DVD Corner

The Essential Games Of The Chicago Cubs DVD Review

“The Essential Games Of The Chicago Cubs” is a must own set for diehard Cubs fans.

It’s tough being a Cubs fan. Even as an A’s fan, I feel for the Cubs fans having to see the club’s many disappointing and frustrating seasons and the worst World Series winless streak in MLB history. But let’s not focus on the bad here as this DVD set is all about the best moments in the franchise’s history. Included on this set are 4 beloved games from 1969, 1984, 1998 and 2008. Note: Sadly, the Cub’s best games in 1907 and 1908 could not be included on this set.

First up is the July 12, 1969 game against the Philadelphia Phillies. It’s not a particularly GREAT game, but it is a nice “Hall Of Fame Showcase” as the case proudly displays. For the younger Cubs fans out there, this is a great opportunity to see beloved players like Don Kessinger, Ferguson Jenkins, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo. It’s just flat out fun baseball.

The second game is another exciting classic that showcases Cubs legendary second basemen Ryne Sandberg. The date? June 23, 1984. The opponent? The St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs are down 9-3 going into the bottom of the sixth, but somehow they made a comeback and forced extra innings. The Cubs looked to be out of it again going into bottom of the 10^th, but Sandberg ties the game before a dramatic win in the 11^th inning. This game just proves a game is never over until it’s over. Anything can happen in baseball and that’s why we love it so much.

The third game features one of the most intense type of games- the Wild Card Tiebreaker. The winner of this September 28, 1998 game against the San Francisco Giants would advance to the playoffs. Thankfully, the Cubs managed to pull off a win thanks to the hitting power of Sammy Sosa and Gary Gaetti and a commanding pitching performance by Steve Trachsel.

The last game on this set is the September 20, 2008 NL Central Division Clincher against the St. Louis Cardinals. This is arguably one of the best recent happy memories for fans with Alfonso Soriano delivering runs, Kerry Wood getting a crucial save, and NL Rookie Of The Year Geovany Soto having one nice game.

Video/Audio:

The video quality differs in quality from game. The B&W 1969 game is filled with scratches and is not in great shape (to say the least). The 1984 game is fuzzy, faded, and contains some ghosting. The 1998 game is in good shape, but the 2008 game obviously looks the best best as it is the most recent (and it’s the only in widescreen).

The audio quality is as varied as the video quality. The 1969 game is muffled, but it can be forgiven since it is an old school game. The 1984 ballgame audio is solid (it also boasts a great call by Bob Costas). I didn’t notice any problems with the 1998 or 2008 games. Viewers have the option of playing the TV Play-By-Play and Radio Calls for the 2008 game.

No extras have been included.

August 28, 2012 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | The Essential Games Of The Chicago Cubs DVD Review