Old baseball film on dvd ?

[Touch'EmAll]

I would huge big time like to purchase a dvd (or vhs) of actual live baseball game footage.

Perhaps a full 9 inning Sandy Koufax no-hitter DVD, or a complete game film of an early 1930's All Star game, or some actual live Ruth/Gehrig footage on dvd. Or a Lefty Grove game footage film, even a 1970's Nolan Ryan full 9 inning game no-hitter, etc.

I have searched the internet high and low with no luck. (did find a Ryan #7 no hitter - but nothing else - zip - zero).

I just called the baseball HOF in Cooperstown - no luck - had no clue.

Does such an item even exist? Any help on obtaining something like this would be greatly appreciated.

[Shoeless Moe]

http://www.raresportsfilms.com/baseball.html

The guy who runs this place is a tad odd, but he's got some good stuff.


PS - I have some great 70's and 80's entire NFL Football Games on VHS. Earl Campbell, Steel Curtain, Walter Payton, Dallas Doomsday Defense, Dobler & Dierdorf, Houston Bum-er-roo!!!! and Luv Ya Blue, Monday Night Games with Cossell, Gifford, Dandy Don.....Hysterical Stuff....full games and some have great 70's and 80's commercials.

[steve B]

There are very few complete game films out there from earlier games. I think the oldest one I've heard of was the one from 1960 recently discovered in Bing Crosbys wine cellar.

Most broadcasts were local, and seldom had copies made. That was done by kinescope, basically filming the tv screen. Weekly shows used highlight reels.

The change to televising many games came roughly at the same time as the changeover to broadcasts being on tape rather than film. And even the high quality broadcast tapes don't hold up well.

Add to that the issues with the actual films. Many places threw the films out to save space. Plus starting in the early 50's Kodak sold a cheaper color film stock that loses color, eventually changing to a pinkish version of black and white. They finally changed to something better around 1981-2, but the film systems that didn't fade(Technicolor, Kodachrome) were mostly gone from commercial use by the late 60's and ended in the US in 1974 - Kodachrome was out of favor for commercial products much earlier.

Even finding good quality prints of common films can be difficult, I have one of the Coke World Series Highlight films in Technicolor, but it's the only one I've seen.

Steve B

[deadballera]

you can find some complete games on audio only.


There is a Detroit/Yankees game with Gehrig, Greenberg, etc..

WOW...to listen to that game and the names getting called. Lots of runs scored too.

[uffda51]

As Paul said (and linked to) above, Doak Ewing has some great stuff.

[whitehse]

And Doak is a bit odd as mentioned before!!! great stuff....just a slightly bit different.

[Tabe]

Don Larsen's perfect game from 1956 is available. As far as I know, it's complete - or really, really close to it. They've shown it on MLB Network many times.

The entire 1968 World Series is available.

A Monday Night Baseball game from 1976 is available with Mark Fidrych starting against the New York Yankees.

There's the aforementioned Bing Crosby game. That's the famous game 7 of the 1960 World Series with Mazeroski's HR. This one was released commercially on DVD and is widely available.

Other than that, not sure what all is available.

Tabe

[baseball tourist]

Check out iTunes. Specifically search "MLB The Vault"

[steve B]

I'll have to check that out.

There's a Red Sox game from 67, I think a World Series game. It's been shown at least once, and is supposedly the oldest complete Sox game. If I recall correctly they said the next oldest complete game is 71.

The NCAA (Or is it NBA? I forget which) Claims to have NCAA finals back into the 40's. I checked on one and found they'd make a dvd for $250!
I bought the film negative of it for much less and did a digital conversion- not cheap unless you now someone with the special projector.

SteveB

[novakjr]

Originally Posted by Tabe

Don Larsen's perfect game from 1956 is available. As far as I know, it's complete - or really, really close to it. They've shown it on MLB Network many times.

The entire 1968 World Series is available.

A Monday Night Baseball game from 1976 is available with Mark Fidrych starting against the New York Yankees.

There's the aforementioned Bing Crosby game. That's the famous game 7 of the 1960 World Series with Mazeroski's HR. This one was released commercially on DVD and is widely available.

Other than that, not sure what all is available.

Tabe

If I remember correctly, they didn't have the first inning of the Larsen perfect game.

[Bosox Blair]

Not complete games, but I have this collection - almost 3000 minutes of official World Series videos dating back to the 1940s:

http://www.amazon.com/Official-World.../dp/B002AS45SS

Cheers,
Blair

[scmavl]

Originally Posted by novakjr

If I remember correctly, they didn't have the first inning of the Larsen perfect game.

Just so you know, no one got a hit off Larsen in the 1st.

[scmavl]

Also, thanks Chris W for the MLB Vault link on iTunes. Those are FREE! I'm downloading them right now.

Anyone know where I can get any more old (20's-60's) radio broadcasts of MLB games?

[Jcfowler6]

Thanks for the tip on MLB Vault!

My favorite is the first HOF induction. Very cool.

[the Rock]

A little more recent, Len Barker's perfect game from 1981 should be available on DVD. They show it here in Cleveland frequently.