Baseball 

A documentary on the history of the sport with major topics including Afro-American players, player/team owner relations and the resilience of the game.

Stars:

John Chancellor, Daniel Okrent, Ossie Davis

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
John Chancellor	...	Narrator 9 episodes, 1994
Daniel Okrent	...	Himself 8 episodes, 1994-2010
Ossie Davis	...	Various / ... 7 episodes, 1994
Paul Roebling	...	Various / ... 7 episodes, 1994
Studs Terkel	...	Himself / ... 7 episodes, 1994
Eli Wallach	...	Various / ... 7 episodes, 1994
John Thorn	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1994-2010
George Will	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1994-2010
Adam Arkin	...	Various / ... 6 episodes, 1994
Charles McDowell	...	Himself / ... 6 episodes, 1994
Buck O'Neil	...	Himself 6 episodes, 1994
George Plimpton	...	Himself / ... 6 episodes, 1994
Gerald Early	...	Himself 5 episodes, 1994-2010
Doris Kearns Goodwin	...	Herself 5 episodes, 1994-2010
Roger Angell	...	Himself 5 episodes, 1994
Keith Carradine	...	Various / ... 5 episodes, 1994
Shelby Foote	...	Himself 5 episodes, 1994
Garrison Keillor	...	Various / ... 5 episodes, 1994
Amy Madigan	...	Various / ... 5 episodes, 1994
Jason Robards	...	Various / ... 5 episodes, 1994
John Turturro	...	Himself / ... 5 episodes, 1994
Bob Costas	...	Himself 4 episodes, 1994-2010
Red Barber	...	Himself 4 episodes, 1994
Philip Bosco	...	Various 4 episodes, 1994
Robert W. Creamer	...	Himself 4 episodes, 1994
Mario Cuomo	...	Himself 4 episodes, 1994
Donald Hall	...	Himself 4 episodes, 1994
Arthur Miller	...	Various / ... 4 episodes, 1994
Gregory Peck	...	Various / ... 4 episodes, 1994
Vin Scully	...	Himself 4 episodes, 1994

Storyline

Ken Burns relates the history of baseball in a fashion similar to that of his Civil War mini series. Old-time photos and illustrations depict the games early years, while newsreels and video clips highlight more recent developments. Players and participants speak in their own words, and sports writers and broadcasters offer commentary on the sport and events they witnessed.

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Plot Keywords:

baseball | tv mini series | baseball history | labor union | racism | 

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Genres:

Documentary | History | Sport

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Baseball

Company Credits

Production Co:

Florentine Films, The Baseball Film Project, WETA

Technical Specs

Runtime:

1,140 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The series is structured in baseball fashion: divided into "innings", each with a top and bottom half; opens with the national anthem; is given "play by play" by the narrator along with "color commentary" by various experts; eventually goes to extra innings; etc.

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Quotes

Narrator: It is played everywhere. In parks and playgrounds and prison yards. In back alleys and farmers' fields. By small children and old men. Raw amateurs and millionaire professionals. It is a leisurely game that demands blinding speed. The only game in which the defense has the ball. It follows the seasons, beginning each year with the fond expectancy of springtime, and ending with the hard facts of autumn. It is a haunted game, in which every player is measured against the ghosts of all who have ...

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Connections

References Citizen Kane (1941)

User Reviews

Wonderful!

Being a life-long baseball fanatic (Personally a Cubs fan) and a baseball history buff, this is simply a WONDERFUL documentary. Ken Burns did an excellent job on covering every single era in baseball, from the beginnings to modern-day. My favourite era of baseball was the 1940s to the 1960s and I thoroughly enjoyed that part. I recently found the complete set at a local video/music store and bought it. I pop one in every week to get me through the long winter. Every baseball fan should see this! You will not be disappointed!

A 10 out of 10!