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BASEBALL: SECOND INNING: SOMETHING LIKE A WAR (TV)

Summary

Part two 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 second inning, entitled "Something Like a War," is divided into fourteen subtitled segments and covers the years 1900 to 1910. The first subtitled segment, "Something Like a War," offers a biography of Pittsburgh Pirates star Honus Wagner. "The American League" concentrates on Ban Johnson's establishment of a rival to the National League in 1901. "'Nuf Ced" tells the story of tavern owner Mike McGreevey (nicknamed "'Nuf Ced") who along with his "Royal Rooters" helped the Boston Pilgrims win the first World Series in 1903 over the Pittsburgh Pirates; this segment also recalls how British caterer Harry M. Stevens turned ballpark food into an industry; and includes comments by historian John Thorn on the urban roots of baseball. "The Look of Eagles" has Ban Johnson trying to turn baseball into a gentleman's sport; and ornery roughneck John McGraw falling out with Johnson. "The Christian Gentleman" profiles New York Giant pitcher Christy Mathewson; features film footage of Mathewson and a description of him by writer Studs Terkel; and footage of the 1905 world champion Giants touring the Polo Grounds in automobiles. "Free and Equal" depicts McGraw's secretive attempts to add a black player to his roster; the tale of Moses Fleetwood Walker, who became the first black man to play in the major leagues in 1887, but was driven from the game because of racism; the birth of Branch Rickey's career in baseball as manager of the college team at Ohio Wesleyan University; and footage of female pitcher Alta Weiss, who played on a men's semiprofessional baseball team. "Hitless Wonders" focuses on the 1906 World Series, which saw the defeat of the mighty Chicago Cubs by their Windy City rival White Sox (known as the "Hitless Wonders"); and includes footage of vaudevillian De Wolf Hopper, who popularized the poem "Casey at the Bat." "Bottom of the Second" sees vaudeville performer Jack Norworth write the song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." "Rube" profiles eccentric hurler George "Rube" Waddell, who led the American League in strikeouts for six seasons despite his occasionally antic behavior, which included leaving the mound to chase fire engines and wrestling alligators in the off-season; and concludes with historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's comments on the psychological duel between pitcher and batter. "A True Jewel" profiles pitcher Walter Johnson, a great 1907 rookie; includes footage of Johnson pitching; editor Daniel Okrent describing Johnson's ability and sportswriter Shirley Povich comparing Johnson to Christy Mathewson. "Ty" offers a biography of the brilliant, belligerent Detroit Tiger Ty Cobb; and features historian John Thorn and columnist George Will analyzing Cobb's talent and personality. "Organize Your Team" follows A.G. Spalding's attempt to prove baseball is a purely American game, leading to the popular myth that Abner Doubleday was the game's creator; features paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould's claim that baseball has "no point of origin"; looks at all-black baseball teams; offers a profile of the great black hurler Andrew "Rube" Foster, who could not play in the major leagues but was hired by John McGraw to teach the Giants' pitchers all he knew; and concludes with Kansas City Monarch Buck O'Neil lauding Foster's intelligence. "The Merkle Boner" recalls the mental error made by New York Giants' first baseman Fred Merkle during the 1908 season which cost the Giants the pennant. "I Have To Be First" describes some of the awful ramifications of Ty Cobb's violent, racist attitude; features broadcaster Vin Scully sharing an anecdote which explains the depths of Cobb's intensely competitive spirit; includes footage of Cobb; and the 1909 World Series showdown between Cobb's Tigers and the Pirates of Honus Wagner. (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: November 30, 1993 8:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:45:39
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: T:34351
  • GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries; Sports
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Baseball; Blacks - Sports; Food industry; Sports; African-American Collection - News/Talk; African-American Collection - Sports
  • SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1994
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Ken Burns … Executive Producer, Producer, Director, Writer
  • Bruce Alfred … Coordinating Producer, Archival Film Research
  • Mike Hill … Coordinating Producer
  • Lynn Novick … Producer
  • David Schaye … Associate Producer
  • Susanna Steisel … Associate Producer
  • Stephen Ives … Consulting Producer
  • Geoffrey C. Ward … Writer
  • Dodworth Saxhorn Band … Music Group
  • Naomi Gertz … Singer
  • Jaqueline Schwab … Instrumentalist, Pianist
  • Jay Ungar … Instrumentalist
  • Matt Glaser … Instrumentalist
  • Molly Mason … Instrumentalist
  • Jesse Carr … Instrumentalist
  • Bobby Horton … Instrumentalist, Music (Misc. Credits), Studio Arrangements
  • Paul Mayberry … Music (Misc. Credits), Arranger
  • John Chancellor … Narrator
  • Adam Arkin … Voice
  • Philip Bosco … Voice
  • Ossie Davis … Voice
  • Loren Dean … Voice
  • Keith Carradine … Voice
  • John Hartford … Voice
  • Anthony Hopkins … Voice
  • Garrison Keillor … Voice
  • Alan King … Voice
  • Amy Madigan … Voice
  • Arthur Miller … Voice
  • Michael Moriarty … Voice
  • O'Neill, Thomas P. "Tip" … Voice
  • Gregory Peck … Voice
  • Geroge Plimpton … Voice
  • Jody Powell … Voice
  • Aidan Quinn … Voice
  • Robards, Jason (See also: Robards, Jason, Jr.) … Voice
  • Paul Roebling … Voice
  • Studs Terkel … Voice
  • John Turturro … Voice
  • Eli Wallach … Voice
  • M. Emmet Walsh … Voice
  • Paul Winfield … Voice
  • Vin Scully … Guest
  • John Thorn … Guest
  • Buck O'Neil … Guest
  • Daniel Okrent … Guest
  • Thomas Boswell … Guest
  • Studs Terkel … Guest
  • Shirley Povich … Guest
  • Shelby Foote … Guest
  • Doris Kearns Goodwin … Guest
  • George Will … Guest
  • Stephen Jay Gould … Guest
  • Cobb, Ty (Tyrus Raymond Cobb)
  • Abner Doubleday
  • Foster, Rube (Andrew Foster)
  • De Wolf Hopper
  • Johnson, Ban (Byron Johnson)
  • Walter Johnson
  • Christy Mathewson
  • John McGraw
  • Mike McGreevey
  • Fred Merkle
  • Jack Norworth
  • Branch Rickey
  • Albert Goodwill Spalding
  • Harry M. Stevens
  • Honus Wagner
  • Moses Fleetwood Walker
  • Waddell, Rube (George Waddell)
  • Alta Weiss