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World Series DVD
DVD chronicles White Sox title
World Series highlights give fresh perspectives
By Ben Platt / MLB.com
Major League Baseball Productions always has its hands full when it comes to producing the official World Series DVD. From the moment that Paul Konerko caught the final out in Houston, the production company had nine days to coordinate all the footage, which includes extensive footage of the White Sox victory parade through the streets of Chicago two days after the series ended.
"We are making a 74-minute film in the span of nine days," said the DVD's senior coordinating producer Dave Check. "You have to have it down to a science, because there is very little margin of error for us."
The DVD gives a complete look at the Chicago White Sox remarkable season in which they went wire-to-wire to win the American League Central division and equaled the 1999 New York Yankees by going 11-1 in the postseason to win the world championship. Check sees a lot of parallels to the 2004 champions, the Boston Red Sox.
"You have a team that's ending a long World Series drought," said Check. "So, certainly, there were strong parallels there. Both teams also swept their World Series. Last year's games were not that close, so we spent less time on the World Series and spent more time on the Red Sox beating the Yankees in the ALCS, which was obviously very compelling as we all know. This year every one of the games was very tight and very competitive and very dramatic -- so you can really get into the back stories that were very prevalent in these games."
MLB Productions is given almost unlimited access during the postseason to give fans a unique look at every aspect of the games and the people who play in them. This year the production company was given permission to do something unprecedented in its coverage.
"One of the biggest differences this year from other years is we had players like outfielder Aaron Rowand wearing in-game wireless mikes," said Check. "Rowand wore one for Game 2, as did [White Sox manager] Ozzie Guillen. Ozzie became the first manager since 1984 to wear a wireless mike in a World Series game. Gaining access to these individuals and hearing what is going on in their minds as the games develop, gives the viewer a very unique perspective to the likes of which has rarely been seen."
The Houston Astros are not forgotten in this project. The DVD goes into the team's history and covers their championship run, culminating in the franchise's first National League pennant. The Houston story is mainly seen through the eyes of Craig Biggio, the 39-year-old All-Star second baseman, who finally made it to the World Series after 17 years in an Astros uniform. The DVD also interviews numerous people involved in the series from both teams, but the biggest star of the DVD has to be Guillen, the 41-year-old, second-year manager and former White Sox star player, whose enthusiasm for the game rubbed off on all of his players.
"He definitely has a presence on this DVD," said Check. "The interesting thing is when you here [White Sox designated hitter] Frank Thomas talk on this DVD. Remember, this is his ex-teammate and the respect and the level of reverence a guy like Frank Thomas has for him [is impressive]. Everybody in the White Sox organization has such respect and fondness for Ozzie because he knows that men are playing this game, but inside these men there is always a little boy just waiting to come out and he's really like that."
MLB Productions has once again recruited celebrity fan of the winning team to narrate the DVD. Last year, Boston native Denis Leary got the honors. This year, Michael Clarke Duncan, the Oscar-nominated actor who grew up on Chicago's South Side, loaned his bass voice to the project.
"Very distinctive voice is an understatement when describing Michael Clarke Duncan," said Check. "The first time we heard his voice when he was warming up in the narration session -- he made the rest of us sound like Minnie Mouse. His voice has an incredible presence and it really gave this World Series film a distinctive feel and flair. At the end of the session, being from the South Side, he said, 'Guys, this has been a experience of of a lifetime,' and I was really pleased to hear that."
According to Check, MLB Productions used four high-definition cameras during the production as well as having access to all of the FOX Sports video feeds and MLB International feeds to capture every possible video angle. The production company also had seven different television and radio audio feeds from each game to choose from. Other highlights of the DVD include:
• A ride to U.S. Cellular Field with catcher A.J. Pierzynski before Game 2 of the series
• Breakfast with Geoff Blum the morning after his dramatic walk-off home run in Game 3
• 2005 World Series Trophy presentation
• TWIB Classic: Former White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen fooled by the hidden ball trick twice
• Footage of the White Sox clubhouse celebration following the World Series victory
• A collection of exclusive interviews with various writers, players and coaches
• 1959 World Series Game 1 highlights
"I hope that audiences watching the DVD get out of it that the 2005 Chicago White Sox were a team in the truest sense of the word," said Check. "There are a lot of great players on their roster, but I don't know if there are any standout superstars and there is such incredible balance and chemistry with this team and you have to give Ozzie Guillen a tremendous amount of credit for this. As he says in the DVD, 'We took 25 guys and made them play together.' Call it 'Ozzie ball,' or 'small ball' or whatever, he found a way to have a team whose whole really exceeded the sum of its parts.
"This team played a brand of baseball that was more reminiscent of another era. Rarely have we seen a manager who was so worthy of praise and I think it showed on the field and I know it shows on this DVD."
The DVD will have it's world premiere on Monday at the Loews Cineplex Esquire 6 Theatre in Chicago at 7:30 p.m. CT. Aaron Rowand and Joe Crede are scheduled to appear at the event.
The Official World Series DVD will be released on Nov. 29 in stores around the country. Fans can also purchase the DVD on MLB.com.
