Shout Factory presents

MLB Superstars Show You Their Game (2005)

"Man, these guys are the best hitters in the game, and she's making them look silly." - Kansas City Royal Mike Sweeney, on Jennie Finch

Stars: Jennie Finch, Barry Bonds, Ivan Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Danny Graves, Mike Cameron, Ben Sheets, A.J. Pierzynski, Jimmy Rollins, Mark Mulder, Steve Finley, Pat Burrell, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., Scott Spiezio, Greg Maddux, Mike Sweeney, Willie Mays 
MPAA Rating: Not RatedRun Time: 00h:50m:50s
Release Date: 2005-07-05
Genre: sports

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B	B	B-	B-	C

 

DVD Review

When your lineup includes Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Ivan Rodriguez, Ben Sheets, Mark Mulder, and Cal Ripken Jr., why would Jennie Finch get the most pub? Because she's hot, dude. The former All-American softball pitcher and Olympic team member is now a correspondent for This Week in Baseball, and this DVD assembles some of her most memorable moments with some of the finest players in the game over the last couple of years. The title of the DVD might make you think that you're in for a seminar in training techniques, but these vignettes are too short for that; instead, they're good natured interactions between big league ball players and a pretty girl, with a few tips for Little Leaguers along the way.

Finch travels from ballpark to ballpark, and gets tutorials from some of the best players in the game: Clemens takes her through his workout routine; Steve Finley discusses strong feet as the key to his longevity; A.J. Pierzynski offers tips on blocking wild pitches, Pudge does the same for throwing out runners, and Sheets breaks down his pickoff move. Finch has been at this for a couple of years, and some of the clips show players before off-season moves: A-Rod as a Ranger, for instance, or Mulder still in Oakland. She also gets some tips from recently retired players, on their way to Cooperstown: Ripken gives some pointers for playing short, and Jennie hangs out in the batting cage with Tony Gwynn.

But the biggest star on hand is Bonds—he and Jennie joke and laugh, and, after she gets some tips on batting, she takes the mound, and tries to throw that speedball by him, make him look like a fool. Even before Bonds' name came up in the Balco investigation, this was a side of him that he rarely let the public see: he's charming, genial, and fun. At an exhibition, Finch gets to try her hand, with great success, at taking on other big leaguers; Greg Maddux especially is impressed with the movement on her ball. So it's playful stuff with Jennie, and brief bits of hero worship of some of today's stars. There is a brief glimpse, one that goes unremarked upon, of the greatest living baseball player, though—on the field in San Francisco where his #24 has been retired, an older gentleman smiles as he pals around with his godson, Barry Bonds. Say hey! 

Rating for Style: B
Rating for Substance: B

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Nothing special in the transfer; occasionally, there's a crawl, listing fun facts, across the bottom of the screen, to give you that ESPN Headline News feeling. 

Image Transfer Grade: B-
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	no

Audio Transfer Review: Some buzzing, but sounds pretty reasonable.

Audio Transfer Grade: B- 

Disc Extras

Full Motion menu with music
Scene Access with 9 cues and remote access
9 Featurette(s)
Packaging: Amaray
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extras Review: You'll find a compilation (22m:38s) of career highlights for eight of Jennie's friends: Clemens, Albert Pujols, Sheets, Mike Sweeney, Jimmy Rollins, A-Rod, Pudge, and Bonds; also an ad for Jennie's Finch Windmill, for the future gold medalist in your home.

Extras Grade: C
 

Final Comments

A little too much Jennie Finch, maybe, but a collection of nice little interactions with some of today's top big leaguers, and a handful of tips to keep in mind the next time you're knocking the rawhide around the diamond. 

Jon Danziger 2005-06-20