Fictional right-hander aspires to pitch in KC

The feature film Sugar — opening Friday at the Tivoli — depicts a baseball player who aspires to pitch for the Kansas City Knights, a fictional big-league team whose logo and colors resemble those of the Royals.

The movie begins with 19-year-old Miguel “Sugar” Santos pitching at a baseball academy near his home in San Pedro de Macoris. This is true to life. The Royals operate an academy — where baseball-talented teens refine their skills, live in dorm rooms and learn how to say “I got it!” in English — outside Santo Domingo.

The filmmakers — Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the team behind Half-Nelson — called the team the Knights in an an apparent attempt to avoid a trademark hassle. The “KC” logo on Santos’ cap looks original enough to thwart a confrontation with Major League Baseball Properties.