When It Was A Game

For those who love Ken Burns Baseball this is another documentary you really should watch. In some ways it is superior. The doc uses 8mm film taken by players, fans and coaches on the field and from the stands between 1934 and 1957. The footage is fantastic and gives a closer glimpse of the player from this era.

I really liked the fact that they used a bunch of different players from the period to discuss what it was like to play back then. My personal favourite moment was when the last surviving member of the Gashouse gang St Louis Cardinals team that won the 1934 WS Burgess Whitehead talked about the team and its players at length. He also talked about the 34 WS against the Tigers, and it was really great to hear someone who played alongside guys like Pepper Martin and Dizzy Dean talk. This was something I really felt Baseball was missing.

I also loved listening to Tommy Henrich, who just passed away on December 1st talk about playing with the Yankee juggernaut of the late 1930`s. He is a great storyteller, and when he passed away at 96 it left no more teammates of Lou Gehrig alive. Some familiar voices like poet Donald Hall are used as well which was odd, but didn`t make it any worse.

There is also When It Was A Game 2 and 3 that are great as well. If you are a fan of baseball history and want to see some rare footage you should definitely check it out.