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Taking the viewer back to the old ball game, HBO celebrates America's pastime in the beautiful documentary When It Was a Game 3. Focusing on the 1960s, a time of change for all of America, the film shows how Major League Baseball slowly but surely evolved from pure sport to moneymaking entertainment. The sharp, incredibly clear color footage of players and fans is at times better looking than current sports photography, and the voiced-over reminiscences of stars such as Bob Costas and Billy Crystal evoke a different, more personal, sports experience from what we expect today. Covering the mighty Yankees, the western expansion of both leagues, the increasing inclusion of black players, and the rise of free agency and increased salaries, the film shows the growth of baseball from adolescence to adulthood. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Nice presentation, but with one glaring omission
Actually, just now finished watching WIWAG 3 on HBO's On-Demand service. Loved the stuff about Bat Day (I remember going to one at Connie Mack Stadium in '68 or '69.)

But if you're going to talk about the National League being a haven for up and coming African-American and Hispanic players during the 1960s, why are you going to omit Richie Allen of the Philadelphia Phillies? OK, yeah, the Phillies were a bad team for most of their history. Still, WIWAG 3 at least used footage of Ernie Banks who played for those crappy Cubs teams.

Allen was the first -- and shamefully, possibly -- the last, black superstar slugger the Phillies ever had. He was a big part of the Phillies' contention for the NL pennant in '64, his rookie year, before the infamous collapse.

I'm a 40-something African American baseball fan who has thrown his loyalty behind the Phillies, because I considered them my home team and partly because I was too young to be aware of the Phillies' sorry racial history.

That Allen wasn't even seen or mentioned in WIWAG 3 was an incredibly glaring omission. I cannot believe there was no footage anywhere of the guy the producers could have used.

Beautiful color home movies of baseball in the 1960s
I was wondering if the magic of seeing color home movies of major league baseball players was going to wear off in "When it Was a Game 3" since this installment of the HBO special focuses primarily on the 1960s. After all, that was the decade when you could actually watch baseball games in color on the Game of the Week and during the World Series. But if this documentary proves anything it is that movie color is brighter and bolder than the washed out colors of television in those days. You watch the film of Mickey Mantle and think this is how you want to remember the man.

The third volume in also the most organized in the series. There are rather distinct "chapters" on the great pitchers of the decade (Gibson, Marichal, Koufax), the glory days and rapid decline of the New York Yankees, the lowly birth and sudden success of the New York Mets, and the case for Willie Mays being the greatest player of the decade. There even is a bit of sports journalism involved in suggesting that the decline of the Yankees had to do with the refusal of the team management to sign black ball players. This time you will also find that more often than not whoever's voice you hear, whether it is Al Kaline or Joe Pepitone, actually appears on the screen. Billy Crystal is back to talk about baseball again as is sportscaster Bob Costas, and there are more baseball poems, including, of course, Grantland Rice's "Game Called," which brings the show to a close.

As always, the ultimate appeal of the "When it Was a Game" series is that you get to see the baseball players you grew up admiring, who lived before your time and were only available as black & white images in color. Rich, gorgeous color that makes the red on the bill of Hank Aaron's cap, the blue on Don Drysdale' hat, the organge of the name "Oriole" on Brooks Robinson's jersey, and the green of the Yankee Stadium grass look as good as you have ever seen them. Again, I am reminded of the classic Bowman 1953 baseball cards that had gorgeous color photographs.

So Beautiful You Might Cry
Will purchase soon...saw on HBO. This is as close to getting in a time machine as there is. American League? Lot's of Yankee footage, but not much more. Then again, in the fifties and early sixties the Yankees WERE the American League. If you fantasize about sitting behind third at the Polo Grounds, seeing what Berra and Mantle looked like just being themselves, or want really good footage of Clemente and Mays, this is for you, kids.

WHERE'S THE AMERICAN LEAGUE???
This should be titled "When it was a game in the National League". Far too much footage of the senior circuit, albeit excellent footage. Otherwise very well done like the previous 2 films, the part about bat day and baseball cards will evoke smiles from the 30-50 year old range of fans. Bob Costas and Billy Crystal offer their usual fine perspectives, much like in Ken Burn's "Baseball". Great shots of the old stadiums, especially Yankee Stadium and Candlestick Park. Reasonably priced DVD, worthy for your collection.

