Home Run Derby (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Home Run Derby is a 1960 television show that was held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles
putting the top sluggers of Major League Baseball
against each other in nine-inning home run
contests. The show was produced and hosted by actor/broadcaster Mark Scott
and distributed by Ziv Television Programs
.
The series aired in syndication from January 9 to July 2, 1960 and helped inspire the Home Run Derby
event that is now held the day before the annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game
. ESPN
staged a revival of the show in 2003.
Batters were given three outs per inning, and the player with the most home runs after nine innings won. The defending champion had the advantage of batting last; his opponent batted first. Any ball not hit for a home run was an out. The player did not have to swing at every pitch, but if he did not swing at it, and the pitch was in the strike zone
, that also constituted an out, as well as a swing and a miss, but these rarely happened as the pitcher was supposed to be giving the batters good balls to hit. If the players were tied after nine innings, the Derby would go into extra innings as per regular baseball.
When a left-handed hitter played, a special rule was put into place. At the time, Wrigley Field boasted an inner fence with palm trees and a brick wall located several feet behind it. In order for a pitch hit out that way to count for a home run, the ball had to clear the wall or hit the top of the trees that stuck out over the wall. This was done because the distance was shorter to right field with the inner fence and would therefore give a lefty an unfair advantage as he would only have to hit the ball over the inner fence to get a home run while a righty would have to hit over the deeper left field wall. (The distances were only slightly different once the wall was factored in, but at 339 feet vs. 340 feet the difference was negligible.)
While one player was taking his turn at bat, the other player would be at the host's booth and would have a brief conversation, typically unrehearsed "small-talk" about the contest itself or the player's performance for that season. Willie Mays
, who was a champion later in the run (after losing in the initial contest to Mantle), joked with host Scott during his run that the host should be quiet while he batted for his third consecutive home run (for which Mays would receive a $500 bonus) and Scott took him up on it, speaking into the mike sotto voce
, similar to a bowling
or golf
announcer, whenever Mays would step up to the plate. Sometimes when the batter would hit a ball in the deep outfield, the player in the booth would sometimes comment that it would have gone for extra bases in a real game, which Scott replies that on Home Run Derby it's nothing but an out. Some players wore golf gloves during the show - a noticeable addition because the batting glove was still years away from being a normal part of a players' gear.
With the death of Killebrew on May 17, 2011, 8 are still alive: Aaron, Banks, Cerv, Colavito, Kaline, Mays, Robinson and Triandos.
The pitcher for the show was former major-leaguer Tom Saffell
and the catcher was minor leaguer John Van Ornum Art Passarella
, a major-league umpire who would go on to a TV acting career, served as the plate umpire. There were also umpires in the outfield to help judge fly balls that were close calls.
in Los Angeles (the name of the stadium was never mentioned) was chosen to host the event because its fence distances were symmetrical, favoring neither right-handed nor left-handed hitters. Despite Scott's assertions, the left field wall was actually a few feet higher than the right field wall, which slightly penalized right-handed line-drive hitters such as Gus Triandos
. The Los Angeles Dodgers
played at the Memorial Coliseum
during 1958
-1961
, a site that would have given an unfair advantage to right-handed batters.
Unlike more modern home run derbies, which usually award prizes in the form of charity donations to a player's choice of charity, the economic realities of the era meant that the cash prizes earned by the players on the show were a substantial income supplement.
, who was defeated in his next outing by Dick Stuart
.
Jackie Jensen was the only player to hit 4 and 5 home runs in a row, doing so in the final episode. However, he lost that day 13-10 to Mickey Mantle. Mantle became the first former champion of Home Run Derby to return and win, although he was not the only player to participate more than once.
Eddie Mathews and Duke Snider were the only left-handed batters to compete. Switch-hitter Mantle batted right-handed in the contests. Mantle hit 372 homers left-handed in his career and only 164 right-handed, but chose to bat exclusively right-handed for this series, reiterating in the first episode that his longest home runs had come right-handed.
Gus Triandos
held several interesting distinctions. Despite never hitting more than 30 home runs in a season, and ending his career with 167 home runs, he was chosen because he was the best power-hitting catcher
in the major leagues at the time, and was the only catcher to participate on the program. Triandos also took until the seventh inning to hit his first home run, the longest such drought on the show's history (just surpassing Duke Snider, who hit a home run off the trees in the sixth inning of his contest vs. Hank Aaron). Triandos was nonetheless good-natured, treating his futility with a mix of self-deprecation and humorous sarcasm, and wishing Dick Stuart
luck after their competition.
at the age of 45; in the wake of his death, the producers decided not to replace him and instead canceled the show entirely.
and 2004
, the Major League Baseball Players Association
held similar contests at Cashman Field
in Las Vegas, Nevada
. The contests were held just before spring training
, consisted of eight-man elimination tournaments, and were televised on ESPN
. The contests lasted for only five innings.
