Georgia Trend Writer’s Book Inspires a Film

Georgia Trend journalist Jerry Grillo has won awards for his hard-hitting business stories – most recently, we are proud to say, a 2026 Award of Excellence from the Atlanta Press Club for his article “Fighting for Farm Futures” in our June 2025 issue. But his true love has always been sports. His 2024 book Big Cat: The Life of Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Mize, for which he was nominated for Georgia Author of the Year, led to a 2025 movie, Stalking the Big Cat of Georgia.

“I’ve always been a baseball nut and love the game’s history,” says Grillo. “Back when I was editor of the local newspaper near Johnny Mize’s hometown, 1999 to 2000, I got to know Mize’s family, and his story just fascinated me. What an adventure! This local kid from humble beginnings in the Appalachian foothills makes it all the way to the Baseball Hall of Fame. What’s not to love?” Shortly after the book was published, Atlanta filmmaker Hal Jacobs reached out and wanted to make a documentary based on it.

“I was blown away and flattered because I was familiar with Hal’s work – most of it is serious stuff, about social justice and environmental issues, Georgia history, that kind of thing,” says Grillo. “But he also loves baseball and wanted to do a movie about Mize, and the making of the book. Ultimately, Hal created a story about unsung baseball heroes – Mize, and importantly, James “Red” Moore, a Negro Leagues All-Star – and the folks and communities keeping their legacies alive.”