Stalking the Big Cat of Georgia: Documentary Screening & Talkback

Join us for a screening of the new documentary, Stalking the Big Cat of Georgia, by local filmmaker Hal Jacobs, which tells the story of Johnny “Big Cat” Mize from North Georgia, who was one of Major League Baseball’s top sluggers during its Golden Age. The screening will be followed by a talkback with Hal Jacobs, Jerry Grillo (author of Big Cat, a biography of Mize), and Gregory White.

There will be a book signing following the talkback. Original artwork available of Mize and Moore by Joni Mabe will also be available!

This event is free and open to the public. Registration requested, not required. This event will take place after the library has closed, so you will need to enter through the lower level, rear doors (from the lower level of the parking garage). Doors open at 6:30.

About the Documentary:

Johnny “Big Cat” Mize from North Georgia was one of Major League Baseball’s top sluggers during its Golden Age. A 2024 biography by Jerry Grillo reveals a Southerner who played with and against some of the best Black players of this segregated era.

In this 2025 documentary, we go behind the scenes to see what North Georgia author Jerry Grillo discovered about Hall of Famer Johnny Mize while writing his 2024 biography published by the University of Nebraska Press. One of the celebrated hitters in baseball’s Golden Age (1920s-1950s), Mize was born and raised in tiny Demorest, Georgia, in the Appalachian foothills, where he returned to live out his later years. Mize spent 15 seasons slugging for the Cardinals, New York Giants, and finally with the New York Yankees, who won a record five straight World Series (1949-1953) with Mize as their ace in the hole—the best pinch hitter in the American League. After retiring from baseball, Mize then spent 28 years waiting for an invite from baseball’s Hall of Fame before he was finally inducted in 1981. Grillo's 20-year writing journey is a story in itself. He raised a family within 20 miles of Mize’s home and took a 20-year break from writing the book to help care for his son. During that time, more resources became available online and Grillo learned something about Mize that few people knew.

About the Talkback Participants:

Since 2014, writer/director Hal Jacobs has produced five documentary features and numerous short docs on Georgia-related subjects. With their focus on the arts, environment and social justice, the films have been broadcast on Georgia public television stations and screened in theaters, libraries, classrooms and film festivals.

Jerry Grillo is a veteran journalist whose writing has been recognized by the Atlanta Press Club, Georgia Press Association, and Society of Professional Journalists, among others. He’s also a two-time Georgia Author of the Year nominee for Big Cat (2024) and The Music and Mythocracy of Col. Bruce Hampton (2021).

Gregory White currently serves as the executive director for A Home For Everyone In DeKalb. In 2024, he retired from the City of Decatur as the parks and recreation director, serving the community for 30 years. From 1992 to 2016, he volunteered as a personal assistant to former Atlanta Black Cracker James “Red” Moore as he made public appearances to raise awareness of the legacy of the Negro Leagues.