Welcome back to our 30 for 30 documentary short series.

Mackey Sasser was an exceptional catcher for the New York Mets in the late 1980s and early ’90s. He could hit. He could manage a pitching staff. He could nail you trying to steal second base. But one day, there was something Sasser couldn’t do. He couldn’t throw the ball back to the pitcher. Suddenly the most basic act for a catcher was next to impossible for Sasser. What happened? This film explores the mental side of the game and shows how a childhood trauma can come back to overwhelm a professional athlete, and how confronting it can lead to recovery.

More on Fields of Fear

• Director’s statement: Alex Gibney

Recent 30 for 30 Shorts

• Kid Danny, directed by Andrew Cohn »

• The High Five, directed by Michael Jacobs »

• Mecca: The Floor That Made Milwaukee Famous, directed by Chris James Thompson »

• Posterized, directed by Andrew Jenks »

• From Harlem With Love, directed by Matt Ogens »

