Amazon.com

This HBO documentary is based on a highly original idea: tell the storyof baseball from the Great Depression era through the late 1950s using footagefrom home-movie cameras shot by fans and players. The result is a marvelous lookat baseball in America as seen from the ground--the culture of stadiums, theritual of afternoon games, the spiritually sustaining rivalries. Among the trulyunexpected sights is color footage of the 1938 World Series, not only frominside the stadium walls but from the street as traffic cops, crowds, andvehicles amassed. It also covers World War II's impact on the game, and, ofcourse, the heroes, often caught in relaxed, unselfconscious moments.

Arguably more defined and even more lyrical than its predecessor, When It Wasa Game 2 moves from a general celebration of baseball culture in America toa specific focus on various facets of the game's history, including the specialrelationship between game announcers and fans and the farm-team system duringthe 1930s, '40s, and '50s. Brooklyn's assimilation of the Dodgers into theircommunity identity is covered quite winningly as is the heartbreak of the team'sdesertion to California. Last, the film takes us on a tour of some of the game'slegends and presents a touching tribute to the extraordinary Babe Ruth. --TomKeogh

When It Was a Game 3 focuses on the 1960s, a time of change for all ofAmerica.Through sharp, incredibly clear color footage of players and fans, thefilm shows how Major League Baseball slowly but surely evolved from pure sportto moneymaking entertainment. Covering the mighty Yankees, the western expansionof both leagues, the increasing inclusion of black players, and the rise of freeagency and increased salaries, the film shows the growth of baseball fromadolescence to adulthood. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (2)

When it was a game-3 pack
I have been an avid baseball fan since 4 yrs. old. (1951) I am a collector of baseball sports memorabilia going back to late 20's. The series, "When it was a game" was an absolute delight. It finally placed faces to names I have collected for over 50 yrs. The 8 and 16 mm made the viewing even more spellbounding. It made me feel like I actually took the photos. It is refreshing to see my hero's in everyday circumstances; snapshots of the best of the best as ordinary people. The movies were well-done, I was not able to stop viewing until I have watched all three DVD's. This is the best collection of home movies of hall of famers I have ever seen. I would recommend this collection to any baseball fan who truly wants to reward himself with the very best footage of his favorite leaguer. I will cherish the entire set.

Baseball History on DVD
The when it was a game series is one of the best baseball documenturies that I have ever seen. The extreamly rare footage of baseball's greats with commentation is a very good mix. You'll love to relive the history and remember those great days "when it was a game." ... Read more

Book Description

The companion audiobook to Ken burns's magnificent PBS television series

The authors of the acclaimed and history-making bestseller The Civil War flow turn to another American phenomenon. Their subject is baseball.

During eight months of the year, it is played professionally every day; all year round, amateurs play it, watch it, and dream about it. Baseball produces remarkable Americans: it seizes hold of ordinary people and shapes them into something we must regard with awe. Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio ... truly gifted human beings acting out universal fantasies that, for whatever reason, are most perfectly expressed on a baseball field.

All this and more rings through Ward and Burns's moving, crowded, fascinating history of the game -- a history that goes beyond stolen bases, triple plays, and home runs to demonstrate how baseball has been influenced by and has in turn influenced, our national life: politics, race, labor, big business, advertising, and social custom. The audio covers every milestone of the game: from the rules drawn up in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright to the founding of the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players in 1885, from the 1924 Negro World Series through Jack Roosevelt Robinson's major-league debut in 1947, and Nolan Ryan's seventh and last no-hitter in 1991.

Monumental, affecting, informative, and entertaining -- Baseball is an audio that speaks to all Americans.

Baseball is available in hardcover from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ... Read more

Reviews (93)

A DVD All Baseball Fans Should Own
Ken Burns did his usual outstanding job with this documentary. He tells the story of baseball, using a combination of still photos, videos, interviews and quotes quotes. The DVD includes a bonus disc, which includes several great interviews.

He hits all aspects of the game: The development of the game itself and the leagues, the labor history, the stars and great teams and personalities, the great moments in the history of the game, and so on. He also gives us a pretty good look at the old Negro leagues and we get to hear some of the great stories from those days before MLB was integrated.

The only bad thing I can say about this collection of dvds is that by the time it was over I was really sick of hearing different versions of "Take Me out to the Ballgame."

The great stories in this collection more than make up for that one drawback, however. He does more than just interview and quote the players, managers, umpires, owners and sports writers. He includes stories from fans. Doris Kearns Goodwin told about how she grew up rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers, then after they moved away, she found herself in Boston, becoming a Red Sox fan, just in time to have her heart broken again.

All fans of baseball should see this collection.

