Collectibles

Item Description

Are you a fan of PBS and America's favorite pastime? Catch this exclusive KVIE baseball signed by Ken Burns himself, and enjoy two of KVIE's own locally- produced baseball documentaries: ViewFinder - The Golden Game: Baseball and ViewFinder - The Golden Game: The Minor Leagues. Join KVIE in the dugout, the clubhouse and the tour bus to discover 150 years of baseball history in Sacramento!

ViewFinder - The Golden Game

Baseball has been a part of Sacramento’s history since the city was founded in 1849. Just following its formulation, "The Father of Modern Baseball” - Alexander Joy Cartwright, is said to have brought the game with him when he came to search for gold. And while it’s often overlooked, the capital city has been home to many baseball firsts. Some historians say Sacramento has the honor of being the first city on the West Coast to field an organized baseball team. The first night game west of Des Moines was played here at the old Moreing Field, and Kenso Nushida, who is thought to be the first professional baseball player of Asian descent, made his debut for the Sacramento Senators in 1932, the list goes on and on.

In The Golden Game: Baseball in Sacramento we interview former players and historians to re-trace some of Sacramento’s rich baseball history. From the early teams and ballparks, to the Sacramento Solons dramatic 1942 PCL title run, to the success of the Sacramento River Cats, we’ll take a local look at our national pastime.

After completing the documentary Baseball, Ken Burns said, "We were hardly prepared for the complex emotions the game summoned up. The accumulated stories and biographies, life-lessons and tragedies, dramatic moments and classic confrontations that we encountered daily began to suggest even more compelling themes." As Jacques Barzun has written, "Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball."

The heart and mind of Sacramento can be found in its 150-years of baseball history, from the countless Little Leaguers with big league dreams, to those who lived the dream and made it to majors. Baseball has left an impression on our city and our city has left an impression on the game.

ViewFinder: The Golden Game - The Minor Leagues

Imagine a minor league baseball player riding on the team bus, it’s entirely possible the guy sitting on one side of him will go onto fame and fortune, and the guy sitting on the other side could end up broke, forced to enter the job market with “baseball” being his only real skill. In The Golden Game: The Minor Leagues we take you inside the clubhouse, dugout, team bus and homes of minor leaguers to see what it’s like to chase a dream of making it to the big leagues.