Baseball (1994)

4 Stars (out of 4)

At Home

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Back in 1990, Ken Burns' long form television documentary The Civil War was a groundbreaker; it was seen as a more complete, honest and no-frills way to tell an important story, and, above all, it was highly watchable. A few years later, the filmmaker followed it up with the mammoth, 9-part, 18-hour Baseball (1994). Though it may be just a game, the history of this sport has a great deal to do with the history of America, and Burns' achievement here is extraordinary. It traces the game's origins — loosely evolving from cricket and rounders — explores stars like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb and the Negro Leagues, as well as the rise of Jackie Robinson. Interviewees include Billy Crystal, director John Sayles, writer Studs Terkel, announcer Vin Scully, and players like Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, and Ted Williams.

Burns can be forgiven for spending a huge chunk of time on the 1975 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds, specifically the legendary sixth game. After twelve grueling innings, and stuck in a tie, the Sox's Carlton Fisk hit what looked to be a game-winning home run — Fisk frantically willing the airborne ball to stay fair — but it hit the foul pole. Game seven started with 3 runs for the Sox, but they could not hang onto the lead. Burns depicts all this drama with extraordinary amounts of suspense and heartbreak, as if it were all still happening today. Amazon Prime offers all nine essential episodes, plus Burns' belated sequel, The Tenth Inning, which came along in 2010. Every baseball fan needs to see this.