Intertwining fiction and documentary, Ballplayer is a candid story of a man's life and a subtle examination of male culture. Partially adapted from a Garrison Keillor short story, How Are the Legs, Sam?, the narrative begins with the pained recollections of a man (Richard Marcus) jilted by his lover at the airport. Talking to the camera as if he were speaking frankly to an old friend, he muses on the injustices of human behavior and his search for solace in the ritual, nostalgia and camaraderie of baseball. Lord transforms the story of a failed romance into a subjective essay on the virtues of baseball and masculine friendship. The uncertainty and irresolution of human relationships are momentarily forgotten in the glory of one perfect game.