1940

AMERICAN LEAGUE FILM

"Batting Around the American League"

Special features on the American League's top pitcher Bob Feller, 21-game winner Bobo Newsom of the Detroit Tigers, pitcher Ted Lyons of the Chicago White Sox and manager Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics are all part of another recently restored vintage film by Rare Sportsfilms Inc! Also shown is each A.L. manager, highlights of the World Series and the best American League players of 1940! Here is who and what is shown on this new 42-minute B & W DVD, now available for the first time ever:

The film begins by introducing each American League manager and showing a few of his best players: Del Baker of the pennant-winning Tigers and Hal Newhouser, Floyd Giebell and John Gorsica, manager Roger Peckinpaugh of the Cleveland Indians and Lou Boudreau, Al Smith and Roy Weatherly, manager Joe McCarthy of the Yankees and Marius Russo, Ernie Bonham, Buddy Rosar and Charley Keller, White Sox skipper Jimmy Dykes and Bob Kennedy, Taffy Wright, Luke Appling and Moose Solters, manager Joe Cronin of the Red Sox and Dom DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr, Jim Tabor and Jimmy Foxx, field boss of the St. Louis Browns Fred Haney with Walt Judnich and Johnny Berardino, Bucky Harris of the Senators and Ken Chase, Sid Hudson, Buddy Myer and Ossie Bluege, and Connie Mack in his 40th year managing the Athletics with son Earle and John Babich, Dick Siebert, Sam Chapman and Bob Johnson. You’ll hear Mr. Mack tell how to become a big league ballplayer. A special segment is dedicated to strikeout ace Bob Feller, smack in the middle of winning 76 games in three years and pitching 55 complete games in the last two seasons! Next, the distinctive windup and pitching motion of Detroit’s “Buck” Newsom is shown as he demonstrates the pitching form which capped his best year and helped lift the Tigers into the World Series! Another segment lets you enjoy “Ted Lyons Day” at Comiskey park, as Ted is honored by the club and Chicago fans for his 18 years of pitching for the White Sox. Great shots of Old Comiskey Park here and other A.L. venues such as Municipal Stadium and old League Park in Cleveland and Briggs Stadium in Detroit.

The film then shifts to batting and here the top hitters of the American League are seen up close and in action as their form and style is analyzed. First, the top eight home run hitters of the year: Hank Greenburg of the Tigers (41), Jimmy Foxx of the Red Sox (36), Rudy York of the Tigers (33), Joe DiMaggio (31), Bob Johnson of the Athletics (31), Joe Gordon of the Yankees (30), Joe Kuhel of the White Sox (27) and Hal Trosky of the Indians (25). Other hitters you’ll see are Barney McCoskey (Tigers), Rip Radcliff (Browns), young Ted Williams (.344), Frankie Hayes (Athletics), Buddy Lewis and Cecil Travis (Senators), George Selkirk and Red Rolfe (Yankees) and Walt Judnich of the Browns. To culminate the film, a nice eight-minute capsule of the highlights of the 1940 World Series (Cincinnati Reds vs Detroit Tigers) is shown.

You can get your own copy of this rare film now available on DVD or Blu-ray for the first time ever! Send $29.95 ($39.95 for Blu-ray) plus $4.00 for shipping and handling to:
(Illinois residents must add $2.30 state sales tax)