this is a 'must see' for people who love baseball
THIS BEAUTIFUL AND METICULOULSY CRAFTED FILM ABOUT THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL, TRACES IT'S ROOTS IN AMERICA FROM THE 1830' TO THE 1990'S. ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN KEN BURN'S CIVIL WAR SERIES KNOWS HOW WELL THE AUTHOR COVERS HIS SUBJECT. THIS NINE TAPE SET LETS YOU SEE THE EVOLUTION OF AMERICAS GAME. THROUGHT A COLLECTION OF STILL PHOTOGRAPHS AND EARLY MOTION PICTURES YOU CAN SEE THE LEGENDS THAT YOU HAVE ONLY HEARD OF IN BOOKS AND FROM YOUR OLDER RELATIVES. CAP ANSON AND 'HOME RUN BAKER COME TO LIFE, TY COBB AND HONUS WAGNER, AND GROVER CLEVELAND DISPLAY THEIR ATHELETIC PROWERESS ON JERKY SPOTTED FILM. THE NARRATIVE IMPECCABLY DONE BY JOHN CHANCELLOR AND A HOST OF WELL KNOWN FANS SUPPLIES YOU WITH A RUNNING COMMENTARY OF THE PLAYERS AND THEIR STORIES OF MOST OF THE HONORED MYTHS. THE STORY IS TOLD IN A CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER SEPARATED INTO ININGS, A TOTAL OF NINE. THEY ALSO COVER THE 1910'S AND THE BLACK SOX SCANDAL. THE 20'S AND THE 'BABE'. THE 30'S AND THE 'IRON HORSE'. ON INTO THE 40'S WITH 'JOLTIN JOE' DIMAGGIO AND TED WILLIAMS. THE WAR AND IT'S EFFECT ON THE GAME WITH THE BIRTH OF WOMEN IN PROFESSIONAL BALL. THE INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF JACKIE ROBINSON AND THE INTERGARATION OF THE 'NATIONAL PASSTIME'. INTO THE 50'S AND THE RISE OF NEW STARS LIKE MICKEY MANTLE,WILLIE MAYS,HANK AARON AND THE TRIALS OF THE BROOKLYN DODGERS. THE SERIES COVERS THE EFFORTS OF PLAYERS TO OVER THROW THE HATED RESERVE CLAUSE WHICH BOUND EVERY PLAYER TO ONE CLUB FOR HIS LIFETIME. EACH TAPE HIGHLIGHTS THE WORLD SERIES OF MOST OF THE YEARS. THE THROWING OF THE SERIES BY 6 SOX PLAYERS, THE PICTURE OF BABE RUTH CALLING HIS SHOT AGAINST THE PIRATES. THE MIRACLE CATCH BY MAYS IN '54' AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF AMERICA IN DIMAGGIO'S INCERDIBLE STRING OF 56 GAMES SAFELY HIT IN. IT ALSO HAS ITS SHARE OF ZANIES AND SHOWS SOME OF THE WARTS OF THIS GREAT GAME. THE CURSE ON THE BOSTON REDSOX BY BABE RUTH AND THE INCOMPRABLE SATCHELL PAGE. THE MIDGET HIRED BY BILL VECK AND THE EXPRESSIONS COINED BY THE LIKES OF CASEY STENGEL AND YOGI BERRA. THE LOVEABLE CRAZINESS OF BILL LEE. IT'S ALL HERE IN ABOUT 10 HOURS OF VIEWING WHICH WILL PASS IN FLASH LIKE THE PICTURES ON THE SCREEN. YOU MUST WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY IF YOU GREW UP IN AMERICA IN THE 40' AND 50'S LIKE I DID- TO RECALL THOSE WONDERFUL LOSE DAYS OF CHILDHOOD SPENT ON THE BASEBALL FIELD AND THOSE WHO WERE NOT FORTUNATE ENOUGH, TO SEE THE FABLED PLAYERS OF THE PAST.

View it as entertainment, not as history
Ken Burns is becoming well-known as much for what he leaves out of his documentaries as for what he tells you and how he tells it. One sees it somewhat in the Civil War documentary (unless of course you are a Lost Cause devotee, in which case you view that series as horribly biased and riddled with errors), and it is definitely (and troublingly) evident in his Jazz documentary, where 40 years of jazz is virtually glossed over in favor of an almost obsessive fixation on Louis Armstrong. In the case of "Baseball," Burns again leaves out huge chunks of the story, although the end result is nonetheless entertaining.

In the case of "Baseball," the unrelenting focus is on New York City, Babe Ruth & Jackie Robinson, and to be fair, there is no way you could discuss the subject of baseball without devoting a great deal of time to these subjects. However, the title of the documentary is "Baseball," not "The New York City, Babe Ruth, and Jackie Robinson Story," and it is possible to watch this documentary at times and come to believe that nothing else was happening out side of New York most of the time.

I recall reading a Sports Illustrated article a few years ago that discussed the Philadelphia Athletics from 1929-1931, and made the case that that team was better than the famed "Murderer's Row" Yankees of 1926-1928, and possibly the best team in baseball history. The article's author crunched the numbers, compared the stats, and made a pretty compelling case. He then asked why so little attention has been paid to the A's over the years, and posited that because most of the nation's important papers and sportswriters were based in New York City; by default the majority of the great sportswriting was devoted to the Yankees, while relatively backwater Philadelphia languished in obscurity. It seems to be the same situation with Burns. While other incredibly dominant teams such as (in the early years) the Chicago Cubs, the A's, the Pittsburgh Pirates & the Detroit Tigers are given passing mention, they are quickly shoved on the back burner in favor of the Boston Red Sox & New York Giants. Then the Yankees & the Dodgers begin to coalesce, and it is all New York, all the time. One gets no feeling for how dominant the 1929-1931 A's (or the St. Louis Cardinals of the mid-1930's) were, because Burns continually focuses on Babe Ruth & the Negro Leagues.

When Burns gets to the 1950's he can be excused, because really it was a New York-dominated decade like no other. However, the other decades did in fact see a more competitive balance, and one would not get this impression from the documentary.

It would have been nice if Burns hadn't crammed the last quarter century of his story into one "inning." Are you telling me that the stories since 1970 aren't as compelling as the early years of baseball. I don't believe that Burns would have had to devote that much more time to the post-1970 era to make it feel less cursory and rushed. This is a somewhat annoying tendency of his that was more griveously evident when he made "Jazz."

Also, I get a little tired of the "poetry of baseball" school of thought. It isn't as though I am some knuckle-dragging troglodyte who gets all his news from sports radio; I am just as likely to go to the opera as to the ballpark. This baseball as metaphor for how the cosmos works gets on my nerves after a while (although I consider Roger Angell's comment "there's more Met than Yankee in all of us" to be priceless beyond description). It's not that baseball doesn't imbue our life with a little extra something special, it's just that some of these talking heads tend to get a little overwrought.

I enjoyed watching the documentary the first time, and I have watched it probably half a dozen times since over the years. By comparison, I have watched "The Civil War" about 15 times, I would guess. I was so disappointed with "Jazz" that I managed only a second viewing. In any case, "Baseball" is very entertaining, and that is what largely accounts for my 4-star rating I would only caution those who don't know their baseball history that this documentary omits a great deal of what is a very good story.

Costas at his best
You don't have to love baseball like I do to enjoy this documentary about Americas pastime. Although I got a little tired of Ken Burns style (I think it's unnecesary to quote someone and THEN state the name of the person being quoted, a Ken Burns trademark) the material is just too great and too American to be disliked. The best part? I was mesmerized by Bob Costas' description of events that took place in the BoSox clubhouse during their 9th inning collapse in game six of the 1986 World Series. When he recollects his "What do I do if they tie it?" remark to his producer it is fascinating, thrilling, and in the end, very sad. Just more proof that baseball is "designed to break your heart". Trust me on this one.

