The Rough on the Diamond

On the desert outskirts of Dakar, Senegal, locals gather under the Great Grey Tree of Life to hear stories about the White Stick Man, who brings fortune and blessings to their beloved African homeland. But who is this mysterious American, and why do the griots sing his praises?

He is Blake Portis, the most unlikely prophet to ever step foot on the continent, an ex-athlete who has come to Africa only to escape the shame of failure and disenchantment from everything he once held dear. Through a chance encounter, Portis meets a peculiar doctor who has started a baseball program out of the dust. What he finds in Senegal – young boys with a passion for the sport and true, unadulterated talent – makes Blake remember what he loved about baseball in the first place. In partnership with the doctor, Portis helps guide the program toward its ultimate goal: an African-born player in the major leagues. Along the way, Blake Portis finds love, hope, and ultimately his own salvation.