Best baseball documentary... I'll start; "Fastball"

[Belfast1933]

I just saw the link to Honus Wagner from the 1930's as a coach - so cool to hear him (and to see that he could hit like a boss at age 59! Wow)

It made me wonder about what your favorite baseball documentary is - I loved the Ken Burns Baseball series, of course.

But I had a "COVID locked in my house" discovery that I had to share to all of you...

It's called "FASTBALL" and it's AWESOME! Trust me when I say, you will not be disappointed. It traces the history (and science) of the games fastest pitchers. It's been described as Baseball Porn - yup!

If you have not seen it, look for my favorite scene - Bob Feller + Justin Verlander + Motorcycle Cop

Enjoy

Jeff

[Casey2296]

Ken Burns Baseball Documentary.

[conor912]

Battered Bastards of Baseball

[mrreality68]

Nine Innings From Ground Zero

[Hankphenom]

"The Glory of Their Times" film version produced by Bud Greenspan in 1970. Narrated by the "Voice of God" Alexander Scourby. Available on YouTube.

[mr2686]

The Ghosts of Flatbush. 2007 HBO doc about the Brooklyn Dodgers that is beyond great. For some reason, HBO has not made it available...even to stream. You can see it in pieces on youtube but the quality isn't very good.

[LACardsGuy]

Yes! Fastball is very, very good. So is "No No a Dockumentary" about Dock Ellis' most famous/infamous game.

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

I just saw the link to Honus Wagner from the 1930's as a coach - so cool to hear him (and to see that he could hit like a boss at age 59! Wow)

It made me wonder about what your favorite baseball documentary is - I loved the Ken Burns Baseball series, of course.

But I had a "COVID locked in my house" discovery that I had to share to all of you...

It's called "FASTBALL" and it's AWESOME! Trust me when I say, you will not be disappointed. It traces the history (and science) of the games fastest pitchers. It's been described as Baseball Porn - yup!

If you have not seen it, look for my favorite scene - Bob Feller + Justin Verlander + Motorcycle Cop

Enjoy

Jeff

[riggs336]

"Knuckleball!" is good. Heavy concentration on Wakefield and Dickey.

[JollyElm]

'When It Was A Game' DVD set. Not so much a documentary, but ridiculously cool nonetheless.

[Tabe]

I would second "Battered Bastards of Baseball". Fabulous documentary on an otherwise obscure baseball story.

[bmattioli]

Hands down Ken Burn's Baseball.. watch it during the long winter every year..

[Jim65]

Ken Burns Baseball is the best.

[marzoumanian]

A more recent doc that blew me away was "Screwball." It's the A-Rod steroids story. You can't believe the stuff that A-Rod did in the pursuit of records. Then again, maybe you can! Your jaw will drop. You will laugh out loud in disbelief. You will shake your head. And it's all true. The line I will never forget from this movie is when the fake Miami doctor who supplied A-Rod tells the camera that the first words A-Rod said to him were, "I want what Manny (Ramirez) uses." Wow. Crazy. Search it out.
Peace.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by LACardsGuy

Yes! Fastball is very, very good. So is "No No a Dockumentary" about Dock Ellis' most famous/infamous game.

A seconding of “No No a Dockumentary”. My absolute favorite documentary of the past decade.

[philo98]

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

I just saw the link to Honus Wagner from the 1930's as a coach - so cool to hear him (and to see that he could hit like a boss at age 59! Wow)

It made me wonder about what your favorite baseball documentary is - I loved the Ken Burns Baseball series, of course.

But I had a "COVID locked in my house" discovery that I had to share to all of you...

It's called "FASTBALL" and it's AWESOME! Trust me when I say, you will not be disappointed. It traces the history (and science) of the games fastest pitchers. It's been described as Baseball Porn - yup!

If you have not seen it, look for my favorite scene - Bob Feller + Justin Verlander + Motorcycle Cop

Enjoy

Jeff

Ended up watching it tonight on Prime. Definitely worth the time. Good movie.

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by bmattioli

Hands down Ken Burn's Baseball.. watch it during the long winter every year..

I used to be in that habit...think I'll start again.

[bobbyw8469]

Believe it or not, I thought "No No - A Dockumentary" was FANTASTIC. Dock Ellis pitched a perfect game on LSD, and was quite a character.