Great documentary but what's the deal?
Has anyone noticed that the times given for each "Inning" (i.e., disc) on the DVD is wildly inaccurate? Am I missing material or what? Almost every inning is under two hours according to my DVD player but the case usually indicates a time of 145 to 155 minutes or more. Are there hidden easter eggs on the disc or is PBS just wrong?
jr ... Read more

Description

The best selling instructional video "the 59 Minute Baseball Practice" is now available in high quality DVD format.The Youth Sports Club is the national leader in instructional sports videos being the producer of such best selling titles as "48 Championship Basketball Drills", "Winning Baseball Strategies", "Championship Soccer Drills" and the award winning "Backyard Baseball Drills". This DVD format will enable parents and coaches to show the 34 drills right on a laptop computer at the playing field. ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Effective New Ideas for Baseball Practices
I have been coaching Little League baseball for 4 years now, and my teams have done fairly well. I'm always on the lookout for ways to help my players do better, and I've watched a lot of baseball videos, without finding much that I could really use to help my team.

I ordered the 59 Minute Baseball Practice, wondering if this tape would be any different from the others. I'm pleased to be able to say that this tape is very worthwhile. It's the only tape I've seen that helps me deal with a problem I've found in the past with my practices: how to improve my players' skills, involve all team members just about all the time, and keep them all interested and motivated. The many drills in this tape will help you do this, and complete the practice in under an hour, as the title states.

This tape includes enough drills for a number of practices, and you can change and adapt them as you see fit. They cover all the important areas players need to practice -hitting, throwing, fielding and running - while challenging them. I particularly like the tape's ideas about making many of the drills into games or contests. The tape is very clear - the drills are easy-to-understand - and it is also well organized, and well-paced.

While it's not yet baseball season, I've been working with most of team in early practice sessions, and the players' reaction to these new drills has been terrific; they think the drills are fun. It's also worth noting that you can conduct a complete practice session, working on all skill areas without a baseball field if need be, which has been particularly helpful in the off-season.

Overall, 5 stars! I'm looking forward to the next video in this series.

The Real Deal
Only positives can be said on this video. It was beyond my expectations for a few reasons. It was well organized and gave an excellent description of each drill. The video also puts up a picture of a baseball diamond and the positioning of each player during the drill. The narration explains the benefit of each drill. Some things I did not understand in Little League, like the first and third situation are explained and they make sense. The hitting drills are the best I've seen. The proof of the pudding was last Saturday at our practice when my team did not want to leave the field after some of the drills and games from the video were tried. And to top it off, another coach from the next field came over to ask about some of the things his team saw us doing. This is excellent for 8-12 year olds and I suspect most of the drills can be used for older kids with a few adjusments. This is a great tool combining fun with skills.

Full of great ideas, but best for coaches of older LL kids
This is a great video, and I found plenty drills that I used with my teams. However, the drills are best suited for older Little Leaguers (11 and 12 years and up). The drills are not well suited for 8 and 9 year olds, who lack the physical and mental maturity (which is the level that I am coaching). However, I was able to adapt some of the drills to the younger players.

I'd love to see him make a video for PARENTS to help their kids outside of formal practice time, since time restraints make individual instruction difficult for the coaches during practice.

Good video
As my kids would say, this is the bomb. The drills really help keep practice interesting and provide new ways to teach the same old things. The kids have fun while learning.

Youth Baseball Coaching That Works!
Forget about any instructional video seen on ESPN, this is the one you want to have. Great organization! Creative.
The video isn't boring and neither are my practices anymore.
Should be required by all parents who love baseball.
Only giving it 4 stars because I wish it was a
little longer. A hint. My local library had it.Check out
yours. You will end up buying it like I did.
Check out what this guy calls the "rag ball" drill.
Fun stuff! Pirates need to get this. ... Read more

Amazon.com

John Grisham wrote the screenplay for and produced the enjoyable Mickey, a family drama that explores--typical of the bestselling author--seemingly unresolvable conflicts between the personal and the ethical. Harry Connick Jr. plays California attorney Tripp Spence, a widower whose recent bankruptcy has come under scrutiny from the IRS. Admitting wrongdoing to his son, Derrick (Shawn Salinas), Tripp vows to avoid jail, and the two head for Las Vegas under assumed identities. Rather than stay out of sight, however, Tripp talks the manager (Mike Starr) of a first-rate Little League team into drafting Derrick, a 13-year-old, talented pitcher who claims to be younger. Soon Derrick is attracting national attention, precisely what Tripp doesn't want, yet he refuses to squelch his son's brilliant ride to the top. Hugh Wilson (Guarding Tess) directed this brisk, smart feature, which includes a generous amount of on-the-field baseball action and an intriguing subplot about Cuban ball players. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Mickey

Harry Connick Jr. as Tripp Spence

Shawn Salinas as Derrick, a.k.a. Mickey

Writer/producer John Grisham cameos as a Little League Commissioner

... Read more

Reviews (4)

Mickey
Everyone is aware of John Grisham's great ability to create stories of high intrigue courtroom thrillers. Although he is hardly a versatile writer of stories, he has shown a love of sports in his writing, most notably in his recent novel "Bleachers", which I have not yet read but of which I have heard much about. He clearly has a love for both politics and sports.
"Mickey" is a family film written by John Grisham, and in it Grisham combines both the world of politics and the world of sports to create a well-constructed story in which political intrigue collides with the baseball diamond as a father and son attempt to conceal their true identity from slimy tax agents as they live and breathe the high-flying world of baseball.
Although the story is well-constructed, the blend made of politics and sports is not seamless. The key players in both arenas are in a world of their own, a field of their own, an expertise of their own. When both worlds collide, the story's plot thickens. Still, the distinction between politics and sports is clear. That somewhat lessened the dramatic effect the story tries to convey to the audience.
The acting quality of this movie is below average. The performances in this film are, for the most part, don't come across as being realistic in their portrayal of the various characters. Still, newcomer Shawn Salinas deserves a round of applause for his top-notch performance as the title character, a 13-year-old boy who, along with his widowed father Glen (Harry Connick Jr.), is on the run from the law as they both alter their identity and flee justice after Glen evades taxes and falsifies tax info in desperation after his wife passes away. Salinas turns out the best performance in this film, which is impressive seeing as this is his debut film performance. He is a highly talented young actor who shows great promise as an actor.
If you are looking for a family-friendly movie telling a very good story that provides some food for thought concerning honesty and integrity, I can heartily recommend "Mickey". If you are a die-hard John Grisham fan, you may be highly disappointed with this story, for which I had good expectations for because of the potential it had for becoming Grisham's best. If you are somewhere in between, there is a middle ground in this film for you that you may or may not find is worth your time.

An excellent film for the little sluggers!
'Mickey' is a WONDERFUL family-friendly film that reinforces the concept of fairness in both sports and life. It'schalk full of baseball action and delivers a powerful possitive message that makes keeps you on your toes through the very end last moments of the film. 'Mickey' is perfect for a pizza night at home with the kids or even a rained out sporting event.

