The 2003 Cubs are getting the treatment, since Catching Hell finally airs on Tuesday. While we're on the subject, it's not entirely about the subject but the Michael Keaton movie Game 6 takes place during the 1986 World Series (and I think of the movie as the beginning of the RObert Downey renaissance).
Ans this White Sox fan hates to say it, but the 1969 Cubs. (Though a look at the 1994 season would be interesting for the White Sox.)
The whole '94 season is interesting, but that was one hell of an expos team. If they finished out the season and competed, do they get a new stadium? Do they draw huge crowds? Do they move?
I'm sure I'll get punched for this, but the 03 meltdown and 04 sucess of the Red Sox was pretty tremendous. And Fever Pitch DOES NOT COUNT. Because it was terrible. And the 30/30 documentary on 2004 was breathtakingly disappointing - I felt like it just totally failed to capture the joy and terror if that series and was just a big festival of Lenny Clark and Simmons yelling at each other.
Those who have not read Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan's book Faithful should absolutely do so. They are two die-hard Red Sox fans (and good friends) who decided to chronicle a season of following the Red Sox through letters to each other. By happy coincidence, it happened to be the 2004 season. The ups and downs are really fun to read about.
The 1984 Padres. They rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the NLCS to keep the Cubs from making their first World Series since 1945. They got a Roy Hobbsian moment in Game 4 from Steve Garvey, a guy with an All-American reputation and a few skeletons in his closet. Their starting second baseman was Alan Wiggins, who would die of AIDS seven years later. One of their best pitchers was Eric Show, a member of the John Birch Society. MLB Network did an hour-long special on this team a while back.
The 2004 World Series Film from MLB was a little better than the 30 for 30, which I found to be incredibly soulless for some reason. In my opinion, the HBO "Reverse of the Curse of the Bambino" doc is the best chronicle of the 2004 win, because of the montage of the talking heads attempting to articulate what the win meant to them, and they're almost all silent and choked up. It also does a good job of showing what the Sox mean to New England.
Still, We Believe is a good chronicle of the 2003 season from the fan's perspective. I thought poor Angry Bill was going to have a heart attack in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.
You can take these suggestions with a grain of salt, but I can assure you that I've seen each of these films at least 10 times, including the trainwreck that is Fever Pitch. (The things I'll do in pursuit of a Ph.D...)
As a Braves fan I hate to say it, but the 1993 Phillies.
ReplyDeleteThe 2003 Cubs are getting the treatment, since Catching Hell finally airs on Tuesday. While we're on the subject, it's not entirely about the subject but the Michael Keaton movie Game 6 takes place during the 1986 World Series (and I think of the movie as the beginning of the RObert Downey renaissance).
ReplyDeleteAns this White Sox fan hates to say it, but the 1969 Cubs. (Though a look at the 1994 season would be interesting for the White Sox.)
Ooh, the 1994 Expos too.
ReplyDeleteThe whole '94 season is interesting, but that was one hell of an expos team. If they finished out the season and competed, do they get a new stadium? Do they draw huge crowds? Do they move?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I'll get punched for this, but the 03 meltdown and 04 sucess of the Red Sox was pretty tremendous. And Fever Pitch DOES NOT COUNT. Because it was terrible. And the 30/30 documentary on 2004 was breathtakingly disappointing - I felt like it just totally failed to capture the joy and terror if that series and was just a big festival of Lenny Clark and Simmons yelling at each other.
ReplyDelete<span>A team that received thousands of hours of commentary from ESPN doesn't need another dramatic representation.</span>
ReplyDelete1991 Braves. The story even has a villian. Damn you, people-who-controlled-the-AC-at-the-Metrodome.
ReplyDelete2003 Cubs (the Bartman episode, the long drought, plus the fast fades of Wood and Prior after the season).
ReplyDelete1986 Red Sox/Angels (dramatic playoff series, Donnie Moore's passing afterward)
Those who have not read Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan's book Faithful should absolutely do so. They are two die-hard Red Sox fans (and good friends) who decided to chronicle a season of following the Red Sox through letters to each other. By happy coincidence, it happened to be the 2004 season. The ups and downs are really fun to read about.
ReplyDeleteFinn, how do you not say the 1983 White Sox?
ReplyDeleteNot an untold tale, but the 1947 Dodgers?
ReplyDeleteYour suggestion of the 1994 Expos almost makes up for your suggestion of the 1993 Phillies.
ReplyDeleteAlmost.
The 1984 Padres. They rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the NLCS to keep the Cubs from making their first World Series since 1945. They got a Roy Hobbsian moment in Game 4 from Steve Garvey, a guy with an All-American reputation and a few skeletons in his closet. Their starting second baseman was Alan Wiggins, who would die of AIDS seven years later. One of their best pitchers was Eric Show, a member of the John Birch Society. MLB Network did an hour-long special on this team a while back.
ReplyDeleteThe 2004 World Series Film from MLB was a little better than the 30 for 30, which I found to be incredibly soulless for some reason. In my opinion, the HBO "Reverse of the Curse of the Bambino" doc is the best chronicle of the 2004 win, because of the montage of the talking heads attempting to articulate what the win meant to them, and they're almost all silent and choked up. It also does a good job of showing what the Sox mean to New England.
ReplyDeleteStill, We Believe is a good chronicle of the 2003 season from the fan's perspective. I thought poor Angry Bill was going to have a heart attack in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.
You can take these suggestions with a grain of salt, but I can assure you that I've seen each of these films at least 10 times, including the trainwreck that is Fever Pitch. (The things I'll do in pursuit of a Ph.D...)