. The series proved popular and was credited in part with the establishment of a classic sports network which would eventually become ESPN Classic
.
ESPN Classic has run the program in primetime in September and November 2009 after a 2-year hiatus, and still carries episodes in middays. In later years the intro, as well as some comments at the close of the show, were narrated by former Los Angeles Dodgers
announcer Ross Porter.
In Summer 2007, MGM Home Entertainment
(with distribution by 20th Century Fox
, which is owned by the same company
that owns the current over-the-air home of the MLB, the Fox Broadcasting Company
) began to release the 1960 series on three DVDs. The first DVD was released on July 10, the second was issued on August 14, and the third came out on September 25. In March 2008, the three volumes were re-released as a box set.
Episodes are also available via the iTunes Store
.
Wrigley Field (Los Angeles)
Wrigley Field was a ballpark in Los Angeles, California which served as host to minor league baseball teams in the region for over 30 years, and was the home park for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League as well as a current major league team, the later Los Angeles Angels, in their...
putting the top sluggers of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
against each other in nine-inning home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
contests. The show was produced and hosted by actor/broadcaster Mark Scott
Mark Scott (actor)
Mark Scott was an actor and broadcaster. He is probably best known for hosting the Home Run Derby television show that originally aired in 1960...
and distributed by Ziv Television Programs
Ziv Television Programs
Ziv Television Programs, Inc. was an American television syndication and production company, producer of popular syndicated TV programs in the 1950s.- History :...
.
The series aired in syndication from January 9 to July 2, 1960 and helped inspire the Home Run Derby
Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...
event that is now held the day before the annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
staged a revival of the show in 2003.
Gameplay
The rules were similar to modern home run derbies, with two notable exceptions. If a batter did not swing at a pitch that was in the strike zone, that also constituted an out. Also, the contests were conducted in a more similar fashion to a baseball game than the modern home run derbies, where a player has a set number of outs before his turn is over.Batters were given three outs per inning, and the player with the most home runs after nine innings won. The defending champion had the advantage of batting last; his opponent batted first. Any ball not hit for a home run was an out. The player did not have to swing at every pitch, but if he did not swing at it, and the pitch was in the strike zone
Strike zone
In baseball, the strike zone is a conceptual right pentagonal prism over home plate which defines the boundaries through which a pitch must pass in order to count as a strike when the batter does not swing.-Definition:...
, that also constituted an out, as well as a swing and a miss, but these rarely happened as the pitcher was supposed to be giving the batters good balls to hit. If the players were tied after nine innings, the Derby would go into extra innings as per regular baseball.
When a left-handed hitter played, a special rule was put into place. At the time, Wrigley Field boasted an inner fence with palm trees and a brick wall located several feet behind it. In order for a pitch hit out that way to count for a home run, the ball had to clear the wall or hit the top of the trees that stuck out over the wall. This was done because the distance was shorter to right field with the inner fence and would therefore give a lefty an unfair advantage as he would only have to hit the ball over the inner fence to get a home run while a righty would have to hit over the deeper left field wall. (The distances were only slightly different once the wall was factored in, but at 339 feet vs. 340 feet the difference was negligible.)
While one player was taking his turn at bat, the other player would be at the host's booth and would have a brief conversation, typically unrehearsed "small-talk" about the contest itself or the player's performance for that season. Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
, who was a champion later in the run (after losing in the initial contest to Mantle), joked with host Scott during his run that the host should be quiet while he batted for his third consecutive home run (for which Mays would receive a $500 bonus) and Scott took him up on it, speaking into the mike sotto voce
Sotto voce
Sotto voce means intentionally lowering one's voice for emphasis. The speaker gives the impression of uttering involuntarily a truth which may surprise, shock, or offend...
, similar to a bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
or golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
announcer, whenever Mays would step up to the plate. Sometimes when the batter would hit a ball in the deep outfield, the player in the booth would sometimes comment that it would have gone for extra bases in a real game, which Scott replies that on Home Run Derby it's nothing but an out. Some players wore golf gloves during the show - a noticeable addition because the batting glove was still years away from being a normal part of a players' gear.
