HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: 2009 World Series Highlights

2009 World Series Highlights: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees

Studio: Shout! Factory

Year: 2009

Rated: Not Rated

Program Length: 85 minutes

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 1080i

Languages: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA (supplements in Dolby Digital 2.0)

Subtitles: None

The Program

This 85-minute documentary of 2009 World Series highlights opens with recaps of the regular season exploits of the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, with some emphasis placed on the off-season moves made by both teams after the conclusion of the 2008 season. The Phillies, of course, won the World Series in 2008. The 2008 Yankees, on the other hand, did not even qualify for the playoffs. While preparing to move into the new Yankee Stadium for the 2009 season, the Yankees bolstered their roster by signing two top-tier free agent pitchers, C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, as well as slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira. The Phillies waited until midseason to make their most significant roster moves, trading for pitcher Cliff Lee (who immediately became the ace of the pitching staff) and signing free agent pitcher Pedro Martinez.

Following a recap of each team’s successful foray through their respective divisional playoffs and league championship series, each of the six World Series games is covered in detail. As expected, there is considerable coverage of the hitting exploits of Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui of the Yankees and Chase Utley of the Phillies. Matsui was voted the Most Valuable Player of the World Series after driving in six runs during Game 6, and Utley tied Reggie Jackson’s record for most home runs hit in a single World Series.

The highlights of the six games are covered in a straightforward manner. Some time is devoted to covering the controversial pitching decisions made by the two managers, Charlie Manuel of the Phillies and Joe Girardi of the Yankees. Manuel gets some criticism for staying with the aging Pedro Martinez too long in Game 2. Girardi’s decision to use only three starting pitchers in the Series was questioned at the time but proved to be a wise one, as only one of his starters lost a game when pitching after just three days of rest. The emphasis here is on highlights, not lowlights – the fact that Ryan Howard of the Phillies set a World Series record for striking out is basically ignored. One nice touch is the fact that players from both teams are given the opportunity to talk about their respective roles in key plays.

This is a fine collection of World Series highlights and baseball fans (especially Yankees fans) will enjoy to opportunity to experience the action again. The ability to see it in high-def and with uncompressed 5.1 audio is a bonus.

The Video

Those with very large displays may be disappointed that Shout! Factory has chosen to release this Blu-ray disc in 1080i rather than 1080p. That said, on my 46-inch plasma display the picture looks at least as good as when I watched the World Series on live television. The picture is sharp, colors are accurately rendered, and the image detail is impressive. As noted in the review of the standard-definition release, the one oddity is that archival material – even material from as recently as the 2008 season – has had vertical lines added to give it a “vintage” look. This obviously was a stylistic decision, but an unnecessary one. This is a minor quibble, however. 

The Audio

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack is a significant improvement over the stereo soundtrack which appears on the standard-definition DVD. The soundstage of the music opens up considerably and the surround channels are used effectively to incorporate crowd noise and other ambient sounds. The narration and comments from players, coaches and announcers are entirely clear and intelligible. All in all, the audio is very nicely done here. 
 

The Supplements 

The supplements on the Blu-ray disc are identical to those which are on the DVD.

The extras include replays of twelve significant moments from the World Series and the American League playoffs. These plays are shown from multiple camera shots and without announcers (however, the crowd noise and other sounds are included). They are:

1. The tying home run by Alex Rodriguez in Game 2 of the ALDS.

2. The game-winning home run by Mark Teixeira in Game 2 of the ALDS.

3. The home run by Alex Rodriguez in Game 2 of the ALCS.

4. The error which led to the game-winning run in Game 2 of the ALCS.

5. The final out of Game 6 in the ALCS which gave the pennant to the Yankees.

6. The home run by Alex Rodriguez which struck an outfield television camera in Game 3 of the World Series.

7. Johnny Damon’s lengthy at-bat in the 9^th inning of Game 4 of the World Series.

8. Johnny Damon stealing two bases on the same play in the 9^th inning of Game 4 of the World Series.

9. The 9^th-inning double by Alex Rodriguez which gave the Yankees the lead in Game 4 of the World Series.

10. Hideki Matsui’s home run off Pedro Martinez in Game 6 of the World Series.

11. Hideki Matsui’s 2-run single in Game 6 of the World Series.

12. Hideki Matsui’s 2-run double in Game 6 of the World Series.

Also, the final three outs of Game 6 of the World Series are shown in their entirety, with commentary by Fox television announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. The post-game celebration by the Yankees also is included.

The final extra is a series of reaction shots of individual Yankees when the final out of the World Series is made. These shots include crowd noise, but no commentary by announcers.

All of the extras are shown in 1.85:1 1080i and look as good as the highlights film.

The Packaging

The single disc comes in a standard Blu-ray keep case.

The Final Analysis

We then DVD was released we alerted readers to the fact that  a Blu-ray release was on its way. The improved picture and sound will undoubtedly be the deciding factor for those who have Blu-ray players. The only caveat is that the video is not in 1080p; whether that is a significant factor is an individual choice. Otherwise this Blu-ray disc is highly recommended, particularly for fans of the New York Yankees who undoubtedly will never tire of watching it.
 

Equipment used for this review:

Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player

Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 Plasma display, calibrated to THX specifications by Gregg Loewen

Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver

BIC Acoustech speakers

Interconnects: Monster Cable

Release Date: December 15, 2009