Official 2011 World Series Film

St. Louis native and Mad Men star Jon Hamm narrates this documentary featuring both an overview of and highlights from Major League Baseball's 2011 World Series, focusing on the champion St. Louis Cardinals, who won their 11th title and provided a winning exit for retiring manager Tony La Russa. The exciting, dramatic coverage begins with the Cardinals' playoff series against the Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers, as they overcame injuries and other complications to advance to an even match-up against the Texas Rangers in the World Series. Highlights of all seven games in the sometimes nail-biting competition enliven the narrative, punctuated by such strong moments and memories as Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter's amazing catch and dangerous slide across a base in Game 1, and David Freese's crushing home run in the 11th inning of Game 6 to keep the Redbirds' hopes alive one more day. La Russa's bullpen strategy is frequently praised, and individual players are profiled on and off the field. DVD extras include Game 5 in its entirety and assorted featurettes, including a segment on La Russa, postseason highlights, and clips of the World Series parade. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)