Born in 1918 in San Diego, Williams was a latchkey child from a broken home, raised by a mother more dedicated to the Salvation Army than to her two sons, and by a father who spent more time away from home than in it. Williams found salvation by doing the one thing he loved most: hitting baseballs. In his rookie season with the Red Sox, where he would spend his entire career as a player, Williams batted .327, socked 31 homers and led the league with 145 RBI. Over the next 21 years, despite losing five seasons of his prime to active service as a U.S. Marine Corps pilot, Williams hit 521 home runs, twice captured the Triple Crown, and became the oldest man ever to win a batting title. He finished his career with a .344 lifetime batting average, was the last man to hit over .400 in a full season, batting .406 in 1941, and was a first-ballot inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In his own words, Sabathia narrates his story. As the highs and lows of his last season are chronicled, Sabathia looks back on his legacy as one of the game’s pre-eminent pitchers, as well as the profound challenges that shaped him, including his longtime battle with addiction that came to a head in 2015 while playing for the Yankees.
Just weeks after losing to the New York Yankees in the 2003 ALCS, the Boston Red Sox made it their mission to get the bat they needed to put them over the top. That bat belonged to reigning AL MVP Alex Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers. Deals were offered. Plans were made. Everything was done. Rodriguez was headed to Fenway Park. Until he wasn’t. This is the story of the 36 hours when the best player in the league went from savior of the Red Sox to latest weapon of the Yankees.
Chronicling Latin baseball players in the minor leagues as they experience the ups and downs of pursuing the dream of playing in the Major Leagues.
100 Years of Wrigley Field celebrates a century of the greatest moments and best personalities of the ballpark on Chicago's North Side.
Babe Ruth set a record in 1927 by hitting 60 home runs in one season. 34 years later, Roger Maris broke that record. Another 37 years passed before that record was broken by Mark McGwire. Five days after McGwire's feat, Sammy Sosa broke the brand new record. And the race was on! Fans watched breathlessly as the record passed between the two men and time left in the season dwindled. Relive it all, from Ruth, to Maris, to the final days of the 1998 Sosa/McGwire slug-fest.
Documentary on the life and career of Babe Ruth.
Rap Dixon was a legendary African American baseball player who played in what were known as the Negro Leagues. This film chronicles his life and baseball accomplishments while exploring how racism and segregation affect how people are remembered in history.
Crazy sums up the final night of the baseball season, when the Tampa Bay Rays and St. Louis Cardinals overcame improbably long odds and huge September deficits to waltz into the post-season as wild cards. As part of the Walk-Off Stories series, this film takes a deep look at September 28, 2011 – the dramatic final day of the 2011 Major League Baseball season with playoff berths on the line.
A documentary depicting Cuba/US relations through baseball.
Winning their first World Series in 86 years, the Old Town Team made baseball history, and true believers throughout the entire nation. History Rings True offers complete coverage of the historic Red Sox Ring Ceremony that took place at Fenway Park on the 2005 Home Opener on April 11th 2005.
From its grand opening on April 20, 1912 Fenway has enthralled fans with its quirky shape, playing field oddities including the Pesky Pole, the Triangle, and Green Monster. John Updike called it, a lyric little bandbox of a ballpark, Hitters call it a haven, and the legions of passionate fans who inhabit Red Sox Nation call it home. This official MLB Productions program blends stunning archival footage, rare historic interviews, and all- new exclusive interviews with current and former Red Sox players to tell the tale of this wonderful ballpark. Fenway Park the heart of Boston, New England, and all of Red Sox Nation.
Chronicling the Mariners' memorable run to their first-ever AL West title in 1995, when a team led by Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson helped keep baseball in the Pacific Northwest and punctuated the season with a stirring ALDS win over the Yankees.
A serial of short instructional films using footage of Babe Ruth to explain the fundamentals of playing baseball.
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.
Records the highs and lows of a season that came close to winning the championship. Chronicles the 40-year love affair between a struggling blue-collar city and a perfectly matched blue-collar team.
Acclaimed Florida novelist Randy Wayne White travels to Cuba with former pitchers Bill "Spaceman" Lee (Boston Red Sox) and Jon Warden (Detroit Tigers), and a band of baseball enthusiasts to find and revive the children's baseball league founded by American writer Ernest Hemingway in the days before Fidel Castro came to power.
Actor William Petersen narrates this documentary about Chicago's venerable baseball stadium, Wrigley Field, focusing on a variety of quirky fans who've spent so much time there that they've become part of the stadium experience. These colorful Cubs enthusiasts tell their stories and discuss how both baseball and Wrigley Field have become an integral part of their lives. A bonus feature on Comiskey Park -- home of the rival White Sox -- is included.
The Indians and Yankees, both in a tight race with the White Sox, met at the Polo Grounds on August 16th, 1920. In the fifth inning, Carl Mays threw one of his "submarine" pitches that hit Ray Chapman in the head. Chapman collapsed at the plate. He was rushed to the hospital and died the next day, the only Major League Baseball player ever to be killed in a game. Grief tore through Cleveland and the pivotal moment led to an explosion on and off the field. The Indians, sparked by the addition of young shortstop Joe Sewell, recovered in time to win their first World Series Title. What resulted was a rivalry that would last 100 years.
This film is an intimate and moving cinematic record of Shohei Ohtani's journey to MLB stardom. A faithful portrait of his talent development and battle with injuries, and his unique mindset to become a superstar ballplayer breaking all the barriers of race, language, discipline, and culture.