Imprint:[United States] : Broadcast by WETA-TV, 1994 ; [Alexandria, Va.] : PBS Home Video ; Hollywood, Calif. : Distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, [2004]
Note:Disc 1: The first inning: Our game, the 1840's-1900 (115 min.) -- Disc 2: The second inning: Something like a war, 1900-1910 (107 min.) -- Disc 3: The third inning: The faith of fifty million people, 1910-1920 (120 min.) -- Disc 4: The fourth inning: A national heirloom, 1920-1930 (117 min.) -- Disc 5: The fifth inning: Shadow ball, 1930-1940 (126 min.) -- Disc 6: The sixth inning: The national pastime, 1940-1950 (151 min.) -- Disc 7: The seventh inning: The capital of baseball, 1950-1960 (134 min.) -- Disc 8: The eighth inning: A whole new ballgame, 1960-1970 (116 min.) -- Disc 9: The ninth inning: Home, 1970-1994 (148 min.) -- Disc 10: Extra inning: The making of Baseball (240 min.).
Note:Our game, the 1840's-1900: "Looks at the origins of baseball in the 1840s and takes the story up to 1900. Burns refutes the myth that Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown and traces its roots instead to the earliest days of the nation: there are records of a game called 'Base' played at Valley Forge"--www.pbs.org.
Note:Something like a war, 1900-1910: "Takes viewers through 1910 and introduces some of the game's most celebrated and colorful characters, including Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson"--www.pbs.org.
Note:The faith of fifty million people, 1910-1920: "Examines the century's second decade, which was dominated by the Black Sox scandal. George Herman 'Babe' Ruth makes his first major league appearance (as a member of the Boston Red Sox) and a wave of immigration helps fill the stands with new fans, eager to 'become American' by learning America's game"--www.pbs.org.
Note:A national heirloom, 1920-1930: "Concentrates on Babe Ruth, whose phenomenal performance thrilled the nation throughout the 1920s and rescued the game from the scandal of the previous decade"--www.pbs.org.
Note:Shadow ball, 1930-1940: "Tells the story of the Negro Leagues in the 1930s. The title refers to a common pre-game feature in which the players staged a mock game with an imaginary ball. Though unintended, the pantomime was an apt metaphor for the exclusion of blacks from major league play at that time"--www.pbs.org.
Note:The national pastime, 1940-1950: "Covers the 1940s and includes Joe DiMaggio's celebrated hitting streak, the awe-inspiring performance of Ted Williams and what Burns calls 'baseball's finest moment': the debut of Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947"--www.pbs.org.
Note:The capital of baseball, 1950-1960: "Takes viewers through the 1950s when New York City had three successful baseball teams and dominated the World Series. By the end of the decade, the Giants and Dodgers had left New York, a signal that the old game was changed forever"--www.pbs.org.
Note:A whole new ballgame, 1960-1970: "Moves the field to the 1960s. This episode traces the emergence of television, the expansion to new cities and the building of anonymous multipurpose stadiums that robbed the game of its intimacy and some of its urban following"--www.pbs.org.
Note:Home, 1970-1994: "Looks at baseball from the 1970s to the present, including the establishment of the free agent system, the rise in player salaries, the continued expansion, the dilution of talent, the ongoing battles between labor and management and the scandals"--www.pbs.org.
Note:"PBS DVD gold"--Menu screen.
Note:Special features: Extra inning: The making of Baseball (disc 10) (240 min.) / writer, producer, John Wackman ; videographer, Susan Patton (narrator, Fritz Wetherbee); team information (disc 10); Charlie Rose interviews with Ken Burns, Rachel Robinson, Bob Costas, Bob Gibson, Yogi Berra (disc 10); 225 trivia questions; timelines; player stats on over 100 virtual baseball cards.
