Bumping this up for further discussion.
I've had a nice run adding to my baseball movie/documentary collection. My goal is to build an unrivaled baseball collection.
Since listing my five favorite baseball films, I've picked these up:
The Essential Games of the Milwaukee Brewers(not pictured)-a nice 4 disc collection including four of the most memorable games from our team's history. Game 5 of the 1982 ALCS, which gave Milwaukee its first pennant since the Milwaukee Braves won the National League in 1958. Game 4 of the 1982 World Series. The 2008 Wild Card clincher, which put us into the post seasons for the first time since 1982. And, game 5 of the 2011 NLDS, the first post season series we've won since the 1982 ALCS. Also included are a series of highlights from other games, including Ben Sheets' 18 strikeout performance, the game in Arizona where both Jeromy Burnitz and Richie Sexon hit three home runs in the same game, and the first of Ryan Braun's three home run games. It also has a nice retrospective of the 1982 Brewers, and a Hall of Fame profile of Robin Yount. Yes, I know, pretty slim pickings, but I still love my team, no matter how infrequently they win any meaningful games.
Legends in Pinstripes-From HBO films, three of their New York Yankee-related documentaries:
Babe Ruth,
Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio and
The Definitive Story of Mickey Mantle. This is the Mantle one I've had sitting on my DVR for the last three years or so, narrated by Liev Schriber. So, at least I have it should the DVR die on me. I'd never seen the documentary on DiMaggio. Loved it. I've always been a fan of the Yankee Clipper. Hell, I've always been an admirer (though somewhat begrudgingly) of the Yankees. DiMaggio was the perfect ballplayer. The Yankees really couldn't have won any more World Series rings than they did with him already, but I shudder to think how invincible the Yankees might have been had Mantle and Whitey each been born about 5 years earlier. Take 1950, for example. They won 98 games. The lineup with Mantle would have been...frightening.
Eight Men Out, the Twentieth Anniversary Edition. I didn't have this in my collection already. I just had it saved on my DVR from when HD Net showed it. It was worth the $10 just to get the new documentaries that weren't on the first DVD release.
Warner Brothers 4 Film Favorites-Classic Baseball. This was a steal for me. $11.29 delivered for these great films:
Pride of the Yankees.
Fear Strikes Out
Bang The Drum Slowly
Cobb
I've seen Cobb, and have it, too, on the DVR after appearing on Cinemax. The others, interestingly enough, I have never seen. So, I will be watching them starting this weekend.
Abou $60 for all of these (the Brewer collection I did not include in this picture). I am a happy baseball fan!
I also have to say that I have very much enjoyed
Million Dollar Arm. I wasn't sure what to think of it, but I gave it a chance, and liked it quite a lot, especially the second half. It won't crack my top five, but it's one I'll buy on Blu Ray for sure. It gets back to what baseball is all about, it my opinion.
Speaking of Blu Rays, I added
Bull Durham,
The Natural,
A League of Their Own,
42, and the HBO doc
When it Was a Game complete set. I am also going to add Moneyball and Trouble With the Curve, which I have been watching on Vudu since getting those for my father on Blu Ray, as well as
Major League and
Field of Dreams. I have already ordered
Fever Pitch, too.