[jchcollins]

Ken Burns. You will find people that don't like it, and rail against it. These people by and large don't like Burns' politics. Whatever, deal with it. The documentary filmmaking is fantastic. Yes, he "screwed up" the overall portrayal / impression left of Ty Cobb. I think we all collectively know more historically about Cobb now than we did in the early 90's. I'll forgive him.

[Case12]

Sandlot 🤔

Seriously, I recently watched 'Fastball'. Very good and unique with science and history mixed. I learned a lot about Walter Johnson. It's my 'new' favorite.

[jchcollins]

"Fastball" was great, I would also agree.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

'When It Was A Game' DVD set. Not so much a documentary, but ridiculously cool nonetheless.

Color home movies, much of it taken by ballplayers themselves, starting in the 1930s! The vistas of the old ballparks make it worthwhile all by themselves. I wish they hadn't torn down a one of them, not even the smallest and plainest of them. Wow, just wow!

[Seven]

I thoroughly enjoy Ken Burns' Baseball. Yes it has slight inaccuracies, but it's a fantastic piece all around, and really sets the bar for Baseball documentaries. I love his deep dive into the Negro Leagues.

[UKCardGuy]

Ken Burns Baseball is tops but I loved Fastball. After watching Fastball, this was my next purchase

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

Color home movies, much of it taken by ballplayers themselves, starting in the 1930s! The vistas of the old ballparks make it worthwhile all by themselves. I wish they hadn't torn down a one of them, not even the smallest and plainest of them. Wow, just wow!

Love watching this one.

I'll have to checkout some of the other's you guys mentioned, especially 'Fastball' and 'No-No'.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

[Belfast1933]

Yes! (And if you do, you’ll see you are not the only one who thought of this)

Originally Posted by UKCardGuy

Ken Burns Baseball is tops but I loved Fastball. After watching Fastball, this was my next purchase

[RL]

Seen a few of the docs listed, all were good.

One not mentioned was Fear Strikes Out about Jim Piersal

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Another vote for Baseball by Ken Burns. In fact, I am watching the 4th Inning right now!

[Shoeless Moe]

Bingo Long and the Traveling All Stars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCJ_INhdW9M

[jcarroll84]

Just watched Bastards of Baseball - very good, can’t wait to watch others that have been listed here

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I enjoy all baseball films. Let me add THE FIRST BOYS OF SPRING about the birth of spring training narrated by Billy Bob Thornton and Peter Coyote. It airs frequently on Fox regionals.

[Casey2296]

Not a documentary but "Eight Men Out" directed by John Sayles is a must see.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by Casey2296

Not a documentary but "Eight Men Out" directed by John Sayles is a must see.

If you are going that route, my vote is for 61*. Possibly the best casting I have ever seen. I really thought I was watching Mantle and Maris.

[jakebeckleyoldeagleeye]

When it was a Game. It color film of Chuck Connors with the Montreal Royals.

[MooseDog]

Maybe it's just the minimalist in me, but I really enjoyed watching Reggie Jackson and Bob Gibson just sitting and talking baseball from the pitcher's and hitter's perspective. The publisher recorded some interviews to promote the outstanding book "Sixty Feet, Six Inches".

Here's a sample where they discuss "Who Owns the Plate?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJlUD6o30rg

[Bigdaddy]

I believe that I used to have a VHS tape of "The Boys of Summer", but alas, no tape and no VCR anymore. I did see a copy of it on Laser Disc on Ebay, if anyone can go that route.

I know the book has some detractors, but as a college student in the 1980's, it was a great introduction to the Dodgers of the 1950's and their relationship with the residents of Brooklyn.

[bobbyw8469]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy

I believe that I used to have a VHS tape of "The Boys of Summer", but alas, no tape and no VCR anymore. I did see a copy of it on Laser Disc on Ebay, if anyone can go that route.

I know the book has some detractors, but as a college student in the 1980's, it was a great introduction to the Dodgers of the 1950's and their relationship with the residents of Brooklyn.

One of the biggest regrets that I have was tossing all my VHS tapes out in 2010. I don't know what I was thinking.

[Belfast1933]

Very cool... sorry that I just watching Gibson pitch. He was such a boss

Originally Posted by MooseDog

Maybe it's just the minimalist in me, but I really enjoyed watching Reggie Jackson and Bob Gibson just sitting and talking baseball from the pitcher's and hitter's perspective. The publisher recorded some interviews to promote the outstanding book "Sixty Feet, Six Inches".