Ben Platt is a national correspondent for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
World Series highlights give fresh perspectives
By Ben Platt / MLB.com
Major League Baseball Productions always has its hands full when it comes to producing the official World Series DVD. From the moment that Paul Konerko caught the final out in Houston, the production company had nine days to coordinate all the footage, which includes extensive footage of the White Sox victory parade through the streets of Chicago two days after the series ended.
"We are making a 74-minute film in the span of nine days," said the DVD's senior coordinating producer Dave Check. "You have to have it down to a science, because there is very little margin of error for us."
The DVD gives a complete look at the Chicago White Sox remarkable season in which they went wire-to-wire to win the American League Central division and equaled the 1999 New York Yankees by going 11-1 in the postseason to win the world championship. Check sees a lot of parallels to the 2004 champions, the Boston Red Sox.
"You have a team that's ending a long World Series drought," said Check. "So, certainly, there were strong parallels there. Both teams also swept their World Series. Last year's games were not that close, so we spent less time on the World Series and spent more time on the Red Sox beating the Yankees in the ALCS, which was obviously very compelling as we all know. This year every one of the games was very tight and very competitive and very dramatic -- so you can really get into the back stories that were very prevalent in these games."
MLB Productions is given almost unlimited access during the postseason to give fans a unique look at every aspect of the games and the people who play in them. This year the production company was given permission to do something unprecedented in its coverage.
"One of the biggest differences this year from other years is we had players like outfielder Aaron Rowand wearing in-game wireless mikes," said Check. "Rowand wore one for Game 2, as did [White Sox manager] Ozzie Guillen. Ozzie became the first manager since 1984 to wear a wireless mike in a World Series game. Gaining access to these individuals and hearing what is going on in their minds as the games develop, gives the viewer a very unique perspective to the likes of which has rarely been seen."
The Houston Astros are not forgotten in this project. The DVD goes into the team's history and covers their championship run, culminating in the franchise's first National League pennant. The Houston story is mainly seen through the eyes of Craig Biggio, the 39-year-old All-Star second baseman, who finally made it to the World Series after 17 years in an Astros uniform. The DVD also interviews numerous people involved in the series from both teams, but the biggest star of the DVD has to be Guillen, the 41-year-old, second-year manager and former White Sox star player, whose enthusiasm for the game rubbed off on all of his players.
"He definitely has a presence on this DVD," said Check. "The interesting thing is when you here [White Sox designated hitter] Frank Thomas talk on this DVD. Remember, this is his ex-teammate and the respect and the level of reverence a guy like Frank Thomas has for him [is impressive]. Everybody in the White Sox organization has such respect and fondness for Ozzie because he knows that men are playing this game, but inside these men there is always a little boy just waiting to come out and he's really like that."
MLB Productions has once again recruited celebrity fan of the winning team to narrate the DVD. Last year, Boston native Denis Leary got the honors. This year, Michael Clarke Duncan, the Oscar-nominated actor who grew up on Chicago's South Side, loaned his bass voice to the project.
"Very distinctive voice is an understatement when describing Michael Clarke Duncan," said Check. "The first time we heard his voice when he was warming up in the narration session -- he made the rest of us sound like Minnie Mouse. His voice has an incredible presence and it really gave this World Series film a distinctive feel and flair. At the end of the session, being from the South Side, he said, 'Guys, this has been a experience of of a lifetime,' and I was really pleased to hear that."
According to Check, MLB Productions used four high-definition cameras during the production as well as having access to all of the FOX Sports video feeds and MLB International feeds to capture every possible video angle. The production company also had seven different television and radio audio feeds from each game to choose from. Other highlights of the DVD include:
• A ride to U.S. Cellular Field with catcher A.J. Pierzynski before Game 2 of the series
• Breakfast with Geoff Blum the morning after his dramatic walk-off home run in Game 3
• 2005 World Series Trophy presentation
• TWIB Classic: Former White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen fooled by the hidden ball trick twice
• Footage of the White Sox clubhouse celebration following the World Series victory
• A collection of exclusive interviews with various writers, players and coaches
• 1959 World Series Game 1 highlights
"I hope that audiences watching the DVD get out of it that the 2005 Chicago White Sox were a team in the truest sense of the word," said Check. "There are a lot of great players on their roster, but I don't know if there are any standout superstars and there is such incredible balance and chemistry with this team and you have to give Ozzie Guillen a tremendous amount of credit for this. As he says in the DVD, 'We took 25 guys and made them play together.' Call it 'Ozzie ball,' or 'small ball' or whatever, he found a way to have a team whose whole really exceeded the sum of its parts.
"This team played a brand of baseball that was more reminiscent of another era. Rarely have we seen a manager who was so worthy of praise and I think it showed on the field and I know it shows on this DVD."
The DVD will have it's world premiere on Monday at the Loews Cineplex Esquire 6 Theatre in Chicago at 7:30 p.m. CT. Aaron Rowand and Joe Crede are scheduled to appear at the event.
The Official World Series DVD will be released on Nov. 29 in stores around the country. Fans can also purchase the DVD on MLB.com.
Ben Platt is a national correspondent for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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