Baseball's Seasons

Last updated
Baseball's Seasons
Genre Documentary
Narrated by Curt Chaplin
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes32
Production
Running time60 minutes, minus commercials
Production companyMajor League Baseball Productions
Original release
Network MLB Network
ReleaseJanuary 7, 2009 (2009-01-07) 
December 30, 2013 (2013-12-30)

Baseball's Seasons is an American television documentary series that was aired on MLB Network from January 7, 2009 until December 30, 2013. [1] Each episode takes a look at a season in the history of Major League Baseball. The series is narrated by Curt Chaplin. Like a lot of the network's other original programming, Baseball's Seasons airs when the league is in offseason.

Contents

The series is currently available for streaming online on the streaming services Apple TV+ and Pluto TV. [2] [3]

Episodes

Ep.DateYearTitleDescription
011/7/2009 1995 "Baseball Returns"Baseball attempts to heal after the strike of 1994. Cal Ripken Jr. beats Gehrig's record. The Mariners save baseball in Seattle. The Braves meet the Indians in the World Series.
021/14/2009 1986 "Expect the Unexpected"Future legends Greg Maddux, Will Clark, Barry Larkin, Barry Bonds, Bo Jackson, Fred McGriff, and Jamie Moyer debut. The Mets meet the Red Sox in the World Series.
031/21/2009 2001 "More Than a Game"Baseball heals the nation in the wake of its greatest tragedy. The wounded city of New York finds one of its own teams in one of the most dramatic world series in history. Two legends and future hall-of-famers, Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn retire. The Diamondbacks meet the Yankees in the World Series.
041/28/2009 1968 "The Year of the Pitcher"In the year of the pitcher, Bob Gibson sets the ERA record, Denny McLain wins 31 games, and Mickey Lolich wins 3 games in the World Series. The Tigers meet the Cardinals in the World Series.
052/11/2009 1993 "Baseball at a Crossroads"MLB expands for the first time in 16 years, bringing baseball to Florida and Colorado. In the last season of the two-division structure, the Braves and Giants battle through the summer. The Blue Jays and the Phillies meet in the World Series. Joe Carter's walk-off home run in Game 6 clinched the World Series for the Blue Jays.
062/18/2009 1982 "Anything Can Happen"Baseball recovers from the strike-shortened season of '81. The Orioles and Brewers face off in a dramatic race for the American League East. The Cardinals meet the Brewers in the World Series.
073/31/2009 1961 "A New Era"The Yankees' Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris contend for the single-season home run record. Teams come to Minnesota, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. The Yankees meet the Reds in the World Series.
0811/18/2009 1979 "Family" Willie Stargell leads the Pittsburgh Pirates, spurned on by the motto "We Are Family". The Pirates meet the Orioles in the World Series.
0911/25/2009 1969 "Amazin'" The Miracle Mets go from perennial cellar-dwellers to top of the National League. The majors add teams to Seattle, Kansas City, San Diego, and Montreal, the first Canadian baseball team. They also realign into East and West, and the League Championship Series is born. The Mets meet the Orioles in the World Series.
101/6/2010 1959 "Something to Prove"A year after the big move to LA and a second-to-last place finish, the Los Angeles Dodgers try to return to prominence. Meanwhile, in the American League, the Chicago White Sox wish to finally overcome the untouchable Yankees. The Dodgers meet the White Sox in the World Series.
111/13/2010 1967 "The Impossible Dream"The baseball season is played amongst the backdrop of social unrest. While the Summer of Love begins in San Francisco, the Detroit Tigers deal with a summer of racial conflict. The Boston Red Sox try to make their impossible dream come alive. The Cardinals meet the Red Sox in the World Series.
122/10/2010 2004 "Finally"The St. Louis Cardinals make a run for the title with the help of sluggers Larry Walker and Albert Pujols. The Minnesota Twins see the rise of ace pitcher Johan Santana. The Boston Red Sox attempt to shake off the memories of their defeat the previous year at the hands of the Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees. They get their chance when the two get a rematch, resulting in the greatest comeback in the history of the game. The Red Sox meet the Cardinals in the World Series.
132/17/2010 2003 "A Wild Ride"The Florida Marlins try to recapture the glory of their championship season, becoming one of the eight teams in the National League contending for the wild card. The rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox heats up after the Yankees win the fight for Cuban defector José Contreras. The two teams get a chance to duke it out on the field when they meet in the ALCS. Meanwhile, in the NLCS, the Chicago Cubs try to triumph against their past and win a pennant. The Marlins meet the Yankees in the World Series.
142/17/2010 1987 "What a Blast!"The Minnesota Twins win their second AL pennant since the move to Minnesota. The first World Series to be played indoors introduced the St. Louis Cardinals to the dome field advantage. The Twins meet the Cardinals in the World Series.
1511/15/2010 1990 "Anything Can Happen"An old rivalry is reborn in the NLCS between the Pirates and the Reds. The A's continue their dominance. An NL batting champion is crowned while playing in the AL. The Athletics meet the Reds in the World Series.
1611/29/2010 1971 "Greatness in the Game" Vida Blue and Joe Torre win league MVP awards. The All Star Game features 20 future hall of famers. The Orioles meet the Pirates in the World Series.
