A look back at the history of major league baseball in Houston, starting with its humble beginnings at Colt .45 stadium, to the massive grandeur of the Astrodome and the birth of the Astros. Enjoy many of the great moments in Houston's baseball history including Ken Johnson's no-hitter, which he lost, Don Wilson's spectacular performances on the mound, and Nolan Ryan's triumph in overtaking Walter Johnson's strikeout record, just to name a few. Relive the story of the Astros as told by the stars who experienced it: like Rusty Staub, Joe Morgan and Mike Scott. From an expansion team in 1962 to today's National League Western Division Champions, "A Silver Odyssey" captures a quarter-century of history, humor and excitement.
Ever since the Astrodome's grand opening night on April 9, 1965, when the Astros hosted the legendary Mickey Mantle and the New York Yankees in an exhibition game, baseball under glass has produced exciting times and great memories. The Astrodome revolutionized baseball and the game hasn't been the same since. Take a fun look back at the early years. Relive the excitement of the 1980 and '86 playoff series, then review the 1989 season as the Astros' young guns came of age, ready for the 1990s. All of these moments and more are captured in this video tribute to the Astros and their 25 years in the "Eight Wonder of the World." Written and produced by Houston sports journalist and Astros broadcaster Bruce Gietzen.
"As soon as you hear the title to this new one, you know exactly what it's about and why it's likely to be good, especially if you were a sports fan growing up in the 1970s. Even to good boys all the way across the country in New Hampshire, the authority-flouting baseball A's and football Raiders were magical. Not only did they win championships, they did it amid clubhouse brawls, feuds with an owner and a general embrace of the 1960s aesthetic. Filmmakers Rick Bernstein and Ross Greenburg tell the stories of these turbulent, talented teams and show how they perfectly fit their city. Oakland was blue collar and home to hardcore hard-core 1960s rebellion, exemplified by the Black Panthers. Oakland, especially, was not San Francisco, the effete, world-class city across the bay."
This film traces the history of major league baseball's one year team, the Seattle Pilots, who after their lone season of 1969 were moved to Milwaukee and became the Brewers.
The New York Yankees Are Once Again World Series Champions! The Yankees won their record 27th World Series Championship with a thrilling six game victory over the NL Champion Philadelphia Philles. From Jeter to Rivera to A-Rod and C.C. its all here.
The 2005 Chicago White Sox finally put it all together in the same season-incredible pitching, timely hitting, superb management and an unselfish, all-around team effort and finally the second longest championship drought in baseball history (88 years) comes to an end with a bold exclamation point at the end of a dramatic sweep of the Houston Astros to clinch that elusive World Series trophy.
There is nothing more majestic in baseball than the home run. Home run hitters have made up baseball's greatest hitters and most charismatic players: Ruth, Mays, Mantle, Aaron, Jackson. Their names summon a moment: Fisk, Gibson, Mazeroski, Dent. This video showcases 50 of the greatest home runs of all time.
After 46 years in exile, former major league baseball star Luis Tiant returns to Cuba, where he encounters unexpected demons and receives unexpected gifts from his family.
This historic official film from Major League Baseball presents the exciting story of the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series championship run through comprehensive highlights, exclusive access and interviews, and breathtaking footage.
This feature documentary uses animation, archival stills and live-action footage to detail the history of women's participation in the largely male-dominated world of baseball and softball. Zany and affectionate, it features 7-year-olds learning the rules and skills of the game and 50-year-olds hitting home runs, from the early days of the Bloomer Girls to the heyday of the Colorado Silver Bullets.
Since Little League Baseball was founded in 1939, about 40 million kids have played the sport. The list includes future Hall of Famers like Carl Yastrzemski, Tom Seaver and Nolan Ryan, and hundreds of other future Major Leaguers. But of all the kids who ever played Little League, the best of the best was a boy you’ve probably never heard of: Art “Pinky” Deras. In the summer of 1959, he led the team from Hamtramck, Mich., to the Little League World Series title, and in the process, he put together a Little League season the likes of which we might never see again. His amazing story comes to life in “The Legend of Pinky Deras: The Greatest Little-Leaguer There Ever Was,” a new film from Blue Hammer Films. Pinky received a ton of national publicity back in 1959, but then he fell off the map. In the half-century since he lit the Little League world on fire, there have been no films about him, no magazine stories, not even a single newspaper article.
Kokoyakyu: High School Baseball is a documentary about making it to Koshien, the summer high school baseball tournament in Japan. The documentary follows two teams: Chiben Academy from Wakayama Prefecture and Tennoji Public High School from Osaka. The documentary covers what motivates the players and coaches, and also covers the cheer team and team managers who support the team.
A rampant, street level story of mentorship and everyday heroism in tough circumstances. An inner city coach's son, estranged in his youth from his father, spends five years on ball fields in inner city Oakland and Havana, following the lives of two extraordinary youth baseball coaches, Roscoe in Oakland and Nicolas in Havana. The coaches meet on videotape and two years of red tape later, Coach Roscoe and nine Oakland players travel to Havana to play Coach Nicolas' team. For one week, the players and coaches eat, dance, swim, argue and play baseball together. But when the parent of an Oakland player is murdered back home, it brings back the inescapable reality and challenges of life in an American inner city.
An average baseball film in the making comes out of seemingly nowhere to become one of the best sports films made of all time. A true testament to the real beauty of Hollywood filmmaking, the way it used to be.
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In December 2021, Hideki Kuriyama began devoting his days to one singular goal: hoisting the championship trophy at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. How did he mold his players into one of the best and strongest Samurai Japan teams in history? A close-up documentary that looks back on Samurai Japan's path to becoming world champions, along with valuable behind-the-scenes footage captured by the team's dedicated crew.
Jim Bouton's 1970 book "Ball Four" was groundbreaking, shocking, and controversial. It sold in the millions. 40 years later, Bouton and former teammates spin hilarious stories from behind baseball's cloistered clubhouses, giving a rare glimpse inside Major League baseball in the 1960s. The book's cultural impact is examined by filmmaker and former pro baseball player Ron Shelton ("Bull Durham"), author Jean Hastings Ardell, and David Kipen, former director of literature for the NEA.
Heralded as a palace among minor and major league baseball stadiums, Silver Stadium set a standard of excellence from opening day. From May 1929 through the 1990s Silver Stadium served as home to Rochester's historic baseball team, The Rochester Red Wings, as well as many other sporting teams. When not being used as a baseball stadium, the space served as center stage for a variety of traveling acts. Hear from the people closest to the history of this magnificent facility as they take you on a journey through The Memories of Silver.
Connecting different generations of players, Warren Cromartie, Andre Dawson, Cliff Floyd and Rondell White join together at a local restaurant to reminisce about life as Montreal Expos and the special bond created with its fan base.
The first and only Taiwanese player for the New York Yankees, Chien-Ming Wang held many titles: American League Wins Leader, World Series Champion, Olympian, Time 100 Most Influential, and The Pride of Taiwan. He had it all - until a 2008 injury forever altered the course of his career. Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story - named after the late sinking action on his signature pitch - follows the rise and fall of the international icon as he fights his way back into the Major Leagues through endless rehab programs and lengthy stints away from home, carrying the weight of the world on his battered shoulder. A poignant and intimate account of Wang’s steadfast quest, Late Life tells the story of a man who is unwilling to give up and unable to let go.