7.2142 minSeason 1 • Episode 9
LatestThe final episode looks at baseball from the 1970s to the present, including the establishment of the free agent system, the rise in player salaries, the continued expansion, the dilution of talent, the ongoing battles between labor and management and the scandals.
The history of the sport of baseball in America, told through archival photos, film footage, and the words of those who contributed to the game in each era. Writers, historians, players, baseball personnel, and fans review key events and the significance of the game in America's history.
Direction
Ken Burns' signature pan-and-zoom becomes emotional architecture
Writing
Ward's narration turns box scores into American scripture
Acting
Buck O'Neil's presence—warmth, wisdom, barely contained grief
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'Ken Burns effect'—slow pan across still images—was invented here out of budget necessity, not artistry.
Buck O'Neil's 1994 narration outlived his 2006 Hall of Fame snub; he was finally inducted in 2022, posthumously.
US