1712/13/2010 1985 "Diamond Royalty" Dwight "Doctor K" Gooden provides the greatest Cy Young performance since Bob Gibson. Don Denkinger blows a legendary call in the "I-70" World Series. The Royals meet the Cardinals in the World Series.
1812/20/2010 1975 "Agents of Change"The New York Yankees land Catfish Hunter in a landmark signing, and start the wheels for the inception of baseball free agency. The Big Red Machine try to make the move from bridesmaid to bride. The Boston Red Sox rise from the middle of the AL East and take on the defending threepeat champions, the Oakland Athletics. The Reds meet the Red Sox in the World Series.
197/3/2011 2000 "Subway Series Renewed"The Yankees meet the Mets in the World Series for the first Subway Series in 44 years. Also featuring the Mariners, A's, White Sox, Cardinals, Giants and Reds.
2011/12/2011 1965 "Pitcher Perfect" Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale lead the Dodgers to the World Series facing Tony Oliva, Mudcat Grant and Zoilo Versalles of the Minnesota Twins. The Dodgers defeat the Twins in a classic 7-game series. In the season leading up the World Series, Koufax tosses a perfect game on September 9 — a 1–0 victory over the Cubs.
2111/19/2011 1977 "Turmoil & Triumph"The Yankees acquire Reggie Jackson by free agency by signing him to a 5-year deal. The American League adds two new teams in Seattle and Toronto. Meanwhile, the 2-time defending world champion Reds are unseated when the Dodgers win the NL West. The Phillies lose Game 4 of the NLCS to the Dodgers. The ALCS is just as dramatic, with the series going to what was then a full 5 games. The Yankees wind up beating the Dodgers in 6 games for their 21st World Series championship behind the famous three-home run game from Reggie Jackson.
2212/3/2011 1978 "Familiar Foes"The Yankees battle their archrival Red Sox for the AL East title. The race comes down to a memorable one game playoff famous for the Bucky Dent home run that gives the Yankees a lead they don't relinquish. They use that momentum to take down the Royals and Dodgers for a second straight year, and another championship. The NLCS also produces the same result, with the Dodgers beating the Phillies in 4 games.
2312/10/2011 1980 "Hot Corner Champions" George Brett, Mike Schmidt, J. R. Richard, Steve Stone and Steve Howe lead their teams through tight divisional races. The Yankees win 103 games, fending off the Orioles who win 100. The Astros and Dodgers battle for the NL West, with the race coming down to a one game playoff. The Astros prevail, beating the Dodgers 7–1. After three losses in the NLCS from 1976–1978, the Phillies reach the World Series after a tight 5-game match with the Astros with the final four games being decided in extra innings. The Royals also capture their first pennant, sweeping the Yankees in the ALCS culminated by George Brett's 3-run home run in Game 3. After over eight decades of disappointment, the Philles win their first World Series. They defeat the Royals in 6 games.
2412/17/2011 1974 "715" Hank Aaron breaks Babe Ruth's all-time home run record. The A's dynasty continues as they roll through the AL en route to a World Series matchup with the Dodgers.
2511/11/2012 1997 "Something Wild" Interleague play is introduced for the first time as part of the regular season. Ken Griffey Jr. wins the AL MVP, hitting 56 home runs. The Florida Marlins become the first wild card team to win a World Series, defeating the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 on a walk-off bases-loaded single by Édgar Rentería.
2611/18/2012 1984 "Year of the Tiger"The powerhouse Detroit Tigers dominate the American League with a historic 35-5 start, while the upstart Padres claim their first pennant after a thrilling series with the Chicago Cubs. Detroit wins their first championship since 1968 when they beat San Diego in five games.
2712/2/2012 2005 "Second City Surprise"The Astros bounce back from a 15–30 start to win the wild card and eventually their first pennant. The White Sox win their first championship in 88 years, sweeping the Astros in four games.
2812/10/2012 1981 "A Season Interrupted"The season is shortened by a strike, neccating the first ever Division Series in the playoffs. The Los Angeles Dodgers become the first team to come back from the 2 games to none deficit to beat the Houston Astros in the NLDS. They go on to beat the Montreal Expos in the NLCS on a famous home run by Rick Monday. Los Angeles goes on the avenge losses to the Yankees in 1977 and 1978 by beating them in six games to take the World Series.
2912/17/2012 1970 "The Birds Soar"The Cincinnati Reds become a force in the National League under Sparky Anderson. They reach their first World Series in 9 years, but are brought down in 5 games by the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series who themselves avenge a loss to the New York Mets a year earlier.
3012/16/2013 1983 "Charm City"After a season of record-breaking chases and historic milestones, AL MVP Cal Ripken Jr. and his Orioles emerge as World Champs against the Wheeze Kids from Philadelphia.
3112/23/2013 1988 "Hollywood Ending" Orel Hershiser's dominant run, the first 40-40 season in history, and an iconic World Series home run that could only happen in Hollywood.
3212/30/2013 1989 "Seismic Changes"A season made memorable by the debut of Ken Griffey Jr. and an historic All-Star performance by Bo Jackson turns unforgettable as the World Series is interrupted by a devastating earthquake.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major League Baseball</span> North American professional baseball league

Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league. One of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, MLB comprises 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. Formed in 1876 and 1901, respectively, the NL and AL cemented their cooperation with the National Agreement in 1903, making MLB the oldest major professional sports league in the world. They remained legally separate entities until 2000, when they merged into a single organization led by the Commissioner of Baseball. MLB is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major League Baseball on television</span> Overview of coverage of American professional baseball on television

Major League Baseball (MLB) has been broadcast on American television since the 1950s, with initial broadcasts on the experimental station W2XBS, the predecessor of the modern WNBC in New York. The World Series was televised on a networked basis since 1947, with regular season games broadcast nationally since 1953. Over the forthcoming years, MLB games became major attractions for American television networks, and each of the Big Three networks would air packages of baseball games at various times until the year 2000. Fox would rise to major network status, partially on its acquisition of MLB rights in 1996; Fox has been MLB's primary broadcast television partner ever since.

This Week in Baseball is an American television series that focuses on Major League Baseball highlights. Broadcast weekly during baseball season the program featured highlights of recent games, interviews with players, and other regular features. The popularity of the program, best known for its original host, New York Yankees play-by-play commentator Mel Allen, also helped influence the creation of other sports highlight programs, including ESPN's SportsCenter.

<i>MLB on Fox</i> American live sports television program

MLB on Fox is an American presentation of Major League Baseball (MLB) games produced by Fox Sports, the sports division of the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox), since June 1, 1996. The broadcaster has aired the World Series in 1996, 1998, and every edition since 2000, and the All-Star Game in 1997, 1999, and every year since 2001. It has also aired the National League Championship Series (NLCS) and American League Championship Series (ALCS) in alternate years from 1996 to 2000 and since 2007, with the NLCS in even years and the ALCS in odd years.

Major League Baseball on NBC is the de facto branding for weekly broadcasts of Major League Baseball (MLB) games that are produced by NBC Sports, and televised on the NBC television network; and, as of 2022, as well as on its co-owned streaming service, Peacock. Major League Baseball games first aired on the network from 1947 to 1989, including The NBC Game of the Week, when CBS acquired the broadcast television rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Waltz</span> American sportscaster (born 1962)

Rich Waltz is an American television play-by-play commentator currently calling college football and basketball for CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network. Waltz also calls MLB for MLB Network's Showcase telecasts and Apple TV's Friday Night Baseball. The past two seasons he has filled in on TV for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Angels on Bally Sports. Waltz also called the Phoenix Regional of the World Baseball Classic for MLB Network and MLB International. A three-time Emmy winner, Waltz is formerly known for calling television broadcasts for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball from 2005 to 2017. Waltz's dismissal by Fox Sports Florida and the Marlins was criticized by fans and media. Over the past few years, Waltz has called MLB for MLB Network and Turner Sports, including the Cubs' Alec Mills no-hitter, the sixth MLB no-hitter he has announced. Waltz also called the 2020 AL Wild Card Series for TBS alongside Jimmy Rollins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MLB Network</span> American television sports channel dedicated to baseball

The MLB Network is an American television sports channel dedicated to baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball, with TNT Sports, Comcast's NBC Sports Group, Charter Communications, and Cox Communications having minority ownership.

