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Genres
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CastDaniel OkrentGeorge F. WillJohn Chancellor
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Premiere DateSeptember 18, 1994
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IMDB Rating9.2 (4,924)
Baseball is an iconic television documentary series that explores the history and culture of America's favorite pastime - baseball. This highly acclaimed program, which ran from 1994 to 2010, was created by filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick and features extensive footage and interviews with some of the most influential personalities in the world of baseball.
The show is divided into nine episodes, each of which explores a different period in the history of baseball, from its earliest beginnings to the modern day. The series is narrated by esteemed journalist John Chancellor, with contributions from a number of baseball experts, including Daniel Okrent and George F. Will.
The first episode of Baseball, titled "Our Game," delves deep into the early years of baseball, exploring how the game evolved from its English origins to become an American institution. The episode features interviews with baseball historians and experts, as well as rare archival footage that shows how the game was played in the 19th century.
In the second episode, titled "Something Like a War," the focus is on the early years of professional baseball, from the rise of star players like Babe Ruth to the scandalous Black Sox scandal of 1919. The third installment, "The Faith of Fifty Million People," explores the golden age of baseball during the 1920s and 1930s, when legendary players like Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio dominated the sport.
The fourth episode, titled "A National Heirloom," covers the war years of the 1940s, when many baseball players went off to fight in World War II, and the game struggled to survive. The fifth episode, "The Capital of Baseball," explores how New York City became the center of the baseball world during the 1950s and 1960s, as the city's three teams - the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers - battled for supremacy.
In the sixth episode, "The Ghosts of Flatbush," the focus is on the Brooklyn Dodgers, a team that captured the hearts of baseball fans around the world before moving to Los Angeles in 1957. The seventh episode, "The National Pastime," covers the turbulent 1960s, a period marked by civil rights struggles, player protests, and the emergence of new stars like Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente.
The eighth episode of Baseball, titled "A Whole New Ballgame," explores the changes that occurred in the sport during the 1970s and 1980s, from free agency and player strikes to the rise of new dynasties like the Oakland A's and the New York Mets. The final episode of the series, "The Tenth Inning," brings the story of baseball up to the present day, examining the game's continuing struggles with performance-enhancing drugs, labor disputes, and the challenges of the 21st century.
Overall, Baseball is a masterful documentary series that offers a rich and nuanced look at one of America's most beloved sports. With its extensive research and expert analysis, the show is a must-see for any fan of baseball, as well as anyone interested in the cultural and social history of the United States.
Baseball (Complete Series) is a series that ran for 1 seasons (11 episodes) between September 18, 1994 and on