Participants
Nineteen players, including nine future Hall of Famers, participated in the series, "almost all the power hitters of the era.". Following their names is the number of games they were in and their won-loss record.- Hank Aaron - 7 (6-1)
- Bob AllisonBob AllisonWilliam Robert "Bob" Allison was born in Raytown, Missouri and was a Major League Baseball outfielder and right-handed batter who played in the American League for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins from to ....
- 3 (1-2) - Ernie BanksErnie BanksErnest "Ernie" Banks , nicknamed "Mr. Cub", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and first baseman. He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the Chicago Cubs . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.-High school years:Banks was a letterman and standout in football,...
- 3 (1-2) - Ken BoyerKen BoyerKenton Lloyd Boyer was an American Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. During a 15-year baseball career, he played for 1955-1969 for four different teams, playing primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals...
- 2 (1-1) - Bob CervBob CervRobert Henry Cerv was an American baseball player. Prior to his professional career he was a standout baseball and basketball player at the University of Nebraska....
- 2 (1-1) - Rocky ColavitoRocky ColavitoRocco Domenico "Rocky" Colavito, Jr. is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Cleveland Indians. He wore a #6, #7 or #21 jersey during his MLB career...
- 2 (0-2) - Gil HodgesGil HodgesGilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
- 2 (1-1) - Jackie JensenJackie JensenJack Eugene Jensen was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for three American League teams from 1950 to 1961, most notably the Boston Red Sox...
- 4 (2-2) - Al KalineAl KalineAlbert William "Al" Kaline is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kaline played his entire 22-year baseball career with the Detroit Tigers. Kaline still works for the Tigers as a front office official. Because of his lengthy career and...
- 1 (0-1) - Jim LemonJim LemonJames Robert Lemon was an American right and left fielder, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. A powerful, right-handed hitting and throwing outfielder, Lemon teamed with first baseman Roy Sievers to form the most formidable home run-hitting tandem in the 60-year history of the...
- 2 (0-2) - Harmon KillebrewHarmon KillebrewHarmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
- 4 (2-2) - Mickey MantleMickey MantleMickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
- 5 (4-1) - Eddie MathewsEddie MathewsEdwin Lee "Eddie" Mathews was an American Major League Baseball third baseman. He is regarded as one of the greatest third basemen ever to play the game.-Early life:...
- 1 (0-1) - Willie MaysWillie MaysWillie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
- 5 (3-2) - Wally PostWally PostWalter Charles Post was a right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1949 through 1964, Post played for the Cincinnati Reds & Redlegs , Philadelphia Phillies , Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians...
- 2 (1-1) - Frank RobinsonFrank RobinsonFrank Robinson , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles. He is the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues...
- 2 (1-1) - Duke SniderDuke SniderEdwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...
- 1 (0-1) - Dick StuartDick StuartRichard Lee Stuart was a Major League Baseball first baseman from 1958 to 1966 and 1969. In 1967 and 1968, he played in Japan for the Taiyo Whales. Throughout his baseball career, Stuart was known as a fine hitter, but a subpar fielder, garnering the unique nickname of "Dr. Strangeglove" for his...
- 3 (2-1) - Gus TriandosGus TriandosGus Triandos is a Greek-American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball mostly as a catcher but also played as a first baseman for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers of the American League and the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros...
- 1 (0-1)
With the death of Killebrew on May 17, 2011, 8 are still alive: Aaron, Banks, Cerv, Colavito, Kaline, Mays, Robinson and Triandos.
The pitcher for the show was former major-leaguer Tom Saffell
Tom Saffell
Thomas Judson Saffell is a former major league outfielder from Etowah, Tennessee-Early life:Saffell grew up playing sports, especially fast-pitch softball. His team won the state tournament and played in a national tournament in Detroit, Michigan. After completing high school in 1940, Saffell...
and the catcher was minor leaguer John Van Ornum Art Passarella
Art Passarella
Arthur Matthew "Art" Passarella was a professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1941 to 1942, and again from 1945 to 1953. He missed 1943 and 1945 due to military service in World War II ....
, a major-league umpire who would go on to a TV acting career, served as the plate umpire. There were also umpires in the outfield to help judge fly balls that were close calls.
Venue choice
Scott noted that Wrigley FieldWrigley Field (Los Angeles)
Wrigley Field was a ballpark in Los Angeles, California which served as host to minor league baseball teams in the region for over 30 years, and was the home park for the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League as well as a current major league team, the later Los Angeles Angels, in their...
in Los Angeles (the name of the stadium was never mentioned) was chosen to host the event because its fence distances were symmetrical, favoring neither right-handed nor left-handed hitters. Despite Scott's assertions, the left field wall was actually a few feet higher than the right field wall, which slightly penalized right-handed line-drive hitters such as Gus Triandos
Gus Triandos
Gus Triandos is a Greek-American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball mostly as a catcher but also played as a first baseman for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers of the American League and the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros...
