Ken Burns BASEBALL

[TURBO]

If anyone hasn't seen it yet, you really should.

 

I just started it again this past weekend. (this will be my 3rd time seeing it)

 

It is must see TV for the average to fanatic baseball fan.

 

Just so good!

[pitchleague]

I think the last time that I truly sat down and watched the whole series (I've seen bits and pieces over the years) was probably back in college in the 90s. My mom recorded it off PBS for me on old VHS tapes. The quality was poor, since I think these weren't brand new tapes, but dubbed over.

 

Someday, I should probably watch it in HD (or at least some quality better than crummy VHS).

 

I concur, though, it is excellent.

[JimH5]

Buck O'Neil was the star of the series, but there are a lot of great interview snippets of very interesting people. John Thorn, Shirley Povich, George Will, George Plimpton, Rachel Robinson...and many more.

 

I think the HD version is very good, though the series was originally produced in 4:3, so there's some compromise with the HD. And while I loved the first 9 innings, the 10th was just ok.

[TURBO]

Yeah, the 10th was just an add on, so not part of the original series.

 

The only issue I have with the dvd issue is that the music is sometimes too loud to hear the people talking clearly.

 

the content is excellent though. I can't see how a baseball fan wouldn't be enthralled with this series. It is just so great!

[RobDeer 45]

What a documentary! I used to watch this, at least the first 4 or 5 tapes, each year right before the baseball season started. I haven't done that in probably 15 years but I just said to my wife this week, that we should watch it this March. I can't wait to dive back in.

 

Pitch league - those old tapes might be more fun to watch than in HD! Giving it that old feel, bringing you back to your youth.

[TURBO]

I had this on VHS back in the day, but got rid of it for the dvd set years ago. Kind of wish I had kept the vhs set too.

[3and2Fastball]

It’s good. It’s old. Lots of stereotypes in it. Cobb wasn’t a racist, there’s a great newer book out that has well documented research that refutes that. There is a ton of bias towards the end, against Bonds and in favor of Griffey Jr for instance.

 

In general it is pretty good

[Outlander]

I don't know if Cobb was racist or not but Al Stump made up a lot of stuff over his lifetime and certainly not hard to believe he made up a lot of stuff about Cobb. Not a lot out there supporting Stump's claims but a movie was made about Cobb based on the Stump's writings and Ken Burns Baseball piggy backed on that.

[rickh150]

Bob Costas stood out to me.... His stories of the 86 Mets and 88 Dodgers, with Gibson's HR, were just fun to hear..... Thwack...Uhhh.... Thwack....UHhhh

[Jimbo]

I got it for my dad for Christmas 25 years ago. He never has gotten around to watching it. As they prepared to sell the house 18 months ago, I saw it sitting on the floor and I rescued it. Why not? I paid $180 for it.

[TURBO]

It's really too bad that Kenesaw Mountain Landis was so against blacks playing in MLB. If he had allowed it, guys like Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige (along with countless other stars of the Negro Leagues) would have had much different carreer paths, and would probably be mentioned in the same sentance with Babe Ruth and the other early stars of the game. Hard to believe that so many people back in the day were ok with such blatant racism tied to the commish office. He did a lot of great things for the game too, but hard to get past his racism...

 

I have really enjoyed the Negro League pieces in this series. What might have been...

[Austin Tatious]

Here is an article that debunks the myth of Cobb as a racist, including that his family were abolitionists.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.freep.com/amp/3110323001

[AKCheesehead]

I've seen various parts of this throughout the years and I believe it's time to own it, maybe watch it with Dad.

 

I also noticed When It Was A Game, which I have not seen at all. Seems overpriced on Amazon, does anyone have recommendations on this HBO feature?

[TURBO]

I've seen various parts of this throughout the years and I believe it's time to own it, maybe watch it with Dad.

 

 

You won't be disappointed, every time I plug another dvd in, it seems to fly by, so interesting. Kind of makes you long to be around in the 20's-60's to experience it all in person. I was born in 65, and my first baseball memories are tied to Hank Aaron as a Brewer. He started my lifelong love for all that is baseball.