I highly recommend this film.

GREAT BASEBALL FILM
Tripp (Connick jr.) and derrick (salinas) decide to change their identities and flee to las vegas. Derrick's new identity as "Mickey" is a year younger, which means he enters little league as a 12 year old. they thought the fraud would be over at the end of the year, but they didn't count on the team having a dream season!
Written by John Grisham and played perfectly by Connick and salinas, this is a great family movie and a great baseball movie.

Mickey is a Great Little League Film
I thought this was a great film.Although it's story is about something negative that happens in Little League, through the story it shows the positive and amazing aspects of the organization. It'swell written and carries you into the story.The impact of one person's actions on many comes out clearly.Anyone who has ever played Little League, or is involved in the organization should really enjoy this film.I highly recommend seeing it! ... Read more

Description

An incredible look back at the Boston Red Sox 2004 World Championship season. Eighty-six years in the making, this review of the historic 2004 season takes you on the long, improbable journey from Spring training to the victory parade through the streets of Boston and floating down the Charles River. Relive the unprecedented comeback against the NY Yankees in the ALCS and the convincing World Series win over St.Louis that finally broke the curse of the bambino. ... Read more

Description

From The Youth Sports Club The producers of the best selling videos, "The 59 Minute Baseball Practice" and "48 Championship Basketball Drills","Championship Soccer Drills" and "Winning Baseball Strategies" comes our newest DVD: "Backyard Baseball Drills". "Backyard Baseball Drills" has taken over two years to complete. This creative DVD is geared for all parents and kids who love baseball or softball. The DVD is comprised of over 30 great drills that can be played in one’s own backyard. Coach Marty Schupak shows parents how to get the most out of common items found in one’s home and creates different and new baseball drills and games. Using things such as a bathroom plunger, a plastic milk container and a cinder block, coach Schupak goes through some basic drills a child age four or five can do. He also shows alternatives for baseball training props such as a "do it yourself" tarp made for under twenty dollars which does the same job as a two hundred dollar net.!The DVD also contains some advanced drills kids ages eight to fourteen can do. This is a true baseball lovers delight that parents will use continually as a resource.PLEASE NOTE:THIS DVD IS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY WITH ALL DRILLS CATEGORIZED WITH MENUS AND CHAPTERS. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A Pleasant Suprise!
I bought this and expected a minimal number of tips but was quite suprised with the creative content and baseball instruction. Coach Marty Schupak has done more then a credible job to keep one's interest and apparantly did his home work. This was my fourth instructional sports video bought and by far the most useful. It's more then one of those "keep your eye on the ball" baseball videos. I have two children and have already tried a number of drills. Some are a little too advanced and my kids and they will have to grow into them but most of the drills for the young ones are great! My only criticism is for a clearer explanation of what the age level for each drill should be but all in all this is a real treat.

A Baseball Lovers Delight For Parents and Kids!
One of the most enjoyable videos I've seen. It combines some great creativity along with some very good baseball instruction. The video starts out a little slow but the pace picks up. The theme being things parents can do in their own backyard teaching baseball or softball fundamentals to their kids. The narrator does a very credible job and some of the drills shown brought back memories of my own childhood with my big brother taking me out back. The video really gets good when they show you the home made props that are very useful. There are also some excellent hitting drills and tips for older kids. The tips make a lot of sense. The swing should be "high to low" with a good demonstration. Grounders should be fielded in the center of the body and players have to be taught to move their feet instead of reaching for the ball. Some of the props used are, a bathroom plunger, two tires, a plastic milk container, a cinder block and two dozen eggs ( wait till you see this one). A nice touch is at the end of the video they go through some of the drills in an inner city location not to leave anyone out. I would recommend this for ages 4-14 and I can see how you will go back to this video as your kids get older. This is a good one for people like me and my neighbors who have aspirations of our kids playing for the Yankees ( hey, we can dream, can't we?) some day.

Most Creative & Interesting Video I've Seen
As a parent of two wanabe Atlanta Braves, this is the most creative instructional video/DVD I've seen. My kids and I watch this over and over again not getting enough and then we go outside and practice some of those great soft toss drills in the video. When you see this DVD, you will realize that money doeasn't buy happiness. Creativity and time with your children make us all wealthy. In addition to those great soft toss drills, "Tennis Racquet Home Run Derby" and "Bubble Baseball" for the little guys are great. Besides the creativity, the tips on the type of bat to chose and breaking in one's new glove should be part of all Lamaze Classes. Love the spray paint idea on the knob of the bat to identify it is yours. We did this and it is the next best thing to having a Lojack in your bat. If your household eats, drinks and sleeps baseball you will want this for now and forever. And this is a great gift from a grandparent like ours. You will be "safe at home" with "Backyard Baseball Drills". Thanks Coach Schupak!

Best of The Best For Youth BaseballInstruction
An old Chinese proverb states, "if you can touch it, it is real."
This high quality baseball instructional DVD is one of the most real things you'll want to get if: 1) You love baseball 2) You have kids that love baseball 3) You love to spend time with your kids. Creative drills and instruction are plentiful. I was reluctant to try some of the drills, but now my kids won't stop playing "Tennis racquet home run derby". Great tips on equipment purchases. Learnt that smaller baseball gloves are better than larger ones. Real nice hitting drills and great stuff for the youngest of baseball fans. If you don't think that baseball is still our National past time, get this DVD.

The Best!
I've bought coach Schupak's other instructional sports videos and thought he couldn't top those. This is the best product I've seen as a parent and youth coach. The creativity is beyond belief. Baseball made fun in your own backyard is what this is all about. Using stuff gathering dust in your garage to help your boy or girl into a .500 hitter! The greatest lesson taught here is that you don't need a lot of money to invent different ideas for practical use. Using a ten dollar tarp instead of a two hundred dollar net as well as a messy yet fun bunting drill with eggs. Don't sell anything on e bay or have a garage sale until you see Schupak's "Backyard Baseball Drills". Baseball and softball is made fun again without paying $5.75 for a hot dog to watch those overpaid cry babies. Highly recommended!!! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

mr baseball
This movie is very interesting.Of course the culture or tradition of Japan is exaggerated and described as very stereotypical (it is all the more fun to us), but it more clearly tell the Japanese many faults we have to change.That is we Japanese have to be independent, or had better have a fun in playing.And not only the Japanese but also the American will learn the good aside of the way of opposide country, accepting or uniting.Whether you are Japanese or American, this movie median between us will case good effect to you.You'll laugh and learn because there are extreme different cultures.