. The Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
played at the Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
during 1958
1958 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves ; Bob Turley, MVP*All-Star Game, July 8 at Memorial Stadium: American League, 4-3-Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Marianao *College World Series: USC...
-1961
1961 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Cincinnati Reds ; Whitey Ford, MVP*All-Star Game , July 11 at Candlestick Park: National League, 5-4 *All-Star Game , July 31 at Fenway Park: 1–1 tie...
, a site that would have given an unfair advantage to right-handed batters.
Prizes
The winner received a check for $2,000 and was invited back for the next week's episode against a new opponent (a rarity in that era for syndicated games); the runner-up received a check for $1,000. If a batter hit three home runs in a row, he would receive a $500 bonus check. A fourth home run in a row would be worth another $500 bonus check. Any consecutive home runs hit beyond that would each be worth $1,000. Each show would end with the host presenting each player with their prize checks (beginning with the loser), and would award separate checks for consecutive home run bonuses. These were actual bank checks, not the jumbo "display" checks typically used today. For example, if the winner hit three homers in a row, they would receive one check for $2,000 and another for $500 instead of one check for $2,500. Also, as an incentive for throwing good home-run-hitting balls, the pitcher who threw the most pitches for home runs also received a bonus, according to the host.Unlike more modern home run derbies, which usually award prizes in the form of charity donations to a player's choice of charity, the economic realities of the era meant that the cash prizes earned by the players on the show were a substantial income supplement.
Records
Hank Aaron won the most money during the show's run, winning $13,500. His run of 6 consecutive wins was ended by Wally PostWally Post
Walter Charles Post was a right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1949 through 1964, Post played for the Cincinnati Reds & Redlegs , Philadelphia Phillies , Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians...
, who was defeated in his next outing by Dick Stuart
Dick Stuart
Richard Lee Stuart was a Major League Baseball first baseman from 1958 to 1966 and 1969. In 1967 and 1968, he played in Japan for the Taiyo Whales. Throughout his baseball career, Stuart was known as a fine hitter, but a subpar fielder, garnering the unique nickname of "Dr. Strangeglove" for his...
.
Jackie Jensen was the only player to hit 4 and 5 home runs in a row, doing so in the final episode. However, he lost that day 13-10 to Mickey Mantle. Mantle became the first former champion of Home Run Derby to return and win, although he was not the only player to participate more than once.
Eddie Mathews and Duke Snider were the only left-handed batters to compete. Switch-hitter Mantle batted right-handed in the contests. Mantle hit 372 homers left-handed in his career and only 164 right-handed, but chose to bat exclusively right-handed for this series, reiterating in the first episode that his longest home runs had come right-handed.
Gus Triandos
Gus Triandos
Gus Triandos is a Greek-American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball mostly as a catcher but also played as a first baseman for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers of the American League and the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros...
held several interesting distinctions. Despite never hitting more than 30 home runs in a season, and ending his career with 167 home runs, he was chosen because he was the best power-hitting catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in the major leagues at the time, and was the only catcher to participate on the program. Triandos also took until the seventh inning to hit his first home run, the longest such drought on the show's history (just surpassing Duke Snider, who hit a home run off the trees in the sixth inning of his contest vs. Hank Aaron). Triandos was nonetheless good-natured, treating his futility with a mix of self-deprecation and humorous sarcasm, and wishing Dick Stuart
Dick Stuart
Richard Lee Stuart was a Major League Baseball first baseman from 1958 to 1966 and 1969. In 1967 and 1968, he played in Japan for the Taiyo Whales. Throughout his baseball career, Stuart was known as a fine hitter, but a subpar fielder, garnering the unique nickname of "Dr. Strangeglove" for his...
luck after their competition.
Demise
Scott's straightforward play-by-play and interviewing style was not very different from many of the announcers of that era (straightforward and upbeat). Scott died on July 13, 1960 from a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the age of 45; in the wake of his death, the producers decided not to replace him and instead canceled the show entirely.
ESPN revival
In 20032003 in baseball
-Headline event of the year:*The Florida Marlins become World Series champions, holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team, 4 games to 2.-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Florida Marlins...
and 2004
2004 in baseball
-Headline events of the year:*The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since , ending the Curse of the Bambino.*With 262 hits, Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners breaks George Sisler's record of 257. Suzuki also sets the record for most singles in a season, with 225.*2004 also marked the final...
