The Material Review
Issue 096: Route 66, IRL Craft Shops, Professional Card Counters, The Hobo Handbook, Zildjian Cymbals and Spotlight On: Eephus.
Stories worth reading. Stop indexing the internet.
What a New American Citizen Learned on Route 66
“A writer drove from Chicago to L.A. to see what it truly means to belong to a place.” [NYT]
Lament for the IRL Craft Shop
“The closing of Joann means the loss of another destination for creative discovery—and community.” [The Atlantic]
What It’s Like to Be a Professional Card Counter
“I get kicked out of a lot of casinos.” [Slate]
The Hobo Handbook
Inside Zildjian, a 400-year-old cymbal-making company in Massachusetts
The Self-Taught Cook Who Mastered the Flour Tortilla
“Some of the best Sonoran-style tortillas in the U.S. are being made far from the border, in a college town forty miles outside Kansas City.” [The New Yorker]
A shortlist of things we’ve got our eye on.
Cee Blues Honey Boy Jean
J. Mueser x WM Brown Tie Trio
Yuketen Suede Loafers
Stussy Loose Weave Plaid Shirt
Comply Memory Foam Earbud Tips
Eephus
It’s easy to feel jaded about the state of movies these days, but Eephus is a sharp reminder that there are still unexpected gems out there. Set in small-town New England in the ’90s, the movie unfolds entirely over the course of a single rec-league baseball game, with a cast of complete unknowns. Most aspects of the movie feel purposefully counterintuitive and kept me thinking—how did this even get made?—in the best way possible.
Eephus doesn’t rely on standout performances (although there are several); like baseball, it’s about the collective rhythm, with just enough room for each character’s quirks to shine. If you’ve spent time around Little League or summer wood bat games, you’ll quickly recognize at least some of these personalities. Even if you’re not a baseball fan, the movie’s self-contained setup hooks you and keeps things moving without falling into the meandering “vibes” trap that permeates streaming services.
Despite the MLB’s continued efforts, people still love to knock baseball for being too slow—but honestly, I think that’s its secret weapon. Maybe it’s a sign of aging, but the nonstop attention-grab you get at NBA or NFL games feels kind of exhausting now. Not every moment has to be crammed full of noise. It’s the quiet moments, the pauses, the breaks that give baseball its magic. Eephus leans into the natural flow of the game—the slow parts, the bursts of energy, the weird little moments—to both touching and hilarious ends. It feels harder these days to offer broad movie recommendations, but this one is certainly worth checking out. Time to fire up Ken Burns’ Baseball.
Style Notes – One detail I appreciated was that the players all wore slightly different eras of uniforms. The heritage wool hats were another obvious highlight. With Ebbets Field Flannels now owned by Fanatics, it was bittersweet, but I still found myself scrolling their site halfway through the movie. Coincidentally, General Quarters recently dropped a new cap in a near-perfect match to the Riverdogs’ royal blue. - TS
Eephus is streaming now on Apple TV
Classifieds
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📽️ Fly Fishing Film Tour NYC – Rooftop Screening & Casting Competition
Tuesday, June 17. 7:00 PM-8:30 PM. YOTEL Times Square 570 Tenth Ave, New York, NY 10036
Join the NYC Chapter of Trout Unlimited for an unforgettable rooftop evening as the 19th Annual Fly Fishing Film Tour (F3T) returns to New York City.
🏕️ Snow Peak x Field Theory Camp 2025
October 10-12. Hermann Farm. Hermann, MO.
Join us for an unforgettable 3-day, 2-night overnight camping experience, organized by field theory in collaboration with snow peak.
I would go further and say it’s the quiet moments, the pauses, the breaks that give life its magic.
Glad to see Eeephus get a feature. Got lucky and they did a showing at an indie theater here because we've got a great rec baseball renaissance happening in Dallas with over 10 teams that play for fun, not competition and there's plenty of beer and no standings. Offshoot from the Austin Sandlot stuff. Not gonna lie I play mostly so i can design merch for my team.