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BASEBALL: THIRD INNING: THE FAITH OF FIFTY MILLION PEOPLE (TV)

Summary

Part three of this nine-part documentary series by filmmaker Ken Burns about the history of baseball in America, narrated by John Chancellor. Each part or "inning" represents an era of the sport's history. The story is told through archival photos and film footage, as well as the words of those who contributed to the game as read by various actors and writers. A select group of writers, historians, players, baseball personnel, and fans offer opinions on specific events and the significance of the game in America's history. The third inning, entitled "The Faith of Fifty Million People," is divided into twelve subtitled segments and covers the years 1910 to 1920. The first subtitled segment, "The Faith of Fifty Million People," profiles Philadelphia A's manager Connie Mack. "The Black Mark" features a look at the 1910 batting title race between Detroit's Ty Cobb and Cleveland's Nap Lajoie; Cobb's suspension for his brutal beating of a crippled heckler at Hilltop Park in Manhattan; and editor Daniel Okrent's assessment of Cobb as an "embarrassment" to baseball. "Damn" has Kansas City Monarch Buck O'Neil recalling why playing baseball was so important in his life. "The Wolf Pack" consists of filmmaker John Sayles discussing the "local" feel of baseball in the 1920s and 1930s; Boston outfielder Harry Hooper's diary of life on the road; Boston centerfielder Tris Speaker's transformation of outfield play with his daring style; Eddie Collins' hitting prowess; editor Daniel Okrent's comments on Hal Chase's involvement with gamblers; the early death of Cleveland's great pitcher Addie Joss; and the continued labor problems of major league players. "Tears" details the raucous 1912 World Series between the New York Giants and the Boston Red Sox, marked by Giant Fred Snodgrass' costly outfield error; and the building of Fenway Park. "Pigtown" recalls the erection of Ebbets Field on a garbage dump in Brooklyn; and broadcaster Red Barber and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin remember Brooklyn around the time of the building of the ballpark. "Bottom of the Third" has George Will explaining why he believes baseball best suits a democratic society. "Free Agents" recalls the 1914 formation of the Federal League, which allowed players to be free agents; examines the Federal League's collapse and its suit against the major leagues for being a monopoly; and includes poet Donald Hall's comments on baseball as an "immigrant experience." "Hard to Know" profiles the troubled, brilliant righthanded pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander; includes footage of Alexander pitching; looks at the brief participation in the white professional baseball league of a part-Indian, part-black player named Jimmy Claxton; and concludes with editor Daniel Okrent's assessment of baseball general manager Branch Rickey as the game's "Leonardo" for his innovative approach. "The Carmine-Hosed Warriors" covers the 1916 World Series between the Boston Warriors and the Brooklyn Superbas; the participation of baseball personnel in World War I; the war injuries suffered by Grover Cleveland Alexander and Christy Mathewson; the introduction of the "Star Spangled Banner" during the seventh inning stretch of the first game of the 1918 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox; and the stellar pitching of Boston's Babe Ruth during the 1918 Series. "An Awful Thing To Do" recounts the "Black Sox" scandal, which saw eight members of the Chicago White Sox throw the 1919 World Series in a gambling fix. "The Law" profiles Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who was appointed by the club owners as baseball's first commissioner with a mandate to restore integrity to the game; examines Landis' lifetime suspension of the eight "Black Sox," including the highly popular "Shoeless" Joe Jackson; and concludes with Buck O'Neil's remembrances of Babe Ruth's emergence as an everyday player. (This program is closed-captioned.)

Acquisition and cataloging of this program was made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Details

  • NETWORK: PBS WNET New York, NY
  • DATE: September 20, 1994 8:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:56:51
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: T:34377
  • GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries; Sports
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Baseball; Blacks - Sports; Gambling; Sports; African-American Collection - News/Talk; African-American Collection - Sports
  • SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1994
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Ken Burns … Executive Producer, Writer
  • Bruce Alfred … Coordinating Producer
  • Mike Hill … Coordinating Producer
  • Lynn Novick … Producer
  • Geoffrey C. Ward … Writer
  • John Chancellor … Narrator
  • Buck O'Neil … Guest
  • Barber, Red (Walter Barber) … Guest
  • Daniel Okrent … Guest
  • John Sayles … Guest
  • Studs Terkel … Guest
  • Charley McDowell … Guest
  • George Will … Guest
  • George Plimpton … Guest
  • Doris Kearns Goodwin … Guest
  • Donald Hall … Guest
  • Shelby Foote … Guest
  • Gardner Stern … Guest
  • Grover Cleveland Alexander
  • Hal Chase
  • Jimmy Claxton
  • Cobb, Ty (Tyrus Raymond Cobb)
  • Eddie Collins
  • Harry Hooper
  • Jackson, Joseph Jefferson ("Shoeless Joe")
  • Addie Joss
  • Lajoie, Napoleon "Nap"
  • Kenesaw Mountain Landis
  • Mack, Connie (Cornelius Alexander Mack)
  • Christy Mathewson
  • Branch Rickey
  • Arnold Rothstein
  • Ruth, Babe (George Herman Ruth)
  • Fred Snodgrass
  • Tris Speaker
  • Wood, Joe ("Smoky Joe")