Mr. Baseball...Mr Lameball!!
Tom Selleck modestly claims that he has no big screen presence and proves it again in this film. MR BASEBALL is not only a bad baseball movie, its a bad movie all together. When this film was finally released on video after it's VERY SHORT theatrical release in 1992, at the video store that I frequented, it ended up on the shelf that stated "RENT FOR FREE - IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS VIDEO, YOU DON'T PAY THE RENTAL FEES!" The story of an aging baseball veteran going to finish off his career playing in the Japanese big leagues should have been a great movie. However, again, as in all movies involving asians, the Japanese are given the cartoony stereotypical treatment along with the lame love story involving the attractive asian girl (And surprise!! She happens to be the Japanese Manager's daughter!) with the foriegn caucasian newcomer. Why do they always do that? There is an underlining message of the differences of Japanese and American baseball. In Japanese baseball, the whole team is more important than the individual accolades. Well, there was too much of it in this film (I learned more about that in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, than in this movie). Then, also trying to teach Selleck's character (Jack Elliot) about respect to everything Japanese wore thin as the movie progressed. At the same time he's teaching the team about being Americanized and that was lame also. The film is very boring, the direction and cinematography did not do Japan justice, the characters are predictable, the love story is a death scene short of the film SAYONARA, and the baseball action is generic and not very exciting. Overall, not a very good tribute to the American Pastime, but more of an insult to the Japanese pastime. If you want to learn more about Japanese baseball, read YOU GOTTA HAVE WA by Robert Whiting. It's more entertaining than this drivel. And anyway...Bob Uecker is the real Mr. Baseball. Note:Look for Dennis Haysbert as Max "Hammer" Dubois in the film. He played the hilarious Pedro Cerrano(the voodoo practicing baseball player) in the superior baseball comedy film MAJOR LEAGUE.

WOW!!!!!!
at first i was skeptical about tom sellick coming out of the role of magnum "from magnum pi" but once i started watching mr baseball, wow the way it brings japanese and american culture togather has not been seen since the karate kid 2. one of the most heartwarming scenes is when he goes to his girlfriends fathers house and his girlfriends father is his manager that he did not get along with.they have a discussion about baseball and life that will stick with you for the remander of your days. this is the most epic film in the history of modern cinima.with his performance in mr baseball tom selleck has catapulted his name into the list of greatest actors. now when you think pacino, brando, bogart you have to also put sellick in that list if not at the top. to say mr baseball changed my life would be an understatment. mr baseball changed the world.

Worlds collide, no one leaves unchanged
Tom Selleck plays Jack Elliot in this funny and insightful comedy about an American baseball player 'demoted' to the Japanese league. It has all the cultural in-jokes that you'd expect including "Taking a bath before washing", "Wearing shoes indoors", and "You say one thing, the translator will make it sound nice".

But at the heart of the movie, the story is all about accepting foreign culture. Jack butts heads with Japanese culture. He is loose, relaxed, and immature. The Japanese are tight, uptight, and very serious. As long as everyone sees him as an outsider, they will respect him in public but doubt him in private, and he will never truly fit in.

After a series of humiliating losses, he finally reaches the point where he realizes that his strength and skill are not enough to defeat his problems and he turns to the coach and Japanese culture to help him overcome his ego. The coach admonishes him to stop feeding off of his past successes lest he eat all those successes away, look only to the future in other words. He does so and the rest of the movie shows Elliot becoming stronger in the stadium and spiritual world. By embracing the Japanese Way, he becomes a better person.

However, the flip side to this movie is that the Japanese Way has led to a failing baseball team. Despite the coach's best efforts to harangue the players into playing well, they are too gunshy to play their best. It isn't until the coach accepts that the softer method of coaching based on encouraging the players and fostering a team spirit that the team's slump ends. Jack Elliot made his own mark on the team by bringing trademark American-style attitude to the team.

In the end the message is clear. At the micro-level, the Japanese style of living with its emphasis on detail, cooperation, and austerity is beneficial, and the American style emphasizing laziness, freedom, and individuality is detrimental. At the macro-level, though, the message is quite the opposite. Success is brought by each individual's freedom to make mistakes, being relaxed, and not having an oppressive culture looming above.

It's a fun movie with a lot of insight into the Japanese culture as well as insight into American culture. Well worth renting at least once.

from Aizu high school
This movie is very interesting.Of course the culture or tradition of Japan is exaggerated and described as very stereotypical (it is all the more fun to us), but it more clearly tell the Japanese many faults we have to change.That is we Japanese have to be independent, or had better have a fun in playing.And not only the Japanese but also the American will learn the good aside of the way of opposide country, accepting or uniting.Whether you are Japanese or American, this movie median between us will case good effect to you.You'll laugh and learn because there are extreme different cultures. ... Read more

Product Description

If you are a die-hard Yankees fan this New York Yankees 100th Anniversary 2 disk collector's edition DVD is for you. The 6 hour DVD covers 100 years of Yankees History marked by 26 World Series championships, game footage, exclusive interviews, and never before seen archival footage. You will enjoy watching this officially licensed DVD set which features a collection of unforgettable moments, records, dramatic history, and baseball legends. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Best Baseball documentary I've ever seen !
The best baseball documentary on the market today, great footage, some never seen before, great interviews, the quality is excellant. This is the best way to relive Yankee triumphs and certain tradgedies.
I would recommend this dvd to all baseball history buffs.

Must-Have DVD for Yankee Fans
This is a tasteful videography of the New York Yankees history from 1903 - 2003. Is it complete? Not even close. But at five hours running time, it contains enough game footage and interviews to keep fans seriously entertained. My favorite part of the two-disc set is the collection of original televised footage and play-by-play. They really brought back some great memories. These include Chris Chambliss' 1976 pennant-winning homer, the pine-tar incident, Bobby Murcer's emotional game-winner on the day of Thurman Munson's funeral, Jim Leyritz' 3-run homer in the 1996 series, and pitching heroics by Larson, Righetti, Wells, and Cone. One gripe - some of the footage repeats itself on a bonus disc mini-documentary. I would have preferred less Bob Costas and David Halberstam and more magical moments, like the complete play-by-play of Bucky Dent's famous home run against the Bosox in 1978, or Reggie's 3-homer game in the 1977 World Series, or Ron Guidry's 18-strikeout performance. These were all covered in the documentary, but it would have been nice to have more of the original play-by-play.

