Vogt is co-producer of the cult classic Hype! and director of twelve feature length documentary films and shorts. His films have appeared in festivals around the world and have won awards such as the People Choice Award at Sundance Film Festival, Best Documentary Feature at the Seattle Film Festival, and the Cine Golden Eagle.