Home Run Derby - Volume 1
List Price:
Our Price: $0.70
You Save: $3.28 (82%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Art Passarella, Hank Aaron, Mark Scott, Mickey Mantle, Willie MaysBrand: Team Marketing
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); French (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: Color, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 30 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-07-10
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product features:
- Officially Licensed
- Highest Quality Recording
DVD Reviews of Home Run Derby - Volume 1
DVD Review: "HIGH FLY BALL BACK DEEP INTO LEFT FIELD....IT'S GOING WAY BACK....AND SHE'S....GONE OVER THE LEFT-FIELD WALL!"
Summary: 5 Stars
"Home Run Derby", a rarely-seen television show which had a short-lived original run from 1959 to 1961, has been on my "DVD Wish List" for several years. I never thought I'd ever be able to scratch this show off of that list.
But lo and behold, on July 10, 2007, MGM Home Entertainment (in conjunction with 20th Century Fox's distribution) released the first of three "Home Run Derby" volumes. What a pleasure it is, indeed, to be able to watch these great old baseball shows once again.
Hosted by Mark Scott, each episode of "Derby" is a half-hour, nine-inning home-run hitting contest, staged at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles (which was, at the time of filming, a minor-league ballpark; but it soon became the home of the American League Los Angeles Angels, when the league expanded in 1961).
Many of the top sluggers from both the N.L. and A.L. competed in the televised "Home Run Derby" contests, including perennial All-Stars like Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Duke Snider.
The winner of each week's "Derby" received $2,000 for his victory and would be invited to come back the next week to swing for the fences against another big-league opponent.
Some of the "at the desk" chats that Mark Scott has with the players are a bit stiff and awkward, especially some of the small talk with Willie Mays, who has always resembled living cardboard whenever he finds himself in front of a movie or TV camera. But, man, that guy could sure hit a baseball! ~wink~
But I don't really care about the stiffness of the conversations on the sidelines, because it's still great fun just to see (and hear) these legends of the game in their prime....forever frozen in the late 1950s and very early 1960s on DVD.
And Scott's play-by-play is a bit redundant at times, including the very similar way he calls many of the "Derby" home runs (see the title of my review for an example). But this, too, doesn't matter to me, because Scott is a very likeable and affable announcer/host, and that comes across on screen as well, in my opinion.
On a very sad note, Mark Scott died of a heart attack in July 1960 (at the age of only 45), and the "Home Run Derby" series was not continued beyond the first 26 episodes (all of which are being released on DVD by MGM in Summer 2007, spanning three volumes).
This first volume of "Home Run Derby" consists of the first 8 fence-pounding episodes of the series, while Volume 2 and Volume 3 contain 9 programs apiece.
Here's a list of all the players who make at least one "Derby" appearance during the course of the 26-episode TV series:
Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Ernie Banks, Gil Hodges, Eddie Mathews, Duke Snider, Al Kaline, Jackie Jensen, Rocky Colavito, Harmon Killebrew, Ken Boyer, Bob Cerv, Wally Post, Dick Stuart, Bob Allison, Gus Triandos, and Jim Lemon.
SOME WRIGLEY FIELD TRIVIA:
During the one and only season when Major League Baseball was played at Los Angeles' Wrigley Field (in 1961, when Wrigley was home to the Los Angeles Angels), a big-league record was set there when 248 home runs (more than three per game on the average) were swatted by American League batters, who just loved the short, reachable power alleys (which measured only 345 feet in both left-center and right-center).
So, as evidenced by those 1961 numbers, it's fairly obvious that Wrigley Field in L.A. (not to be confused with the famous ivy-covered ballpark of the same name in Chicago) was ideally suited for "Home Run Derby".
The California version of Wrigley Field, which hosted its first baseball game in September 1925, was never occupied by another pro team after the 1961 season and was torn down in 1966.
Here's a photograph of Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, circa 1950.
DVD STATS:
Single-sided, dual-layered disc.
Total running time of this DVD is 193 minutes (the specification grid on the DVD package is incorrect; it shows 240 minutes). Each episode lasts just a tad more than 24 minutes (see the detailed figures provided later in this review).
The originally-aired Gillette commercials are not included on the DVD (which is a bit unfortunate, because some of those old 1959 TV ads would have been nice to see too).
Chapter breaks have been inserted, but not for every inning (or half inning). The chapter stops are random and occur about once every five minutes during each program. There are 6 total "chapters" per show, including a separate one for the ending credits.
Video is Black-and-White (Full-Frame; Original TV Ratio; 1.33:1). The picture quality is quite good too.
Audio is in English only (via Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono).
Subtitles have been provided in English, Spanish, and French.
Menus are simple, silent, and static. The Main Menu provides instant access to any of the eight programs on the disc. The only Sub-Menu is for "Language Selection".
A "Play All" option is available (the Main Menu defaults to this choice each time the disc is loaded).
