The New York Times
“Fitzgerald’s movie is a charming look at how baseball captivated some dedicated Irishmen… Think of Rudy, the Notre Dame walk-on, and multiply it by about a dozen.”
“A Whole New Ballgame in Ireland” by Jack Curry
February 10, 2006

The New York Post
“A terrific film!”
“Irish Have Own Field of Dreams” by Kevin Kernan
February 27, 2006

National Public Radio
“A tale of perseverance salted with humor and irrigated with beer.”
“Only a Game” review by Bill Littlefield
March 9, 2006

Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Remarkable baseball story!”
“Begosh and Begorrah! It’s Irish Baseball!”
March 16, 2006

The Irish Echo
“A homerun!”
“Pitching an Emerald” by Fiona Walsh
March 17, 2006

Indianapolis Star
“Heart-lifting doc that tracks the incredibly earnest players as they grow from lovable losers into genuine contenders.”
Review by Christopher Lloyd
June 2006

Paste Magazine
“Endearing documentary”
August 2006

eFilmCritic.com
“The Emerald Diamond” restores the innocence of the sport for 90 wonderful minutes, easily ranking as one of the best documentaries I’ve seen this year. The Irish National Baseball Team, much like other countries currently building their clubs, is where the heart of the game lies today. I highly recommend this opportunity to live the dream with these hard-working men and their amazing journey.
“Top o’ the batting order to ya!” by Brian Orndorff
January 5, 2007

Chicago Tribune
“Heartwarming… In a baseball town like Chicago, the story, told from the players’ perspectives along with footage from actual games, illustrates how the love of sport can cross borders (whether country or cross-town) and forge relationships.”
At Beverly Fest, every seat’s on the Emerald Isle by Janine Schaults
March 2, 2007

Time Out Chicago
“Quite charming…Fitzgerald understands, as do the players, that this story has to be told with a sense of humor—during one particularly humiliating outing at a European competition, the team decided to stop obsessing, went out the night before a game and got blitzed, and played better baseball as a result. The film captures the players’ blend of wry self-deprecation and genuine pride. Sounds pretty Irish to us.”
“Dublin Your Pleasure” by Hank Sartin
Issue 105, March 1-7, 2007