Rating: 
Summary: A DVD All Baseball Fans Should Own
Review: Ken Burns did his usual outstanding job with this documentary. He tells the story of baseball, using a combination of still photos, videos, interviews and quotes quotes. The DVD includes a bonus disc, which includes several great interviews.He hits all aspects of the game: The development of the game itself and the leagues, the labor history, the stars and great teams and personalities, the great moments in the history of the game, and so on. He also gives us a pretty good look at the old Negro leagues and we get to hear some of the great stories from those days before MLB was integrated. The only bad thing I can say about this collection of dvds is that by the time it was over I was really sick of hearing different versions of "Take Me out to the Ballgame." The great stories in this collection more than make up for that one drawback, however. He does more than just interview and quote the players, managers, umpires, owners and sports writers. He includes stories from fans. Doris Kearns Goodwin told about how she grew up rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers, then after they moved away, she found herself in Boston, becoming a Red Sox fan, just in time to have her heart broken again. All fans of baseball should see this collection.
Rating:
Summary: The History of the Game in One Comprehensive Collection
Review: In keeping with the tradition of the Civil War Series, Ken Burns has meticulously researched the game of baseball and created a most enjoyable history on video. Each video in the set is divided into innings, with a top and bottom half. Burns begins his study back in the 1870s and continues through the present day. All of the classic moments are captured here; from the great Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Honus Wagner to modern day heroes such as Ken Griffey Jr., Tony Gwynn, and Cal Ripken, Jr. The Black Sox scandal of 1919 is told in great detail, and the great teams of the 30s and 40s are described as well. Perhaps the greatest World Series ever, the 1975 Red Sox-Reds classic, comes to life in this video, too. Burns devotes 1 tape to the great Babe Ruth and the impact he made on the game. Burns points out that Ruth hit more home runs in a season by himself than many TEAMS did collectively. Using excellent still photos and real game footage, Burns brings the game of baseball to life as only he can. This excellent set is definitely worth the money. I highly recommend this series. Baseball fans everywhere will definitely enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Great documentary but what's the deal?
Review: Has anyone noticed that the times given for each "Inning" (i.e., disc) on the DVD is wildly inaccurate? Am I missing material or what? Almost every inning is under two hours according to my DVD player but the case usually indicates a time of 145 to 155 minutes or more. Are there hidden easter eggs on the disc or is PBS just wrong?
jr
Rating:
Summary: Stunning - changed the way I watch baseball
Review: I'd always been a pretty big baseball fan, but once I splurged and bought myself Burns' documentary on video I looked at the game in a completely different way, becoming much more of a fan of the history of the game, and, by extension, the GAME itself, rather than just an individual team or a few players. To respond to some of the criticisms I've read: yes - the documentary does focus heavily on baseball in New York and Boston. But guess what? Until expansion, and the Dodgers and Giants up and heading to California, 5 of 16 major league teams played in those two cities. And those teams *always* won in the early years. And yes, Burns does overdo it with the 'talking heads.' Some are great (I especially like Robert Creamer, and, of course, who can resist Buck O'Neill....) But Mario Cuoumo? I'd have really appreciated more interviews with players and plain old fans, not folks with other agendas. But I still give it five stars. I pull this out and watch an episode at least once a month, and I can't watch anymore without keeping a copy of the Baseball Encyclopedia near at hand. It's an absolutely stunning film.