Definition of Dynasty
To someone who grew up a Yankee fan in New York, it seems that the team somehow dates back to when the Dutch bought Manhattan from the Indians; that when the patriots and the Redcoats fought the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776, the Yankees and Dodgers were playing a World Series game in a field owned by a guy named Ebbitt, not far away. This DVD almost seems to prove that theory.

The story presented on this DVD is nothing really new; I was hoping for something a little different. And the fuzzy sepia tone old footage is as dated as the slurpy strings that accompany them. Still, there is a dignity about this film. For me, there is a sense of security and pride that can only come from Babe Ruth's roguish wink and Lou Gehrig's self-conscious smile. The statistics aren't as impressive as the anecdotes but the interviews are great fun. This is a terrific reminder of the great Yankee tradition and dynasty. And a great reminder that New York and the New York Yankees are inseparable.

The Empire will never die!
I got this for Christmas and have watched it 3 times since! If you are a Yankees fan this is a must have DVD. It goes through each stage and era in detail with great interviews and highlights. The YES network always does a good job on Yankee documentaries. John Sterling is great as a host. If you enjoy sports history and what made things today posible then this is the greatest Yankees documentary for you. It truly shows the way things progressed and set up future yanks for their success in pinstripes! If you don't already have this you should get it!

ESSENTIAL for any Yankee fan (or bball fan, for that matter)
a GREAT docoumentary. Tons of awesome footage, and interviews and reminiscences by the actual participants (Yankee and foe), allowing you to relive the greatest moments in Yankee (and by extension, baseball) history. I'm a huge Yankee fan, and while i thought i'd probably enjoy this anyway, i was amazed how into it I was. The next thing I knew, I had almost watched the whole thing straight thru, which would've been a feat: it has a generous running time - over 5 hours. This would make an ideal present for any Yankee fan who hasn't already seen this material on YES network. The only people who wouldn't enjoy this are Red Sox fans, as so many of the great moments in Yankee history came at Boston's expense. ... Read more

Description

There is no amateur baseball league more prestigous and more storied than the Cape Cod Baseball League.Now for the first time, the story of the league is told in a feature length documentary complete with interviews from current and past players, coaches, fans, and others who make Cape Cod the place to be for a true summer experience.The documentary crew spent the entire summer of 2003 following the Cape League.The result is a unique view of the transition from college baseball player to professional baseball player.

There are currently over 200 Major League baseball players that have spent time in the Cape League, many of whom appear in this film.The Cape Cod Baseball League is baseball in its purest form.This film is for those who not only love baseball, but people who have spent a summer on the Cape "Touching the Game", ... Read more

Description

The first in a series of Yankeeography signature biographies from MLB Productions that bring the greatest names in New York Yankees history to life. Volume One highlights six Yankee legends; Thurman Munson, Derek Jeter, Babe Ruth, Ron Guidry, Don Mattingly and Joe Torre. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Brings Tears to my eyes each time
I watch this each time there is no game on. It has me in tears all the time. It is a MUST have for a real fan.

It WAS excellent
Someone stole my copy. But it was great...I had it for 3 days. I love Mattingly and Jeter.

Home Run
This set is an excellent selection from the award winning YES Network Yankeeography programme. A must have for any hard core Yankees fan. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Special Features
This DVD covers it all from the start of the franchise through the heartbreaks.

The special features include some unique looks at plays from different angles with various announcers.

one replay in particular - Carlton Fisk from the LF camera- has a nice easter egg in it. Go frame by frame and look in the dugout as Fisk rounds first and the camera flash goes off...very spooky!

Good and interesting overview of the BoSox
I thought this DVD was well worth it. History was well presented
(I didn't know the club started as the Boston Pilgrims) and the film and still pictures were very good. Definitely hit all the memorable highlights of this great ballclub. A must have/see for Red Sox fans though I recommend it for any baseball fan. Overall, very good.

1918
well there really isn't anything good in this mess. all you need to know is the redsox will never win cause oF THE CURSE!!!!!hahahahahahahahah. so that is that. yours aaron ruth. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Just What I Was Looking For
My husband is a baseball fanatic.He was so excited when our son was old enough to start playing baseball.At six, Matt was ready to play, the problem, he didn't seem interested in the game.We stumbled accross "The Littlest Leaguers Learn to Play Baseball" and bought it for Matt.He loved it.Matthew was so eager to play baseball by the time the first practice came around.It really made a difference! ... Read more

Product Description

The "Play Ball! Basic Pitching" DVD with Ray Romano and Reggie Smith is an authentic Little League® baseball guide that teaches basic pitching techniques, strategies, tips, practice drills, and safety. It's hosted by Ray Romano from TV's "Everybody Loves Raymond". ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Jennifer Kelly, President of a Youth Baseball Group
This video is sure to help all future major leaguers get a great start learning the game of baseball. I recommend it to my new coaches as well.

Nothing else like it.
I've looked everywhere for something that would help my kids with the self confidence they need before the first Little League practice. This has helped a lot. Everything is on this DVD. Rules of the game, how to be a good sport and the importance of teamwork. The coach is friendly and gives the kids an idea of what to expect. The kids at the practice learn that they all have worthwhile capabilities. The use of animated characters really keeps them interested. There is just nothing like it available. It's great!

Children
Bottom Line, my kids loved it! In the process, they learned important life lessons. A great tool for both parents and children to learn together!

Good for young kids!
If you want your young children to learn about soccer or baseball without an emphasis on the negative aspects of competition - this is for you. I loved both videos. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The HBO documentary When It Was a Game (slightly shortened on DVD from the two-part VHS release) is based on a highly original idea: tell the story of baseball from the Great Depression era through the late 1950s using footage from home-movie cameras shot by fans and players. The result is a marvelous retelling of baseball in America as seen from the ground--the culture of stadiums, the ritual of afternoon games, the spiritually sustaining rivalries. Somewhat enthralled by the images at its disposal, the film has a way of almost stepping back from itself, waxing poetic at a sighting of the St. Louis Cardinals' "Gashouse Gang," or a glimpse of Bogart and Bacall in the stands, or the legendary contests between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Among the truly unexpected sights is color footage of the 1938 World Series (Cubs versus Yanks), not only from inside the stadium walls but from the street as traffic cops, crowds, and vehicles amassed. Of course, there are the heroes, too, often caught in relaxed, unselfconscious moments through the lens of a teammate or a true believer in the bleachers. A great experience all around.

