Sports Media Report
MLB Network Presents, MLB Network’s original series of documentaries and access-driven profiles hosted by Bob Costas, returns next week featuring a new slate of episodes, including the story of baseball glory returning to Kansas City, an in-depth look at the man who Rolling Stone dubbed “The Most Interesting Man in Baseball” Lenny Randle, and a detailed account of the creation and impact the Astrodome had on the sports and entertainment industry. Below are details on the upcoming MLB Network Presents programs:
Royal in Kansas City, 30 Years Later – Thursday, December 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET:
Members of the 1985 and 2015 Kansas City Royals discuss their journeys to a World Series title and the impact it made on an entire city. Narrated by Costas, the one-hour program features Hall of Famer George Brett and teammates Danny Jackson, Darryl Motley, Bret Saberhagen, Frank White and Willie Wilson reliving Kansas City’s first World Series title in 1985, and their joy watching the Royals return to the baseball mountaintop 30 years later. Royals general manager Dayton Moore, manager Ned Yost and players Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, and Ben Zobrist bring viewers behind-the-scenes of this year’s title run and the deep connection the team developed with the Kansas City community.
Exclusive footage detailing the bond between the Royals and the Kansas City Fire Department is also featured, following the tragic deaths of two Kansas City firefighters during the Royals’ championship run. A preview link of Royal in Kansas City, 30 Years Later can be viewed here .
Lenny Randle, “The Most Interesting Man in Baseball” – Friday, December 11 at 9:00 p.m. ET:
A one-hour documentary on the colorful life and 12-year playing career of Lenny Randle. Narrated by comedian and diehard Mets fan Jim Breuer, the program travels to Italy to spend time with Randle and explore why Rolling Stone dubbed him “the most interesting man in baseball.” Randle discusses his role in some of baseball’s strangest moments, including playing in “10 Cent Beer Night” at Cleveland Stadium in 1974, standing at the plate at Shea Stadium during the New York City blackout in 1977, being suspended following his altercation with Texas Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi in 1977, and his famous act of blowing a baseball foul during a game at the Kingdome in 1981.
Rolling Stone writer Dan Epstein, New York Mets broadcaster Howie Rose, and Randle’s former teammates, including Baseball Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins, San Francisco Giants broadcaster Mike Kukrow, and former manager Bobby Valentine recall their unique experiences with Randle, including his days as a standup comic and soul singer during his career.
Sitting outside the Colosseum in Rome, Randle reflects on playing for Hall of Famer Ted Williams and becoming a baseball hero in Italy, where he now spends time trying to find baseball’s next great Italian star. A preview link of Lenny Randle, “The Most Interesting Man in Baseball” can be viewed here.
The Eighth Wonder of The World – Tuesday, December 15 at 9:00 p.m. ET:
Marking the 50th anniversary of the Astrodome opening in 1965 and narrated by award-winning actor and Houston native Dennis Quaid, The Eighth Wonder of the World brings viewers back inside the Astrodome to relive its greatest moments and examine its place in history as one of the great innovations of the 20th century.
Featuring interviews with President George H. W. Bush, Houston native and award-winning news anchor Dan Rather, baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King, and original Astros Jimmy Wynn and Larry Dierker, the one-hour program documents the history of the Astrodome, from Judge Roy Hofheinz generating the idea of this futuristic stadium to the Houston Astros’ dramatic six-game 1986 NL Championship series against the New York Mets.
The program details how the Astrodome was not only home to baseball games, but to all different kinds of events, including the “Game of the Century” featuring Elvin Hayes and the Houston Cougars ending UCLA’s 47-game winning streak, and the “Battle of the Sexes” featuring the nationally televised tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973. The Eighth Wonder of the World covers how the Astrodome hosted thousands of refugees from Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina, and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett discusses the potential of saving this iconic stadium from destruction. A preview link of The Eighth Wonder of the World can be viewed here.
MLB Network Presents: The Story of Billy Bean & MLB Network Presents: Aaron, Bench, Koufax & Mays to re-air in December:
Later in the month, MLB Network will re-air two of its previous MLB Network Presents programs, beginning with The Story of Billy Bean on Tuesday, December 22 at 9:00 p.m. ET. Hosted by Bob Costas, the one-hour documentary shares the story about former outfielder Billy Bean’s experience as one of just two Major League Baseball players – current or former – to publicly come out as gay. MLB Network Presents: Aaron, Bench, Koufax & Mays, a rare interview with the four legendary Hall of Famers, will re-air on Tuesday, December 29th at 9:00 p.m. ET, one day before Sandy Koufax’s 80th birthday. Prior to their on-field recognition at this year’s All-Star Game as the winners of the Franchise Four “Greatest Living Players,” all four players sat down with Costas to discuss each other’s careers, their childhood idols, and their most memorable moments in their own words.
