It's hard to catch one's breath watching this speedball of a documentary about the Dodgers' dramatic changes of fortune since the 1940s. The team integrated baseball by adding Jackie Robinson to its roster in 1947, and enjoyed the devotion of Brooklynites for years, but lost five World Series contests to the New York Yankees before claiming victory in 1955. And then the unthinkable: team owner Walter O'Malley moved the franchise to Los Angeles, where the Dodgers generated record attendances and went on to win--and lose--championship contests for decades to come. Dodger Blue takes the viewer on a whirlwind tour, stopping for choice interview footage with the likes of Pee Wee Reese, Sandy Koufax, Jim Palmer, and--naturally--Tommy Lasorda, among many others. Particularly stirring are capsule histories of Koufax's astonishing achievements before his sudden retirement; Kurt Gibson's almost unbearably tense rescue of the Dodgers in the first game of the 1988 World Series; and Lasorda's retirement after 20 years as the Dodgers' manager. DVD extras include Lasorda's Hall of Fame speech, as well as those of Don Drysdale and Duke Snider. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)
Dodger Blue: The Championship Years
(2005) 66 min. DVD: $19.98. Shout! Factory (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. ISBN: 0-7389-3275-2. Volume 20, Issue 4
Dodger Blue: The Championship Years
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