Arguably more defined and even more lyrical than its predecessor, the second installment of When It Was a Game moves from a general celebration of baseball culture in America to a specific focus on various facets of the game's history. Once again using footage compiled from the 8mm and 16mm collections that players and fans shot over decades, this sequel follows, among other things, the special relationship between game announcers and fans and takes a fascinating trip through the story of the farm-team system during the 1930s, '40s, and '50s (particularly the near-alternate world of the Coast League). The working-class commonality of players and fans is examined, too. Imagine taking the subway home from Ebbets Field and finding yourself looking back on the day's game with a Dodger outfielder. (It could, and often did, happen.) Brooklyn's assimilation of the Dodgers into their community identity, a story often told, is covered quite winningly here, as is the heartbreak of the team's desertion to sunny California. Closing in on its final minutes, the film takes us on a tour of some of the game's legends and presents a touching tribute to the extraordinary Babe Ruth. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Wow. Color film footage of Lou Gehrig and much, much more
"When It Was a Game" is composed entirely of 8mm and 16mm home movie footage that was taken by players and fans between 1934 and 1957. What this means for every baseball fan who has seen nothing but black & white newsreel footage of the good old days is the opportunity to see great players and the old ballparks where they played in living color. As soon as your see Lou Gehrig in color your heart just about skips a beat. Every spring right before Opening Day I watch the Ken Burns 9-inning documentary on "Baseball," and once it gets up to the Sixties and we start seeing things in color, the whole thing loses some of its charm for me because I am so used to seeing old footage and photographs in black & white. That makes the nostalgic images in "What It Was a Game" so astounding.

The only thing I can come up with to compare this documentary to wuld be the 1953 Bowman baseball cards. That was the year Bowman went to photographs, with 64 black & white 2 1/2" x 3 3/4" cards and 160 in color. These remain some of the most beautiful baseball cards ever made, particularly card #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals' Stan "The Man" Musial. When we see footage of Musial in this documentary, his uniform a beautiful combination of black and red, this is just something transcendent about that image. Even when these are just home movies taken before a game, seeing Ted Williams, Hank Greenberg, Bill Dickey, Carl Hubbell, Robin Roberts, and Jackie Robinson in color is just so captivating. Even shadowy footage of Satchel Paige in the major leagues at last is memorable. Then there are the shots of some of the living Hall of Famers such as Honus Wagner and Cy Young, including film of the greatest outfielders of the first half century: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Tris Speaker. I have seen black & white photographs of their joint appearance, Ruth ill and not wearing a uniform, but this is in color and the pictures are in motion.

The producers have to come up with something for somebody to say while we watch these fascinating images, and there is a mixture of recollections from former players, poetic observations from sportswriters, and some actual commentary on what we are seeing (I have reason to suspect that some of this is leftover audio from Burns's "Baseball" since they are the same voices). But you will probably have to watch this 57-minute documentary a couple of times to catch everything that is being said because a real baseball fan is just going to lose themselves in these pictures. Players are often identified, which is good because since they are not in black & white some of them are actually hard to recognize. But in terms of the most shocking images that would have to be reserved for the section on the old ballparks where we see Chicago's Wrigley Field when the outfield wall was not covered with ivy and there were no bleachers for the fans. If that does not give you a sense they we have gone back into the distant past when baseball was a game, nothing will.

Terrific, magical
This is not just for baseball fans, and I really mean that. This documentary touches the very heart of American sentimentality about the game. It's more of a documentary about America than baseball. Every single American has a romantic notion of baseball deep inside and the way that it once was... when baseball was truly the national past-time and the symbol of everything American. When It Was a Game is the de-facto summation of that and touches deep-down, much like the Olympics also touches American nationalism. When watching this back in 1992 on HBO for the first time, my mouth was ajar for most of it, and my eyes were misty at the conclusion... and I don't even like baseball (as it is now). If you're cynical about the state of our national past-time and share that romantic notion of baseball long-past, do yourself a favor as an American, watch this documentary, and re-live a time in the history of our national past-time "when it was a game."

Amazing
I'll keep this short. If you are a baseball fan (you're a dying breed) then you will love this. This series magically takes you back in time to a place where the game was played for sport and pride and not money. Before free agency there was a thing called respect. Baseball helped to make hard times a little easier and to forgot lifes troubles for awhile. Buy this DVD and show your children what sports used to be. What men used to be.

Baseball time travel
I sometimes dream in black and white, and when I do, I'm usually watching an old baseball game, one played before there was TV, even. Doubtless my dreams are influenced by all the old books I read as a kid, and from watching "When It Was a Game" when it originally aired on HBO a decade ago. I decided to buy the DVD for myself after seeing some of the memorabilia from the Baseball Hall of Fame currently on display in the "Baseball As America" exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.

And while many of the players and ballparks captured on film here were gone long before I was born, I recognized most of them anyway. I especially thrilled in seeing the black & white footage from the 1934 World Series -- the hard slides, the beanballs, the old-school herky-jerky pitching deliveries -- and the color footage from the '38 Series at Wrigley Field. Here you also get to see the fabled Green Monster at Fenway Park, before it was either Green, or called "Monster" -- covered in billboards for razor blades or Lifebuoy soap.

If I had to complain, I'd say that for a beginning or casual fan, the footage presented is confusing at first, since graphics and explanatory voiceovers are kept to a minimum in the first twenty minutes. Eventually, however, all the ballparks shown are identified by name, as are many of the players. The narration is misty-eyed and minimal, and not all of the poems or literary passages recited may be to your liking. However, it should be understood that HBO is quite adept at this form of documentary, and "When It Was A Game" was at the forefront of the HBO revolution. And it's also hard to argue with hearing Burgess Whitehead and Eldon Auker and Tommy Henrich speak for themselves.

Go out and watch "When It Was A Game" for yourself -- with the sound on, painting a word-picture of a time you can no longer see for yourself, or even with the sound off, just to look at the footage (Pepper Martin's juggling trick has to have been done with mirrors!). Then when someone asks you what you watched on TV yesterday, you can say, "Oh, the 1934 World Series..."

