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

[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.

[Snapolit1]

Originally Posted by jcarroll84

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

Just watched on Netflix. That was fun. Been meaning to watch it for years. Great story and well done.

[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

[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.

[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.