Rating: 
Summary: Baseball in New York
Review: While I am a big fan of Ken Burns's documentaries, "Baseball" was my biggest disappointment. Of all the subjects he has chosen, baseball was the one I knew the most about before I watched the film. Burns did a great job of describing baseball in New York before 1970--the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants and Mets. Every key player from those teams is showcased, and the World Series involving them is treated as if baseball was never better. Maybe that's true. I enjoyed the archival film, photographs and narrative concerning those events. Classic Burns quality. But baseball's history is not limited to New York. For example, the Philadelphia Phillies played the Cincinnati Reds in the first major league game in 1883. The Phillies have 117 years of major league history. Ken Burns limits his discussion of the Phillies to a total of two topics: a brief biography of Grover Cleveland Alexander(who pitched against the Yankees in the 1915 World Series) and the Phillies players' racist taunts of Jackie Robinson of the Dodgers. That's it for 117 years of Phillies history--nothing about the 1950 Whiz kids, Mike Schmidt (greatest third baseman ever, 3 time MVP, over 500 home runs), the sole World Championship in 1980 (after 97 years of futility and the best league championship series ever), Steve Carlton (3 Cy Young awards), the infamous 1964 collapse(6 game lead blown in last 12 games of the season with a 10 game losing streak), Jim Bunning, Shibe Park/Connie Mack stadium, Chuck Klein, more losses than any team in any professional sport ever, Robin Roberts, Larry Bowa (highest fielding percentage of any shortstop ever), Richie Ashburn or Pete Rose (most hits ever). Burns had his blinders on, wanting only to tell the story of baseball in New York. While he did a good job, anyone who is a fan of a team from virtually any city other than New York will sit through 18 hours and feel utterly shortchanged. The remedy is to provide truth in advertising: change the title of the documentary to "Baseball in New York".
Rating:
Summary: Costas at his best
Review: You don't have to love baseball like I do to enjoy this documentary about Americas pastime. Although I got a little tired of Ken Burns style (I think it's unnecesary to quote someone and THEN state the name of the person being quoted, a Ken Burns trademark) the material is just too great and too American to be disliked. The best part? I was mesmerized by Bob Costas' description of events that took place in the BoSox clubhouse during their 9th inning collapse in game six of the 1986 World Series. When he recollects his "What do I do if they tie it?" remark to his producer it is fascinating, thrilling, and in the end, very sad. Just more proof that baseball is "designed to break your heart". Trust me on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Great documentary but what's the deal?
Review: Has anyone noticed that the times given for each "Inning" (i.e., disc) on the DVD is wildly inaccurate? Am I missing material or what? Almost every inning is under two hours according to my DVD player but the case usually indicates a time of 145 to 155 minutes or more. Are there hidden easter eggs on the disc or is PBS just wrong?
jr
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been incredible.
Review: What a waste. This could have been a great documentary about baseball. Instead it's about New York and Boston baseball. There are way too many examples to site, but here are a few: The Detroit Tigers:
-Burns tears Cobb to pieces and only briefly mentions his hitting feats, he only concentrates on his off the field behavoir.
-There is a 2 minute clip of the great Hank Greenberg.
-Al Kaline, Charlie Gehringer, and Hal Newhouser don't seem to exist in Ken Burns' world.
-The 1968 team and Denny McLain get no mention, instead we see Bob Gibson striking out 17 Tigers in game 1 of the series. No mention that Detroit actually won the Series in 7 games. The Cleveland Indians:
-A short clip of Bob Feller.
-Nothing about the great 1920 & 1948 Championship teams.
-Nothing about Herb Score.
-A pathetically small clip of Larry Doby, the first African American player in the AL. The Chicago White Sox:
-Again, Luis Aparicio, Ray Shalk, and Luke Appling don't exist in Ken's world. I could go on for hours. Basically, if you're a Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, or Cincinnati fan, don't waste your money. I'm surprised Mr. Burns didn't have hour long segments on Dick Brodowski and Duke Maas.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite viewing....more like an experience
Review: Words do not do justice to this set. Extensively covering the history of baseball - the Major League, the Negro League, women's baseball, baseball overseas.....if it's baseball, it's covered here. As a Pirates fan, I can honestly say that I'm not bothered by the heavy New York and Boston content, after all, those were the hotbeds of baseball in the early days. Great players and great ballparks are highlighted, and if you come away from this not a baseball fan, nothing will convert you to one. Experience this magnificent series, it's so much more than watching. This will grab you and allow you to understand why baseball isn't a pastime, it's a passion.
Rating:
Summary: Great Story, But Too Narrow in Focus
Review: A great history of baseball. The one flaw: watching only the film, you would think that only New York and Boston had baseball teams.
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