Play Ball!

WHYY celebrates America's favorite pastime on TV12
By Anna Christopher

Play Ball Nothing announces spring's arrival like the crack of a bat against a curveball, cheers spilling out of a crowded ballpark, and the taste of kosher dogs piled high with sauerkraut and mustard. If you weren't able to snag tickets to the Phillies' opening games in brand-new Citizens Bank Park, you can still celebrate the return of America's favorite pastime during an evening of baseball programming on Wednesday, April 14 beginning at 8 p.m. on TV12.

Throwing the opening pitch in WHYY's triple header is The Philadelphia Athletics 1901-1954, a locally-produced program about the sports franchise some have dubbed Philadelphia's most successful -- the A's honored the city with nine American League pennants and five World Series' wins before being sold to Kansas City in 1954. During the program, former players Eddie Joost, Gus Zernial and Joe Astroth share memories from their time with the A's, and sports historians and writers discuss the history of the celebrated ball team.

Play Ball Next at bat is Small Ball: A Little League Story at 9 p.m., an edge-of-your-seat film that follows the Aptos All-Stars as they ride a string of victories to the apex of their sport -- the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pa. Filmmakers Louis Alvarez and Andrew Kolker follow the Aptos and their coaches, including retired major league pitcher Mark Eichhorn, as the team dominates regional tournaments on their way to the big time. As much as the film is about challenge, triumph and teamwork, Alvarez and Kolker's camera is also a portal into the youth sports phenomenon and the preteen players' relationships with their parents and coaches.

For the Aptos All-Stars and 2.7 million other children who play "small ball," it's a dream to one day put on the uniform of a major league team and round the bases in Fenway Park or Wrigley Field. In the 1950s, hitting a ball out of Philly's Connie Mack Stadium was what kids dreamed about -- a memory, along with many others of the legendary ballpark, that is recollected during Connie Mack Stadium: Long Gone at 10:30 p.m.

Former Philadelphia resident Alan Luber says he used to arrive at Connie Mack early in order to claim one of the unreserved seats behind home plate (where the picture was taken by his brother) and remembers seeing Hall-of-Famer Eddie Mathews drive a ball straight through a hole in the scoreboard where the scorer watched the game. "But, the thing I remember best," he says, "is how good the kosher hot dogs were!"

The opening of Citizens Bank Park marks a new era in Philadelphia baseball -- it's a place where fans will savor juicy ballpark dogs, Little Leaguers will take team trips, and new memories will be made. Regardless of where the game is played, these three programs prove that baseball is still one of our favorite pastimes!