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Grex Sports Item 19: Baseball by Ken Burns: Your Impressions
Entered by omni1 on Mon Sep 26 11:09:00 UTC 1994:

  Is anyone watching "Baseball" the film by Ken Burns? 

 If so, what are your impressions of it?

6 responses total.

#1 of 6 by omni1 on Mon Sep 26 11:12:05 1994:

 I have been watching since Inning 2, and I can say it is impressive. I am
fascinated by the stories, anecdotes, and vignettes that are being portrayed.
I think I know more about Ty Cobb, Connie Mack, Babe Ruth, and Jackie 
Robinson than I ever did, not to mention the Negro leagues and the women's
league of the 40's. 
  I will be taping this if and when it's repeated.

#2 of 6 by jep on Wed Sep 28 13:47:53 1994:

        I've watched a couple of the shows.  I wish I could have sat down and
seen all of them.

#3 of 6 by omni1 on Wed Sep 28 20:33:23 1994:

 Tonight is Home, Inning 9. Should be a barn burner. I did not like the way
Mr. Burns ignored Denny McLain, the 68 Tigers, and Ernie Harwell. I shall be
writing a letter, if he ignores the 84 Tigers. 
  I will have to admit that I really didn't start loving the game till the
75 series and my beloved Reds were stomping the National League to bits.
 This would be worth the 180.00 for the tapes, but I'm too damn cheap to
buy it. Just wait till it repeats- heh heh heh

#4 of 6 by omni on Thu Sep 29 17:51:43 1994:

 Post mortem on Baseball:
   Overall it was good. But he ignored so much, and especially things
related to the Tiger
   I don't know where you guys stand on announcers, but Red Barber and
Vin Scully are not the only two "good" announcers. Harry Caray and Ernie
Harwell, with his "He stood there like a house on the side of the road"
and Careys notorius "holeeeee Cow" has to rank somewhere on the scale of
greatness. 
   I think Ken Burns could have done a little more on the Tigers, such
as Mark "the Bird" Fidrich, was an incredible nut, but got the batters
out, and Dennis Dale McLain, perhaps THE greatest Tiger pitcher of all
time. 31 wins has to account for something.
  I also felt that he od'd on Jackie Robinson.

#5 of 6 by wh on Wed Oct 5 18:14:00 1994:

I thought it was an excellent series. I particularly liked the detail
he gave to Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, Roger Maris, and Curt Flood.
I was all but the ninth inning.

I knew Jackie Robinson went through a lot, but I had no idea he had
to promise he wouldn't react for three years. Geez, what would that
do to a guy to just take normal insults for three years, much less
the kind he received. Revealing that all the other owners were fully
in support of whatever insults their teams could think up.

Thought it was interesting that some of his best supporters
were the Mississippi manager in Montreal, the three Southerners
on Brooklyn who started a petition against him, and two people
from Kentucky, Pee Wee Reese, who refused to sign the petition
from the start, and Happy Chandler, the commissioner who gave
Branch Rickey the green light.

It was interesting that Ted Williams would not hit to the opposite
field after they did a dramatic shift on him. I had heard rumors of
that while I was growing up. Was glad to hear some detail of it.

Was surprised how little I had ever heard of what all the publicity
did to Roger Maris. Mickey Mantle was ready for it if he had stayed
healthy and broken the record. He had already been in for several 
years. I think he said it Roger's second season [is that right]
and he just bowed down under the pressure.

I knew Ty Cobb was not well liked. Now I know why.

Was real glad to see (well, actually hear) Red Barber since I 
enjoyed him on Public Radio Friday mornings for a few summers.
Still miss him. He's been gone for two years now, I think.

Was very impressed with how well-spoken Curt Flood was. I intend
to borrow a copy of the last inning from a friend to see what they
said  about him in the 1970's. I knew he was good since I grew
up within 200 miles of St. Louis but don't remember ever seeing
him speak before.

I'm not sure why he even put Bob Feller on. He should have covered
his bright but short career, but not quoted him about other players.
What was the point? He bad-mouthed someone every time he came on,
so much so that none of it had much credibility. After a couple
times, you just knew he was on there to talk bad about somebody else.

I think we could have done better than John Chancellor than narrator.
IMO someone associated with sports rather than newscasting would
have been a better fit.

He hardly touched on the Gashouse Gang. Though they only lasted a
few years, depending on how you define them, he could have done
an interesting hour about them alone.  Well, I guess there's only
so many innings.

#6 of 6 by wh on Sun Oct 9 22:13:05 1994:

Make that "watched all but the ninth inning."

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