In the United States, sports are televised on various broadcast networks, national and specialty sports cable channels, and regional sports networks. U.S. sports rights are estimated to be worth a total of $22.42 billion in 2019, about 44 percent of the total worldwide sports media market. U.S. networks are willing to pay a significant amount of money for television sports contracts because it attracts large amounts of viewership; live sport broadcasts accounted for 44 of the 50 list of most watched television broadcasts in the United States in 2016.

Major League Baseball has several blackout rules. Games are blacked out based on two criteria:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cincinnati Reds Radio Network</span> Official radio network of MLBs Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds Radio Network is an American radio network composed of 69 radio stations which carry English-language coverage of the Cincinnati Reds, a professional baseball team in Major League Baseball (MLB). Cincinnati station WLW (700 AM) serves as the network's flagship; WLW also simulcasts over a low-power FM translator. The network also includes 68 affiliates in the U.S. states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia: fifty-three AM stations, thirty-nine of which supplement their signals with one or more low-power FM translators, and fifteen full-power FM stations.

Pluto TV is a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global.

The 2022 Major League Baseball season (MLB) was originally scheduled to begin on March 31 and end on October 2. The 2021–22 lockout caused the season to be delayed by one week, starting on April 7. The regular season ended on October 5. The start of the season was delayed by a lockout of players, which commenced on December 2, 2021, following the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). On March 10, 2022, MLB and the MLBPA reached a deal on a five-year CBA, with Opening Day being held on April 7, and a full 162-game schedule played. Under the new CBA, universal designated hitter was adopted, the postseason was expanded to 12 teams, and the regular season tie-breaker game was eliminated. In November 2021, the Cleveland Indians announced their new team name, the Cleveland Guardians. The 2022 MLB All-Star Game was held on July 19 and hosted by the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

<i>Friday Night Baseball</i> Weekly MLB broadcast on Apple TV+

Friday Night Baseball is a live broadcast of Major League Baseball (MLB) games on Apple TV+ that debuted during the league's 2022 season. The weekly broadcast is produced by MLB Network, featuring a doubleheader with pregame and postgame analysis. The broadcast is available in the North American market consisting of the United States, Canada and Mexico as well as select overseas markets including Australia, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom, with plans to expand availability of the broadcast to more regions in the future.

<i>MLB Sunday Leadoff</i> Baseball games on Peacock

MLB Sunday Leadoff is an American presentation of Major League Baseball (MLB) games produced by NBC Sports for the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service Peacock. One game each season is simulcast on NBC. It is NBC Sports' first national MLB package since 2000.

<i>MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube</i> Baseball games on Youtube

MLB Game of the Week Live on YouTube was the presentation of Major League Baseball (MLB) games live on the video sharing and social media platform YouTube. Games were produced by the league-owned MLB Network. Games generally streamed in the afternoon on weekdays.

The 2023 Major League Baseball season (MLB) began on March 30. The 93rd All-Star Game was played on July 11, hosted by the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington, with the National League winning, 3–2. The regular season ended on October 1, and the postseason began on October 3, and ended with Game 5 of the World Series on November 1. This season saw the introduction of several rule changes: in an effort to create a quicker pace of play, a pitch clock was introduced along with other minor changes, while limits on defensive shifts and larger bases were also introduced.

The 2024 Major League Baseball season (MLB) is scheduled to begin on March 20–21 with a two-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres held in Seoul, South Korea before the regular season proper runs from March 28 to September 29. The 94th All-Star Game is planned for July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The postseason is then scheduled to begin on October 1 with a potential World Series Game 7 set for November 2. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions are the Texas Rangers.

The following is a general overview of Major League Baseball on television in the 2020s. During the 2020s, Major League Baseball announced its first exclusive television contract with a paid streaming service. Due to the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group, MLB took over the production of the local broadcasts of the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks.

References

  1. "Baseball's Seasons". New York: MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  2. "Baseball Seasons". Pluto TV. Los Angeles: Paramount Global. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  3. "Baseball's Seasons". Apple TV+ . Cupertino: Apple, Inc. 5 January 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2022.