Like a precious old family photo album
This series,done by HBO Sports,brings together color and b&w home movies of baseball games from different decades. This one focuses on the 1960's ,as turbulent a decade on the diamond as off. The quality of the picture is crisp adding to the inate pleasure of watching Mickey Mantle in old yankee Stadium, A young Willie mays dancing his magic in centerfield, Frank Howard in a Washington Senator uniform,Bob Gibson, The red sox of '67[curiosly Frank Robinson's better season in 1966 is ignored],the Miracle Mets of '69 all are covered. Harsher is the treatment of the change in the game itself,[the dependance on television reevnue, the altering of the game of the week],as america tilted definitively away from baseball and toward football.Still, the expierence of watching the heroes of youth play once more is pleasurable,and certainly, this succeeds. I do not know why baseball is so evocative with memories for so many,yet this series is proof of it. Very, Very well done. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Nice presentation, but with one glaring omission
Actually, just now finished watching WIWAG 3 on HBO's On-Demand service. Loved the stuff about Bat Day (I remember going to one at Connie Mack Stadium in '68 or '69.)

But if you're going to talk about the National League being a haven for up and coming African-American and Hispanic players during the 1960s, why are you going to omit Richie Allen of the Philadelphia Phillies? OK, yeah, the Phillies were a bad team for most of their history. Still, WIWAG 3 at least used footage of Ernie Banks who played for those crappy Cubs teams.

Allen was the first -- and shamefully, possibly -- the last, black superstar slugger the Phillies ever had. He was a big part of the Phillies' contention for the NL pennant in '64, his rookie year, before the infamous collapse.

I'm a 40-something African American baseball fan who has thrown his loyalty behind the Phillies, because I considered them my home team and partly because I was too young to be aware of the Phillies' sorry racial history.

That Allen wasn't even seen or mentioned in WIWAG 3 was an incredibly glaring omission. I cannot believe there was no footage anywhere of the guy the producers could have used.

Beautiful color home movies of baseball in the 1960s
I was wondering if the magic of seeing color home movies of major league baseball players was going to wear off in "When it Was a Game 3" since this installment of the HBO special focuses primarily on the 1960s. After all, that was the decade when you could actually watch baseball games in color on the Game of the Week and during the World Series. But if this documentary proves anything it is that movie color is brighter and bolder than the washed out colors of television in those days. You watch the film of Mickey Mantle and think this is how you want to remember the man.

The third volume in also the most organized in the series. There are rather distinct "chapters" on the great pitchers of the decade (Gibson, Marichal, Koufax), the glory days and rapid decline of the New York Yankees, the lowly birth and sudden success of the New York Mets, and the case for Willie Mays being the greatest player of the decade. There even is a bit of sports journalism involved in suggesting that the decline of the Yankees had to do with the refusal of the team management to sign black ball players. This time you will also find that more often than not whoever's voice you hear, whether it is Al Kaline or Joe Pepitone, actually appears on the screen. Billy Crystal is back to talk about baseball again as is sportscaster Bob Costas, and there are more baseball poems, including, of course, Grantland Rice's "Game Called," which brings the show to a close.

As always, the ultimate appeal of the "When it Was a Game" series is that you get to see the baseball players you grew up admiring, who lived before your time and were only available as black & white images in color. Rich, gorgeous color that makes the red on the bill of Hank Aaron's cap, the blue on Don Drysdale' hat, the organge of the name "Oriole" on Brooks Robinson's jersey, and the green of the Yankee Stadium grass look as good as you have ever seen them. Again, I am reminded of the classic Bowman 1953 baseball cards that had gorgeous color photographs.

So Beautiful You Might Cry
Will purchase soon...saw on HBO. This is as close to getting in a time machine as there is. American League? Lot's of Yankee footage, but not much more. Then again, in the fifties and early sixties the Yankees WERE the American League. If you fantasize about sitting behind third at the Polo Grounds, seeing what Berra and Mantle looked like just being themselves, or want really good footage of Clemente and Mays, this is for you, kids.

WHERE'S THE AMERICAN LEAGUE???
This should be titled "When it was a game in the National League". Far too much footage of the senior circuit, albeit excellent footage. Otherwise very well done like the previous 2 films, the part about bat day and baseball cards will evoke smiles from the 30-50 year old range of fans. Bob Costas and Billy Crystal offer their usual fine perspectives, much like in Ken Burn's "Baseball". Great shots of the old stadiums, especially Yankee Stadium and Candlestick Park. Reasonably priced DVD, worthy for your collection.

Like a precious old family photo album
This series,done by HBO Sports,brings together color and b&w home movies of baseball games from different decades. This one focuses on the 1960's ,as turbulent a decade on the diamond as off. The quality of the picture is crisp adding to the inate pleasure of watching Mickey Mantle in old yankee Stadium, A young Willie mays dancing his magic in centerfield, Frank Howard in a Washington Senator uniform,Bob Gibson, The red sox of '67[curiosly Frank Robinson's better season in 1966 is ignored],the Miracle Mets of '69 all are covered. Harsher is the treatment of the change in the game itself,[the dependance on television reevnue, the altering of the game of the week],as america tilted definitively away from baseball and toward football.Still, the expierence of watching the heroes of youth play once more is pleasurable,and certainly, this succeeds. I do not know why baseball is so evocative with memories for so many,yet this series is proof of it. Very, Very well done. ... Read more