The filmmaker, who co-wrote and directed the movie with partner Anna Boden, told DS that viewers do not need to be into the sport to understand the picture.
Fleck said: "The people who liked the film the most over here were those that didn't like baseball. Baseball fans tend to think of baseball movies having a certain trajectory and a certain arc, and I think they were disappointed that it didn't have that arc.
"The people that don't know anything about the sport appreciated the film more because of the journey and the characters that we were exploring."
Boden added that they approached the movie "not as a sports film, but a unique immigrant story".
> Click here to read our full interview with Ryan and Anna
