It Ain’t Over, the Yogi Berra Doc

Lawrence Joseph "Yogi” Berra probably appeared in more commercials than Michael Jordan or LeBron James, but instead of presenting himself as a secular superhero, the beloved New York Yankee always self-deprecatingly poked fun at his own image. One thing is certain, Berra had more championship rings than either of them—ten in total. Yet, over the years, the “Yogi-isms” overshadowed his exceptional baseball career. Filmmaker Sean Mullin sets the record straight with the help of his granddaughter (and executive producer), Lindsay Berra, who serves as the lead voice in It Ain’t Over, opening tomorrow in theaters.

In addition to the World Series championships, Berra was an 18-time All-Star, a 3-time American League MVP, and he called Don Larsen’s perfect World Series game. However, Berra is largely remembered for the funny things that kind of-sort of make sense, which he may or may not have really said. As his granddaughter and other friends and colleagues run through his accomplishments for the benefit of Mullin and the audience, they make an overwhelming case.

They cover it all, especially including Jackie Robinson safely stealing home on Berra during the World Series, a call the catcher disputed to his dying day. Nevertheless, the film emphasizes Berra was always a voice for tolerance and inclusion in Major League Baseball, particularly during the early days of the league’s racial integration. Appropriately, but somewhat frustratingly for Yankees fans, Berra’s feud with George Steinbrenner and his self-banishment from Yankee Stadium are also covered in length.

Perhaps the most eye-opening segments of It Ain’t Over explore Berra’s relationship with his son Dale, whom he coached while he was the Yankee manager. Dale Berra talks candidly about his addiction issues, which sabotaged his own promising MLB career and the support from his father and family that help him overcome them.

Reggie, on Prime

Along with Pele, he was the personification of New York sports in the late 1970s. Reggie Jackson’s play on the field and his contentious relationship with Yankees manager Billy Martin were welcome distractions from “The Summer of Sam.” However, Jackson nearly became a notorious murderer himself, when he was brainwashed to assassinate the Queen in The Naked Gun. That is way more movie references than most athletes get, but Jackson was always at the center of the New York media’s attention, whether he liked it or not. Jackson looks back at his career highs and controversies in Alex Stapleton’s documentary Reggie, which premiers today on Prime.

For baseball fans, hearing Jackson take a call from Pete Rose at the beginning of the film might just overshadow everything that follows it. Jackson always shot from the hip, despite taking flak for it, so his candor in Stapleton’s film should not be a surprise. Jackson has a lot to say about black participation in Major League Baseball, both past and present. He also has a lot to unpack from his own career, including five World Series rings and two World Series MVPs.

Jackson won three World Series in Oakland, made the post-season twice with the California Angels and now works for the Houston Astros, but he will always be remembered as a New York sports legend. Therefore, it is fitting both Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge make appearances to discuss Jackson’s mentorship.

Surprisingly, the late George Steinbrenner’s image might be somewhat burnished by the film. On the other, it might lower Billy Martin’s stock. Regardless, watching Reggie will bring slightly more mature fans right back to the time when the manager was constantly generating NY tabloid headlines, right alongside Jackson. Love him or hate him, a good Billy Martin doc is seriously overdue.

Jackson has a lot to say about the state of the game and society, which is important, but the fun parts feature Jackson reminiscing with his friends and teammates, like Rollie Fingers and Dave Stewart. There is also a lot of material that will be new to more casual baseball fans, like Jackson’s unsuccessful bid to buy the LA Dodgers, which didn’t fail due to a lack of money, considering Bill Gates and Paul Allen were part of his management group.

Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story

Baseball fans insist the National League rules are better than the American League’s, but the experience of Yankee ace Chien-Ming Wang ought to make them reconsider. While running the bases during an interleague game, Wang suffered an injury that short-circuited his career for years. He was the fastest pitcher to reach 50 wins since Dwight Gooden, but during his post-injury years, Wang suffers the indignity of getting cut by triple-A and double-A teams. That is where documentarian Frank W. Chen caught-up with the former Yankee in Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story (trailer here), which opens this Friday in New York.

Wang was the first Taiwanese player signed by the Yankees and by far the highest profile Taiwanese player in the Major Leagues. As a result, he became (and to a large extent remains) the focus of intense media attention and national pride in the Republic of China. For Wang, it has been an honor and a burden, especially following his injury.

After the Yankees cut Wang, he kept plugging, first in the Majors and then the minors, hoping to prove he could still compete on a professional level. Unfortunately, his body often refused to cooperate. It is downright depressing to see the man chosen to start the first home game at the new Yankee Stadium reduced to accepting a contract in the independent baseball league, but it happened. Yet, even though Wang’s story is all about sinkers, it is not a downer. There will be a third act. It is not exactly the Hollywood-style triumph we might chose to script for him, but Wang definitely proves his grit.

The truth is, it is the imperfection and struggle that makes his story engaging. Frankly, Wang is so reserved by nature, he never really reveals much to the audience. However, the emotions expressed by his wife, coaches, and trainers is quite moving—and more than sufficient to keep viewers invested.

You can tell what the loss of Wang’s potential (a 19-game winner two seasons in a row) meant to the Yankees when former GM Brian Cashman sits down for an interview. It is also quite poignant to watch Wang’s visit with the now deceased Billy Connors (former Yankees VP of player development and supplemental pitching coach), because they are both trying to raise the spirits of the other.

It is impossible to watch Late Life and not wonder what might have been if Wang were not running the bases during a non-rivalry, regular season interleague game. Sure, purists argue pitchers are less likely to bean players when they also have to stand in the batter’s box, but by the same logic, should we bring back leather helmets so football players will avoid knocking heads? Regardless, Late Life is a compelling real-life sports story, particularly since it involves the New York Yankees. Highly recommended, Late Life opens this Friday (10/26) in New York, at the AMC Empire (and it is currently playing at the Regal Rockville Center 13, for fans who remember Wang’s stint with the Nationals).