Here's a sample where they discuss "Who Owns the Plate?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJlUD6o30rg

[bgar3]

Just saw and loved Fastball, thank you for the suggestion, I had not heard of it before.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by Shoeless Moe

Bingo Long and the Traveling All Stars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCJ_INhdW9M

Not a documentary

Also, I've been told some Negro Leaguers didn't particularly care for the way they were portrayed.

[MVSNYC]

1. Ken Burns Baseball
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2. Glory of Their Times
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3. When It Was a Game

[Shoeless Moe]

Originally Posted by Tabe

Not a documentary

Also, I've been told some Negro Leaguers didn't particularly care for the way they were portrayed.

Hey, it's like I say, 5 out of 4 people are bad at math.

[mr2686]

Another one that is real good, but real depressing was The Curious Case of Curt Flood...another HBO doc that is hard to find. A good doc that exposes the man, warts and all.

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by conor912

Battered Bastards of Baseball

Second. I was working on a documentary and had hit a wall. Battered Bastards of Baseball inspired me to push through and finish it.

[UKCardGuy]

I also really like the SportsCentury biographies that I've found on YouTube.

So many to choose from.... Everyone from Babe Ruth to Mo Berg to Reggie Jackson.

[FrankWakefield]

Seems to me that what each of us thinks of as the 'best' reflects a bit of where our interests lay.

For me,

1- The Glory of Their Times. It's part time machine back to the 1900's, giving life to those names on the white border tobacco cards, and the style of the production with Mr. Scourby narrating; and a time machine that takes me back to when I was a kid watching TV while I lay in the floor watching lots of documentaries, National Geographic and the like. Good pick HankPhenom

2. When It Was A Game... I like watching the wonderful swing of Lou Gehrig, listening to Enos Slaughter whining about some rookie trying to take his job, learning about the players leaving their gloves on the field at the end of a half inning... I could have done without the segments about the clowning.

I've not seen Fastball. I did see the the spring training documentary narrated by Billy Bob Thornton. If / when COVID is gone, I want to go visit and nose around in Hot Springs for a few days.

Mr. Burns' Baseball... It not just about baseball. Parts of it I liked, and could watch again and again. And for parts of it, one viewing was enough.

I have that Boys of Summer VHS tape... I reckon I should dig around and find it somewhere, and try to copy it to DVD.

[Belfast1933]

I just read Glory of their Times for the first time - really enjoyed it (loved how the player prose of the time was still intact)

Any idea where to find and watch the documentary version? A couple of folks have mentioned it - would love to see that

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

Seems to me that what each of us thinks of as the 'best' reflects a bit of where our interests lay.

For me,

1- The Glory of Their Times. It's part time machine back to the 1900's, giving life to those names on the white border tobacco cards, and the style of the production with Mr. Scourby narrating; and a time machine that takes me back to when I was a kid watching TV while I lay in the floor watching lots of documentaries, National Geographic and the like. Good pick HankPhenom

2. When It Was A Game... I like watching the wonderful swing of Lou Gehrig, listening to Enos Slaughter whining about some rookie trying to take his job, learning about the players leaving their gloves on the field at the end of a half inning... I could have done without the segments about the clowning.

I've not seen Fastball. I did see the the spring training documentary narrated by Billy Bob Thornton. If / when COVID is gone, I want to go visit and nose around in Hot Springs for a few days.

Mr. Burns' Baseball... It not just about baseball. Parts of it I liked, and could watch again and again. And for parts of it, one viewing was enough.

I have that Boys of Summer VHS tape... I reckon I should dig around and find it somewhere, and try to copy it to DVD.

[MVSNYC]

Gary, ESPN's SportsCentrury docs were fantastic, good call.

[The Nasty Nati]

This Doc Ellis mini-doc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vUhSYLRw14

[marzoumanian]

That was amazing. You made my day and it's not even noon yet in Chicago!

Peace and stay healthy.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Belfast1933

I just read Glory of their Times for the first time - really enjoyed it (loved how the player prose of the time was still intact)

Any idea where to find and watch the documentary version? A couple of folks have mentioned it - would love to see that

Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_NIaIjKYSk

DVD: https://www.ebay.com/i/223472673851?...MaAsZVEALw_wcB