, the Major League Baseball Players Association
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
held similar contests at Cashman Field
Cashman Field
Cashman Field is a stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada owned and operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Its primary use is for baseball, and is the home field of the Las Vegas 51s Triple-A minor league baseball team, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Cashman Field opened in 1983...
in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. The contests were held just before spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, consisted of eight-man elimination tournaments, and were televised on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. The contests lasted for only five innings.
Episode status
The original series is intact, having been rerun on ESPN from December 17 to 28, 1988 and July 10 to October 28, 1989. Its rights now belong to MGM TelevisionMGM Television
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television is an American television production/distribution launched in 1955 and a subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc....
. The series proved popular and was credited in part with the establishment of a classic sports network which would eventually become ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
.
ESPN Classic has run the program in primetime in September and November 2009 after a 2-year hiatus, and still carries episodes in middays. In later years the intro, as well as some comments at the close of the show, were narrated by former Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
announcer Ross Porter.
In Summer 2007, MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.-History:The home video division of MGM started in 1979 as MGM Home Video, releasing all the movies and TV shows by MGM. In 1980, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, the home video division of the CBS television...
(with distribution by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, which is owned by the same company
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
that owns the current over-the-air home of the MLB, the Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
) began to release the 1960 series on three DVDs. The first DVD was released on July 10, the second was issued on August 14, and the third came out on September 25. In March 2008, the three volumes were re-released as a box set.
Episodes are also available via the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
.
Results
| Episode # | Winner (winnings /cumulative winnings) | Loser (winnings / cumulative winnings) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mickey Mantle ($2,000) | Willie Mays ($1,000) | 9-8 |
| 2 | Mickey Mantle ($2,000/$4,000) | Ernie Banks ($1,000) | 5-3 |
| 3 | Mickey Mantle ($2,500/$6,500) | Jackie Jensen ($1,000) | 9-2 |
| 4 | Harmon Killebrew ($2,000) | Mickey Mantle ($1,000/$7,500) | 9-8 |
| 5 | Harmon Killebrew ($2,000/$4,000) | Rocky Colavito ($1,500) | 6-5 (10 innings) |
| 6 | Ken Boyer ($2,000) | Harmon Killebrew ($1,000/$5,000) | 3-2 |
| 7 | Hank Aaron ($2,000) | Ken Boyer ($1,000/$3,000) | 9-6 |
| 8 | Hank Aaron ($2,000/$4,000) | Jim Lemon ($1,000) | 6-4 |
| 9 | Hank Aaron ($2,000/$6,000) | Eddie Mathews ($1,000) | 4-3 |
| 10 | Hank Aaron ($2,500/$8,500) | Al Kaline ($1,000) | 5-1 |
| 11 | Hank Aaron ($2,000/$10,500) | Duke Snyder ($1,000) | 3-1 |
| 12 | Hank Aaron ($2,000/$12,500) | Bob Allison ($1,000) | 3-2 |
| 13 | Wally Post ($2,000) | Hank Aaron ($1,000/$13,500) | 7-4 |
| 14 | Dick Stuart ($2,500) | Wally Post ($1,000/$3,000) | 11-9 (10) |
| 15 | Dick Stuart ($2,500/$5,000) | Gus Triandos ($1,000) | 7-1 |
| 16 | Frank Robinson ($2,000) | Dick Stuart ($1,000/$6,000) | 6-3 |
| 17 | Bob Cerv ($2,000) | Frank Robinson ($1,500/$3,500) | 8-7 |
| 18 | Bob Allison ($2,000/$3,000) | Bob Cerv ($1,000/$3,000) | 4-3 |
| 19 | Willie Mays ($2,000/$3,000) | Bob Allison ($1,000/$4,000) | 11-3 |
| 20 | Willie Mays ($2,000/$5,000) | Harmon Killebrew ($1,000/$6,000) | 7-6 |
| 21 | Willie Mays ($2,000/$7,000) | Jim Lemon ($1,000/$2,000) | 6-3 |
| 22 | Gil Hodges ($2,000) | Willie Mays ($1,000/$8,000) | 6-3 |
| 23 | Ernie Banks ($2,000/$3,000) | Gil Hodges ($1,000/$3,000) | 11-7 |
| 24 | Jackie Jensen ($2,500/$3,500) | Ernie Banks ($1,500/$4,500) | 14-11 |
| 25 | Jackie Jensen ($2,000/$5,500) | Rocky Colavito ($1,000/$2,500) | 3-2 |
| 26 | Mickey Mantle ($2,500/$10,000) | Jackie Jensen ($3,000/$8,500) | 13-10 |