Features exclusive behind-the-scenes access and never-before-heard audio of the MLB umpires who worked the 2012 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers.
The St. Louis Cardinals teams of the 1980s are examined. Whitey Herzog was hired as manager in 1980 and began crafting a team that was built on speed and defense. Cardinals were the only team in the decade to appear in three World Series (winning the 1982 World Series over the Milwaukee Brewers).
The Portland Pickles are upending the entertainment world without compromising the essence of America’s pastime. As the #1 attended collegiate wood bat team in America, they draw fans from all walks of life with a bold embrace of local culture and community spirit. Experience the beauty, excitement, and passion of local summer baseball with the next wave of MLB stars.
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.
"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."
When they were good, they were the biggest stars on a team that captured New York City and the 1986 World Series. But when they were bad, Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry broke the hearts of Mets fans. "They were going to be our guys for years," laments Jon Stewart in this evocative yet searing 30 for 30 documentary directed by Judd Apatow ("Trainwreck") and Michael Bonfiglio ("You Don't Know Bo"). Reunited at a diner in Queens, the pitcher and the power hitter look back on the glory days of the mid-'80s and the harrowing nights that turned them from surefire Hall of Famers into prisoners of their own addictions. Listening to Doc talk about missing the parade down the Canyon of Heroes, or Darryl counsel others at his ministry, you can only wish that these two very different men had not followed the same destructive path.
In the late 80's/early 90's North America's favorite pastime was collecting baseball cards. People would invest millions, in this game of pirates treasure, by putting their mint condition gold in plastic sleeves, locking it away and hoping it's value would continue to rise year after year. Unfortunately, this house of cards would soon collapse, leaving the pieces of cardboard along with the hopes and dreams of fathers and sons worthless. Stu Stone was one of those sons, and his relationship with his father Jack, who was in the card business, would crumble with the industry. 25 years later, Stu is on a mission to discover why his beloved baseball cards are worth nothing more than the memories they hold of a happy childhood. What he didn't plan on finding though, was the most elusive card of them all, his father Jack.
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.
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.
Foulball
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.
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.
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 feature documentary follows one of the greatest Canadian baseball players of all time, Ferguson Jenkins, through the 1972-1973 season. From the hope and innocence of spring training to the dog days of an August slump, the camera gets up close and personal at the home plate and records the intimate chatter on the mound, in the dugout and in the locker room. It provides a glimpse into the rewards and pressures of sports stardom and the easy camaraderie of the quintessential summer sport.
Celebrating colorful broadcaster Bob Uecker and his 50-plus years in baseball. His famously undistinguished playing career led to film and TV roles, a legendary series of beer commercials, and over 100 appearances on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson." Ultimately his spot in the Milwaukee Brewers broadcast booth would take him to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
This official film from Major League Baseball presents the thrilling story of the 2015 World Series championship run of the Kansas City Royals through comprehensive highlights, exclusive access and interviews, and breathtaking footage.
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.
No figure in recent sports history is as divisive as Jose Canseco. Millions of baseball fans remember him as the powerhouse slugger who earned one of the sport's rare statistics: 40/40. But millions more remember him as the whistleblower whose admission to steroids juicing exposed a scandal that overshadowed his remarkable career and led to the Congressional hearings that cast a pall over America's greatest pastime, baseball. Now, Jose finally speaks out. What emerges is a nuanced portrait of a man driven by grief and a promise made. Only time will tell whether history remembers Jose Canseco as a legend, a whistleblower or a scapegoat. But this candid documentary will leave audiences convinced of one inescapable fact. The Truth Hurts.
Narrates the life story of Barry Bonds, the single-season home run king, from his early days as the son of All-Star Bobby Bonds and godson of the iconic Willie Mays to his explosive rise in the 1990s and 2000s.
With one swing of a bat, Bobby Thomson became a legend. His dramatic home run on October 3, 1951, led the New York Giants to win the National League pennant over the rival Brooklyn Dodgers. This documentary looks at the teams, personalities and events that combined to create one of the most heated pennant races ever witnessed...one that ended with an unforgettable homer.