MLB Classic Games now on iTunes

[stevejrogers]

For 1.99 you can download some of baseball's best games via MLB.com's Baseball's Best library.

No Met related stuff as of yet, there are only 6 available right now:

Game 1 1988 World Series
Game 4 1999 World Series (Why?)
Game 5 2006 World Series (I guess I can see since it's the most recent clincher)
Game 7 1952 World Series (I believe the oldest surviving intact WS game from the original broadcast)

and rounding out the selection so far is Cal Ripken's breaking of Lou Gehrig's record game and Nolan Ryan's 7th No-Hitter.

Just downloaded the 1952 Yankee-Dodger game and finding out just what all the fuss was about when it came to a couple of famous broadcasters, Allen & Barber.

They'd better get some Met stuff on their ASAP though, especially pre-86 stuff

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

What format are these games in?

Can they be burned to DVD and watched on a DVD player? Or do you have to watch them on a PC or some kind of special device?

[stevejrogers]

m4v it's a protected MPEG-4 video file. The 52 game I have is 1.96 GB, and runs a shade under three hours (no commercials, not sure yet about the post game but there is a 15 minute lead in with Mel Allen talking and Gladys Gooding (unseen, presumably in her booth in Ebbets Field) singing the National Anthem) which kicked off Gillette/NBC's broadcast. Stark, very stark contrast.

I haven't tried putting onto a DVD (or any of the shows and movies that I've downloaded) but I assume that you can off of the iTunes program, then stick it into a DVD player.

FWIW Apple just came out with the iTV, a box that you hook up to your TV that plays whatever you have stored on your iTunes/iPod.

[stevejrogers]

Game 5 1969 World Series is now available.

[stevejrogers]

Just started watching Game 5 1969, few thoughts

-Whatever imperfections on the master tape were kept in so there are some video glitches and audio glitches as well, I had to stop myself from hitting my iPod in order to "fix" said glitches! I'm sure it is distracting if you wanted to stay glued to it, but if you want to watch it as background noise or something it isn't bad.

-Mickey Mantle and Sandy Koufax on an NBC World Series Special pre-game thing. Mantle was given some grief by the host about picking Baltimore prior to the series. Koufax thought the Mets would win Game 5 while Mantle was non commital.

-Lindsey Nelson with Curt Gowdy on the mike (and Tony Kubek as a roving reporter) Nelson went with a soild color sports jacket on this day, it looked orange though. But Lindsey gets points taken away by reminding viewers of the 1968 World Series where the Tigers came back from a 3-1 hole! Come on Lindsey, don't feed into Met fan paranoia =

-If the MFY can use a canned Robert Merrill (even BEFORE Merrill died) for National Anthems, why can't the Mets do the same for Pearl Bailey? Was she ever brought in for the 1986 Post Season as well?

-I thought it was odd in the 1952 World Series game where the Dodger PA guy would announce "Larry" Berra but not "Ed" Snider or "Harold" Reese. I guess that was still a standard practice in 69 as Boog Powell was announced as "John" (while the caption said "Boog") but Derrell Harrelson was announced as "Bud"