Friday, February 25, 2011

Andres Torres' emotional saga featured in film
Henry Schulman, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle February 23, 2011

It takes very little to make Andres Torres cry. During a town-hall meeting the night before FanFest, it was a question from Mike Krukow: "What did last season mean to you professionally?" Words failed Torres. He bowed his head as tears welled in his eyes. The emotion was palpable as the attendees, including two rows of Giants teammates, broke into a half minute of applause. Krukow put his arm on Torres' shoulder and said, "That's a pretty good answer, best answer I've ever heard."

The scene is captured on YouTube. Soon, Torres is going to cry before a larger audience. The 33-year-old center fielder will star in a documentary that chronicles his life and improbable rise from a decade of futility in the minor leagues to starting center fielder for a World Series championship team.

This is not merely a baseball story but meant to inspire people, particularly children, with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD often is misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all and disrupts concentration so much a person sometimes cannot function.

The feature-length film, titled "Gigante," could be released this summer. It was conceived and financed by a Giants owner, William Chang, who had an intimate motivation. Though never diagnosed, the 54-year-old native of Japan is certain he had ADHD as a child.




Read the rest of the article here.

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