Gordon Edes

In this third entry of the ongoing HBO documentary series celebrating America's favorite pastime, the focus is on the 1960s, when Major League Baseball was slowly evolving from pure sport to big-bucks entertainment. Using footage of players and fans, the film covers the Yankees' ascension to greatness, the western expansion of both leagues, the increasing inclusion of black players and the rise of free agency.

Just weeks after losing to the New York Yankees in the 2003 ALCS, the Boston Red Sox made it their mission to get the bat they needed to put them over the top. That bat belonged to reigning AL MVP Alex Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers. Deals were offered. Plans were made. Everything was done. Rodriguez was headed to Fenway Park. Until he wasn’t. This is the story of the 36 hours when the best player in the league went from savior of the Red Sox to latest weapon of the Yankees.

NHK has followed baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani closely since his 2018 Major League debut. We look at Ohtani’s ability to both pitch and bat at the highest level. We hear from those who have supported him on and off the field and examine the importance of his father’s training regime. Join us behind the scenes at such pivotal points as Ohtani’s battle to recover from elbow surgery and reclaim his place as a baseball virtuoso like no other.

A narrative, documentary-style feature film that tells the story of how Ortiz went from signing with Boston as an unheralded free agent to winning three World Series titles with the Red Sox. Ortiz and many of his teammates, including Pedro Martinez, Kevin Millar, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield, discuss this incredible era of Sox history in which the mindset of Red Sox Nation was transformed.