From his classic collaborations with director John Carpenter in “The Thing” and “Escape from New York” to his starring roles in crowd-pleasing hits like “Backdraft,” “Tombstone,” and “Miracle,” Kurt Russell has given audiences many iconic performances over his decades-long career. But surprisingly, the only movie in which Kurt Russell has participated that has a 100% “certified fresh” critical score on Rotten Tomatoes is actually a 2014 documentary called “The Battered Bastards of Baseball.” 

It’s ironic that a famous actor like Kurt Russell — who infuses many of his films with the humor and gravitas that come from his natural charisma — has only achieved a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes by participating in a film as himself. What’s more, Russell’s involvement in “The Battered Bastards of Baseball” has very little to do with his acting career. Russell was actually interviewed as a part of the documentary because of his close ties and career history with a defunct minor league team known as the Portland Mavericks.

“The Battered Bastards of Baseball” follows the five-season lifespan of the Portland Mavericks, based in Portland, Oregon. Kurt Russell’s father, Bing Russell, actually owned the team, which was not affiliated with any major league franchises. After the Portland Beavers (who played in the Pacific Coast League) moved to Spokane, Washington in 1972, the Mavericks attempted to become Portland’s flag-bearing minor league team. 

Bing Russell (a former minor league player himself and a noted television actor) was the sole owner of the Mavericks during its five-season run in the 1970s, making many groundbreaking decisions throughout his short tenure. Bing promoted 24-year-old Lanny Moss to become the first ever female general manager in professional baseball and refused to allow corporate sponsorship. He ran the team with a philosophy based in dignity and joy, using the Mavericks to give many seasoned baseball players from both the majors and minors a chance to finish out their careers on their own terms. 

Bing Russell cared more about the people who were served by the team’s existence than winning (though the team almost always performed solidly), making him an extraordinary owner in many ways. As for Kurt, he played on the Mavericks for its first month as an active team before bowing out and later becoming a vice president under his father — and unknowingly laying the groundwork for his sole 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.