ok, so it's almost winter and i don't know about you, but after about 40 days without everyday baseball, i start checking websites stored during the season. i've had these two documentaries stashed in my online favorites for a few months. both of them can be watched in their entirety on line. they are both about 1 hour long.

the first one is a national film board of canada production about ferguson jenkins. King of the Hill
i don't want to say too much and spoil it except in the first few minutes, there is a shot of brewers in spring training scottsdale 72 or 73. that's it for brewers in the 1 hour film, but it's still worth a look.

the purpose pitch instead of the bean ball, jarry park-montreal, the houston astrodome, maybe the first ever behind the scenes look on video of a baseball team--the leo durocher cubs. and even with the camera in player faces, they talk natural and real.

the only mentioning of statistics is by fergie's agent. numbers used to get bigger dollar earnings for his player i guess--the beginings of arbitration hearings using more than batting averages. scenes from hunting trips and the drinking of screech which i guess is like ripple or wild irish rose. all in all, a well done documentary. classic scene of ernie banks standing around the batting cage discussing the relation of genius to baseball.

the other documentary is more biographical and ethnic--jewish perspective on hank greenberg, The Life and Times
but a damn interesting take on 1930's-40's american history through jewish baseball eyes.