MILLION DOLLAR ARM (Rated PG)

The fictional Don Draper could be just as impressive as an self-centered, arrogant, fast-talking sports agent as the driven, philandering advertising executive he is in the TV drama series in “Mad Men.”

That’s because actor Jon Hamm brings the same charisma and hardened attitude to the role of Los Angeles sports agent JB Bernstein in Disney’s fascinating feel-good sports drama “Million Dollar Arm.”

The difference, this time, is that JB Bernstein is a real-life person, and his story of searching for Major League Baseball pitching talent with cricket bowlers in India, of all places, is factually-based. Don Draper, on the other hand, remains pure fiction.

As a baseball fan, I find heartening sports movies almost irresistible, chiefly if they combine underdog triumphs, personal redemption, inspirational hope and determination to succeed as the essential ingredients. Thus, “Million Dollar Arm” is in league with films like “The Blind Side” and “Miracle.”

The story begins with JB Bernstein almost coasting, at least financially, on his past success with a large firm, where he handled big name talent, and ended up with a big house, expensive sports car and tailored suits.

Now struggling on his own with his Indian-American business partner Ash (Aasif Mandvi), JB finds keeping the doors open is tough, mostly since he can’t close on a hot NFL prospect who contemplates signing with the high-powered competition.

Focusing his attention on deal-making with a baseball team owner to find untapped talent sources, JB hits on the unique idea of conducting a televised talent contest in a foreign country with a million dollar payoff.

Not a fan of cricket, JB comes up with this idea on a late night TV viewing that consists of alternating between Susan Boyle belting out tunes on “Britain’s Got Talent” to a sports channel carrying an Indian cricket match.

Heading over to India with a deadline to get prospects in place within a year, JB and Ash get help from salty, cantankerous, narcoleptic retired baseball scout Ray (Alan Arkin, in fine form) who can judge the speed of a pitch even with his eyes closed.

To help navigate the cultural differences in India, the American team is joined by eager go-fer and translator Amit (Pitobash), an unabashed baseball fan in a country dominated by a cricket-loving population.

JB announces that his mission is to find the next Yao Ming, except for baseball. He figures that in a country with more than a billion people the odds favor finding undiscovered raw talent.

Hyped by Indian TV programs, the Million Dollar Arm bus tour covers the rural areas of India, where eager young men jump at the chance to show their talent. Mostly, though, the team has no luck at first locating anyone who can throw the ball at a speed above 50 miles per hours.

Ultimately, JB finds his best prospects in Rinku Singh (Suraj Sharma from “Life of Pi”) and Dinesh Patel (Madhur Mittal from “Slumdog Millionaire”) and then brings them home to Los Angeles, where culture shock is a rude awakening.

At first, the boys are put up in a hotel, but that proves to be disastrous since they are mystified by the vagaries of American life. JB’s ordered life is then upended when he brings them to live in his big house.

Accustomed to dating models and living in his own bubble, JB finds it challenging to get his new talent on the right course. He gets help on that score from sexy, smart medical student Brenda (Lake Bell), a tenant renting out his guest house.

JB also depends heavily on USC baseball coach Tom House (Bill Paxton), a former major league player, to get his green pitchers into shape for a showcase in front of skeptical baseball scouts.

Part of the movie’s core redemptive spirit is JB’s eventual grasp of his need to show some heart for his players. In fairly short order, he spends more time eating pizza with Rinku and Dinesh, and finds Brenda more enchanting than shallow one-night stands.

The fish-out-of-water experience for the Indian players brings a nice mix of comedy and drama. Though the young men will struggle to adapt to the necessary pitching skills, the eventual formulaic ending is a winner.

“Million Dollar Arm,” similar to a walk-off game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth, is a truly enjoyable, satisfying sports story that ranks in the same league of comparable gratifying films like “The Rookie” and “42,” the inspiring story of Jackie Robinson.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.