Baseball fans and tube nostalgia nuts have something to look forward to. The 1959 TV series “Home Run Derby” hits DVD July 10 in the first of three summer-release volumes from MGM Home Entertainment.
Legends like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron swung for the fences at L.A.’s old Wrigley Field in a one-on-one television competition preserving their power on film at a time Major League Baseball was the undisputed king of American sports.
The first DVD, coming out July 10, holds eight episodes, including the first: Mickey Mantle vs. Willie Mays. Mantle appears in four of the eight, which also feature Ernie Banks, Harmon Killebrew and other top swatters.
The second set (out Aug. 14) has eight episodes, five with Hank Aaron. The third volume (out Sept. 25) includes Mays and Mantle again, adding the likes of Gil Hodges and Rocky Colavito, as the competition reaches its big finale.
Read about the show’s continuing appeal here.
Comments (1)
HOME RUN DERBY IS THE GREATEST! I OWN ALL OF THE VHS TAPES AND AM BUYING THE THREE DVDS. IT IS TOO BAD THAT MARK SCOTT HAD TO DIE OF A HEART ATTACK SO YOUNG AT THE AGE OF 45. I AM HAPPY THAT THIS LONG FORGOTTEN SHOW IS COMING BACK. IT IS BASEBALL AT ITS PUREST! GOD BLESS MARK SCOTT!!!!!!!