Bonus Features -- None.
Packaging -- Standard type of plastic "Keep Case". Plus, a cardboard slipcover (slipcase) is also included, which slides over the plastic case. The slipcover's artwork, which features a picture of Mickey Mantle swinging for the fences on the front, is identical to the artwork on the inner keep case, except that the photo of Mantle on the outer slipcase has a glossy 3D kind of effect added to it. A pretty nifty little effect too.
THE EPISODES:
Here are the eight match-ups that can be found on "Home Run Derby: Volume One" (with the exact length of each program included):
1.) Mickey Mantle vs. Willie Mays (24:04)
2.) Ernie Banks vs. Mickey Mantle (24:09)
3.) Jackie Jensen vs. Mickey Mantle (24:12)
4.) Harmon Killebrew vs. Mickey Mantle (24:02)
5.) Rocky Colavito vs. Harmon Killebrew (24:09)
6.) Ken Boyer vs. Harmon Killebrew (24:12)
7.) Hank Aaron vs. Ken Boyer (24:08)
8.) Jim Lemon vs. Hank Aaron (24:11)
A FINAL WORD:
There's no better way to remember the golden baseball age of Mantle, Mays, and Aaron (and many other stars of that era) than by watching this DVD. The superstar-filled half-hours on this disc are nearly as good as having your own time machine -- with the dial set to 1959 and 1960.
David Von Pein
July 2007
Description of Home Run Derby - Volume 1
A series of filmed home run contests between two sluggers of the late 1950s/early 1960s, one National Leaguer, one American Leaguer. The batters had to swing at every pitch in the strike zone. Any called strike or batted ball that did not go for a home run was an out. (Three outs per inning.) The batter with the most runs at the end of nine innings won $2000. The loser got $1000. As an added incentive, any batter who hit three home runs in a row got a $500 bonus. Each consecutive home run after the first three in a row was worth an additional $500. While one hitter was at bat, the other sat in the press box with host Mark Scott and talked about both his and the other hitter's career. Filmed at Wrigley Field--home of the Pacific Coast League Los Angeles Angels--where the power alleys were a generous 345 feet from home plate.Bestsellers in DVD
![The Story of Jeremiah [VHS] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
The Story of Jeremiah [VHS]Vision Video; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Wresting With God [VHS]by Vision Video
Vision Video; Published: 1990-10-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
Study Bible Video with Workbook [VHS]Spring Arbor Distributors; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $7.95
Price in other shops:
Tempo:Childrens TV Favourites Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Tempo.Herbs:Parseley'Sb/ Party Video [VHS]HarperCollins Audio; VHS Tape; VHS Video
![Strike the Original Match [VHS] Image](/images/Strike-the-Original-Match-VHS-0001374079-X.jpg)
Strike the Original Match [VHS]New Liberty Films; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Price in other shops:
![Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS] Image](/images/Medjugorje-The-Miracles-and-the-Message-VHS-0001373293-X.jpg)
Medjugorje The Miracles and the Message [VHS]JPN Film Production; Release date: 1995-12-15; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $29.99
Mayo Clinic Echocardiography Review Course for Boards and Recertification DVD 2008by Mayo
DVD
Price in other shops:
Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging DVD: Single Userby Oakstone
DVD
Price in other shops:
Cost Accounting [VHS]by Charles T. Horngren, George Foster, Srikant M. Datar, Howard Teall
Pearson Canada, Toronto; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Baseballs Greatest Games: 1979 Wrigley Field SlugfestA&E; Release date: 2011-09-06; DVD
Best price: $6.79
Price in other shops:
Major League Baseball: All Century TeamMLB; Release date: 2009-08-25; DVD
Best price: $3.49
Price in other shops:
Artist Not Provided - Modern Marvels - Baseball Parks (History Channel) (A&E DVD Archives)A and E Home Video; Release date: 2005-04-26; DVD
Best price: $4.90
Price in other shops:
Baseball's Greatest Games: 1960 World Series Game 7A&E; Release date: 2010-12-14; DVD
Best price: $12.99
Price in other shops:
Baseball Double Feature - Kill the Umpire / Safe at HomeVARIOUS; Release date: 2007-04-03; DVD
Best price: $7.97
Price in other shops:
The Bronx Is BurningTeam Marketing; Release date: 2007-09-25; DVD
Best price: $2.24
Price in other shops:
Home Run Derby, Vol. 2Sony; Release date: 2007-08-14; DVD
Best price: $4.96
Price in other shops:
61*Team Marketing; Release date: 2001-09-11; Published: 2001-09-01; DVD
Best price: $2.52
Price in other shops:
Mantle - The Definitive Story of Mickey MantleTeam Marketing; Release date: 2006-06-13; DVD
Best price: $9.48
Price in other shops:
Home Run Derby - Volume 3MGM; Release date: 2007-09-25; DVD
Best price: $4.97
Price in other shops: