DVD Corner

The Essential Games Of The Seattle Mariners DVD Review

Seattle Mariners fans will be delighted by this best of DVD set.

Are you a Seattle Mariners fan that is bummed out by the current roster’s performances in the past few years? Do you want to relive the glory days back when the team had all-stars like Randy Johnson, Edgar Martinez, Ken Griffey Jr. (in his prime), and Jay Buhner? If the answer is yes to the above questions, you might want to check out “The Essential Games Of The Seattle Mariners.”

Included in this 4 disc set are 4 pivotal games in the franchise’s history. The first game is the 1995 one game playoff match against the California Angels which determined the AL West Champion. It is notable for an explosive seventh inning by the Mariners. The second game is game 5 of a playoff series in the same year against the New York Yankees. This game features that incredible eleventh inning finish to secure a victory over the Yankees. The third game is game 3 of a 2000 playoff series against the Chicao White Sox in which the Mariners swept the Sox. This ’00 Mariners team contained the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Aaron Sele, Edgar Martinez and John Olerud. And last, but not least, is the 2001 season game against the Anaheim Angels in which the Mariners clinched the AL West. This season was notable for being Ichiro Suzuki’s rookie year. Other key players on this Mariners team were Bret Boone, Alex Rodriguez, John Olerud, and pitcher Kazuhiro Sasaki.

If you’re a Mariners fan or are a casual MLB fan who only knows a little about the team, this set provides a fun little history lesson of the team’s accomplishments. Aside from the 4 thrilling games, there’s also a bundle of extras (as listed below) highlighting other Mariners achievements. Basically, this set has nearly everything you ever wanted to know about the Mariners.

Summary: “The Essential Games Of The Seattle Mariners” is another superb release from MLB DVD. Now, can we get an Oakland A’s DVD sometime soon?

Video/Audio:

As with any sports release, the fullscreen picture quality varies in quality because of the time periods of the broadcasts (in this case ‘95, ‘00, and ’01).

The Dolby Digital Stereo audio track contains clear sounding play by play from the announcers and crowd noise from the old Kingdome and Safeco Field stadiums.

Extras:
* Pre-game shows.
* The option to play the games with the Mariners Radio broadcast (instead of hearing the television announcers). It should be noted that there is dead air during the pre-game and in between commercial breaks.  
* ‘Ken Griffey Jr.: Hometown Hero”- A nearly 4 minute segment on Griffey’s popularity. Interviews and highlights are included. There’s also another piece on Griffey titled “Ken Griffey Jr.: Star Of Stars” that focuses on his All-Star game highlights.
* “Safeco Field: Cathedral Of The Game”- An interesting featurette on Seattle baseball and baseball stadiums. Easily the best extra on the set.
* “Harold Reynolds: Stolen Base Champ”- A quick segment on the player’s 1987 base stealing bonanza. 
* “Randy Johnson: No Hits Tigers”- A segment on Randy Johnson’s no hitter game against the Tigers in 1990. There’s also another extra about Randy titled “Randy Johnson: Seattle’s First Cy Young Winner.”
* “Jay Buhner Hits For The Cycle” and “Jay Buhner Remembers The 1995 Mariners.”
* “Mariners Sweet 116”- An extra about their 116 game win season in 2001.
* 2 Mariners commercial spots.

* “Ichiro And The Seattle Mariners”- A featurette on the all-star Ichiro Suzuki complete with highlights and interviews.
* “Chris Bosio No-Hitter”- A look at Bosio’s no-hitter game in 1993 against the Boston Red Sox.

* Last, but not least there is the Mariners on field celebration of their win against the Yankees in 1995.

October 3, 2010 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Ichiro, Randy Johnson, The Essential Games Of The Seattle Mariners