BrokenCowboy: Sports Views with a West Coast Bias

Stepping Up to the Plate

Looking for a good baseball book this spring? You might want to check out Alex Belth's excellent recent biography of Curt Flood. Click here for my review.

Official MLB 2005 World Series DVD

When the Boston Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, it seemed like the world was about to come to an end. The team's long-suffering fans spoke of the championship as if it were a destiny fulfilled. Older fans could suddenly die in peace, and cemeteries were overrun with jerseys, uniforms, and sports sections offered as proof to the dead that their team had finally achieved the impossible. At least for a little while, we were all honorary members of Red Sox Nation, weren't we? (Well, maybe not all of us, but you get the point.)

But while the Red Sox were forging their identity with decades of broken hearts and near-misses, the Chicago White Sox were one step ahead of them, or behind, depending on your point of view. Boston's misery stretched back to 1918, but Chicago's last Series win came the previous year, in 1917.

And so even if no one is making movies about the White Sox, their victory is no less historic. To get the full picture of Chicago's season, check out Major League Baseball's Official World Series DVD. It gives an overview of their workman-like regular season, the tension of their near collapse in the season's closing days, and all of the drama and controversy of the playoffs and World Series.

Aside from highlights, the DVD's strength lies in the insider's perspective offered by in-game audio, player profiles, and numerous interviews. As an example, Geoff Blum mentions that he hopes he can get an at bat in game three, hours later he turns that at bat into a game-winning homerun, and in the days following the series he talks about the humbling experience of having the Hall of Fame ask for his bat.

Also included are about thirty minutes of bonus materials, the most entertaining of which being an old This Week in Baseball feature on a young Chicago shortstop named Ozzie Guillen. Good stuff.

If there's a White Sox fan on your Christmas list, buy this DVD now.

The Great American Baseball Box

Late last week I received a package in the mail, something called the Great American Baseball Box -- and believe me when I tell you that it's amazing. The box itself is shaped and textured like a base, and it contains a sixty-page book (reminiscent of a baseball scorebook) that presents an overview of 160 years of baseball history. But the true value of the box lies in the four CDs which together comprise what must be the most comprehensive audio collection of baseball history ever assembled.

Disc 1 (The Music) focuses on the music of the game and includes such classics as John Fogerty's "Centerfield," Terry Cashman's "Talkin' Baseball," and Dave Frishberg's examination of the poetry of baseball's names, "Van Lingle Mungo." Other artists include Count Basie, Danny Kaye, and Bob Dylan, as well as several others.

The second disc (The Games) highlights many of the game's most famous on- and off-field moments, including Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in 1951, Don Larsen's Perfect Game in 1956, Nolan Ryan's 7th No-Hitter, and several notable home runs hit by players like Bucky Dent, Carlton Fisk, Hank Aaron, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds. Each event is described by the original broadcast call, giving the collection a feeling of tremendous historical significance.

Disc number three (The Players) includes 43 tracks of major league players and managers talking on any number of subjects, ranging from reflections on performances to discussions on the state of the game at various points in history. The voices highlighted range from Connie Mack and Ty Cobb to Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds.

The fourth disc (The Rest) offers an eclectic collection of all things baseball. It opens with a reading of "Casey at the Bat," moves on to Abbott and Costello's classic "Who's on First" routine, and includes a few short conversations with Hall of Famers like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and Reggie Jackson. And yes, you also get to hear Tommy Lasorda's famous rant about Dave Kingman.

As I listened to these four discs tonight -- yes, I listened to them all -- I realized I was walking through 160 years of baseball history, listening to legendary broadcasters and players, and when I finished I wanted to start all over again back at the beginning.

BrokenCowboy's Advice: Buy. If you've got a baseball fan on your list this holiday season, you can't go wrong with this collection.

Pure Heat: Ultimate MLB Flamethrowers

The good folks at Shout Factory recently sent me a copy of the recently-released Major League Baseball DVD, Pure Heat: Ultimate MLB Flamethrowers, and it's top notch.

The DVD starts with two of the greatest power pitchers of all-time, Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, showing highlights of their careers and detailing the links between the two. From this starting point, the narrative continues to include relievers Eric Gagné and Mariano Rivera, as well as starters Dontrelle Willis, A.J. Burnett, Josh Beckett, Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, and Pedro Martínez.

Each profile gives a brief overview of the pitcher's career, complete with highlights through the 2005 season and commentary by current and former major league players and coaches. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this is listening to hitters talk about the difficulty of hitting against these pitchers, often using phrases such as "no chance" or "unhittable" or "unfair" followed by supporting evidence in the form of video highlights.

In addition to the hour-long program, the disc also includes a significant amount of bonus footage, in which you can watch extended portions of several historic games:
• The 9th inning of Randy Johnson's 2004 perfect game.
• Pedro Martínez's 1999 All-Star game appearance.
• Roger Clemens in the 1986 All-Star game.
• The 9th inning of Kerry Wood's 20 strikeout game in 1998.
• The final outs of Nolan Ryan's final three no-hitters.

All in all, this disc presents an extremely thorough and entertaining overview of the history of power pitchers in major league baseball, with special attention paid to those aces who are still currently active. The video highlights are comprehensive, and the interviews of overmatched hitters and admiring peers make this DVD well worth the $19.98 price tag.

BrokenCowboy's Advice: Buy