Great
If you like baseball you will like this movie. It gives footage, IN COLOR, of some of baseball's most beloved moments and most beloved teams. It brings everything to life for you. Whether your an adult and want to relive the memories or a child and want to see it for the first time, When It was the Game is the DVD for you. Also, if you like this, try When It was a Game 2 and When It Was a Game 3. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

mr baseball
This movie is very interesting.Of course the culture or tradition of Japan is exaggerated and described as very stereotypical (it is all the more fun to us), but it more clearly tell the Japanese many faults we have to change.That is we Japanese have to be independent, or had better have a fun in playing.And not only the Japanese but also the American will learn the good aside of the way of opposide country, accepting or uniting.Whether you are Japanese or American, this movie median between us will case good effect to you.You'll laugh and learn because there are extreme different cultures.

Mr. Baseball...Mr Lameball!!
Tom Selleck modestly claims that he has no big screen presence and proves it again in this film. MR BASEBALL is not only a bad baseball movie, its a bad movie all together. When this film was finally released on video after it's VERY SHORT theatrical release in 1992, at the video store that I frequented, it ended up on the shelf that stated "RENT FOR FREE - IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS VIDEO, YOU DON'T PAY THE RENTAL FEES!" The story of an aging baseball veteran going to finish off his career playing in the Japanese big leagues should have been a great movie. However, again, as in all movies involving asians, the Japanese are given the cartoony stereotypical treatment along with the lame love story involving the attractive asian girl (And surprise!! She happens to be the Japanese Manager's daughter!) with the foriegn caucasian newcomer. Why do they always do that? There is an underlining message of the differences of Japanese and American baseball. In Japanese baseball, the whole team is more important than the individual accolades. Well, there was too much of it in this film (I learned more about that in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, than in this movie). Then, also trying to teach Selleck's character (Jack Elliot) about respect to everything Japanese wore thin as the movie progressed. At the same time he's teaching the team about being Americanized and that was lame also. The film is very boring, the direction and cinematography did not do Japan justice, the characters are predictable, the love story is a death scene short of the film SAYONARA, and the baseball action is generic and not very exciting. Overall, not a very good tribute to the American Pastime, but more of an insult to the Japanese pastime. If you want to learn more about Japanese baseball, read YOU GOTTA HAVE WA by Robert Whiting. It's more entertaining than this drivel. And anyway...Bob Uecker is the real Mr. Baseball. Note:Look for Dennis Haysbert as Max "Hammer" Dubois in the film. He played the hilarious Pedro Cerrano(the voodoo practicing baseball player) in the superior baseball comedy film MAJOR LEAGUE.

WOW!!!!!!
at first i was skeptical about tom sellick coming out of the role of magnum "from magnum pi" but once i started watching mr baseball, wow the way it brings japanese and american culture togather has not been seen since the karate kid 2. one of the most heartwarming scenes is when he goes to his girlfriends fathers house and his girlfriends father is his manager that he did not get along with.they have a discussion about baseball and life that will stick with you for the remander of your days. this is the most epic film in the history of modern cinima.with his performance in mr baseball tom selleck has catapulted his name into the list of greatest actors. now when you think pacino, brando, bogart you have to also put sellick in that list if not at the top. to say mr baseball changed my life would be an understatment. mr baseball changed the world.

Worlds collide, no one leaves unchanged
Tom Selleck plays Jack Elliot in this funny and insightful comedy about an American baseball player 'demoted' to the Japanese league. It has all the cultural in-jokes that you'd expect including "Taking a bath before washing", "Wearing shoes indoors", and "You say one thing, the translator will make it sound nice".

But at the heart of the movie, the story is all about accepting foreign culture. Jack butts heads with Japanese culture. He is loose, relaxed, and immature. The Japanese are tight, uptight, and very serious. As long as everyone sees him as an outsider, they will respect him in public but doubt him in private, and he will never truly fit in.

After a series of humiliating losses, he finally reaches the point where he realizes that his strength and skill are not enough to defeat his problems and he turns to the coach and Japanese culture to help him overcome his ego. The coach admonishes him to stop feeding off of his past successes lest he eat all those successes away, look only to the future in other words. He does so and the rest of the movie shows Elliot becoming stronger in the stadium and spiritual world. By embracing the Japanese Way, he becomes a better person.

However, the flip side to this movie is that the Japanese Way has led to a failing baseball team. Despite the coach's best efforts to harangue the players into playing well, they are too gunshy to play their best. It isn't until the coach accepts that the softer method of coaching based on encouraging the players and fostering a team spirit that the team's slump ends. Jack Elliot made his own mark on the team by bringing trademark American-style attitude to the team.

In the end the message is clear. At the micro-level, the Japanese style of living with its emphasis on detail, cooperation, and austerity is beneficial, and the American style emphasizing laziness, freedom, and individuality is detrimental. At the macro-level, though, the message is quite the opposite. Success is brought by each individual's freedom to make mistakes, being relaxed, and not having an oppressive culture looming above.

It's a fun movie with a lot of insight into the Japanese culture as well as insight into American culture. Well worth renting at least once.

from Aizu high school
This movie is very interesting.Of course the culture or tradition of Japan is exaggerated and described as very stereotypical (it is all the more fun to us), but it more clearly tell the Japanese many faults we have to change.That is we Japanese have to be independent, or had better have a fun in playing.And not only the Japanese but also the American will learn the good aside of the way of opposide country, accepting or uniting.Whether you are Japanese or American, this movie median between us will case good effect to you.You'll laugh and learn because there are extreme different cultures. ... Read more

Product Description

THe Memorable Moments baseball VHS from Video Action Sports captures the top 30 most exciting events in Major League Baseball. The stories include Cal Ripken breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive-game streak in 1995, Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's home-run record in 1974, and Jackie Robinson becoming the first African-American MLB player in 1947. Archive footage and personal stories recall the details of these historical events. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

More talking heads than highlight footage
This was a real disappointment because I wanted a DVD to watch with my little leaguer to get him excited about the game and what could be done on the baseball field. He was bored as it was mostly talking heads with very little actual footage of great moments. Lots of behind the scenes and historical reminiscing about great moments....but only a moment or two of actual game footage.

This DVD is not a highlight film...it's a talk show.

Ichiro Suzuki??
The 30 moments are great, but how bout replacing Ichiro's rookie season with at least the 1997 World Series. that 97 Series was as exciting as the 91 and 01 Series. Ichiro's rookie season will only live up to Pacific Northwest fans and Asians.

it can't get any better man
baseball Major League Baseball Memorable Moments - The 30 Most Memorable Moments in Baseball History
DVD is the best thing I ever saw

Great footage, solid commentary...almost perfect
As an avid fan of the game and follower of the history, I was looking forward to this DVD very much. I had seen a bunch of these clips in ESPN,