Shout! Factory and Major League Baseball have teamed up to release 2016 World Series Collector’s Edition: Chicago Cubs on Blu-ray, a collection which will thrill baseball fans in general and Chicago Cubs fans in particular.
The Production: 5/5
Shout! Factory and Major League Baseball have teamed up to release 2016 World Series Collector’s Edition: Chicago Cubs on Blu-ray, a collection which will thrill baseball fans in general and Chicago Cubs fans in particular.
This will be a short review, because anyone who watched the 2016 World Series knows exactly what to expect. The Chicago Cubs, a team which hadn’t won a Fall Classic since 1908 and hadn’t played in one since 1945, came back from a 3 games to 1 deficit to win the championship, culminating with a riveting Game 7 that went into extra innings.
The Fox broadcasts of each game are shown in their entirety (commercial-free), one game per disc. Also included on its own disc is the Fox broadcast of the Cub’s pennant-winning victory in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.
I have always had a soft spot for the Cubs because my father was an avid Cubs fan, notwithstanding the fact that he was born in New York City in 1912 and was raised in Astoria, Queens. I once asked him why he rooted for the Cubs, and he explained that when he was a boy his group of friends decided that it would be fun if they each rooted for a different Major League baseball team. At the time there were only 16 teams, and my father and his friends drew the team names out of a hat. I don’t know if he ever even set foot in Chicago, but he never got to see them win a World Series.
The only annoyance with this set is that each game is preceded by promos for the MLB Network, the MLB app, the MLB Shop, and PLAYBALL.org. However, you can skip through them.
The main menu allows the viewer to select any inning, either the top or the bottom. There also are multiple audio options which are discussed below.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
The crystal-clear video is presented in 1080i, which is how the Fox broadcasts were aired, and the picture is properly framed at 1.78:1.
I recorded Game 7 on my DVR, and a direct comparison shows no discernible difference between the Blu-ray and the original broadcast.
Audio: 5/5
The Fox television broadcasts are presented in 2.0 stereo DTS-HD MA. Each game provides the opportunity to substitute either team’s radio broadcast or a Spanish-language broadcast, which also are in stereo. This is a very nice touch, as I enjoyed listening to both the Chicago and Cleveland radio broadcasts during the 9th inning of Game 7.
All of the audio options are flawless.
Special Features: 2/5
This Blu-ray release includes the Fox post-game show for each game.
An enclosed color booklet contains the box scores for each game, as well as historical notes, statistics, and World Series trivia.
Overall: 4.5/5
The historical significance of the World Series victory by the long-suffering Chicago Cubs cannot be disputed, and Major League Baseball has done a fine job of preserving the telecasts of all seven games, as well as Game 6 of the NLCS.
Note: This set does not include the official World Series highlight film, which is available on a Blu-ray release that will be the subject of a separate review.
Post Disclaimer
Some of our content may contain marketing links, which means we will receive a commission for purchases made via those links. In our editorial content, these affiliate links appear automatically, and our editorial teams are not influenced by our affiliate partnerships. We work with several providers (currently Skimlinks and Amazon) to manage our affiliate relationships. You can find out more about their services by visiting their sites.
Similar threads
- Robert Crawford
- TV on DVD and Blu-ray
2