I grew up a New York Yankees fan. Third generation. My grandfather used to go to games at Yankee Stadium in the days before heading into the Bronx was akin to a suicide mission. My father saw Mickey Mantle play; watched him hit one of the longest home runs in the history of the game, smashed off the facade in right field. As a kid, I remember watching the 1978 single-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox with him. I can recall the shouts when Bucky Dent slammed that improbable three-run blast to put the Sox away. Now my own son is a Yankees fan. He thinks Derek Jeter is the bee’s knees. (I can’t believe I just wrote “the bee’s knees.”)

I tell you this in order to put my views here in perspective. You hand me a five-disc set featuring highlight films of 17 Yankees World Championship teams, and yeah, I’m going to think it’s a pretty goddamn terrific set. And it is. I knew I loved it before I even put the first disc in.

But here’s the thing: despite what you may have heard about Yankees fans, we’re not all loud, brash city guys who don’t give a rat’s ass about baseball history and who only look towards another ring. I’m certainly not. I consider myself a baseball fan first, a Yankees fan second, and that’s how it has always been. I love the game, the poetry of its lulls and crescendos. Even more than that, I love the game’s history. The rich tapestry upon which is written Major League Baseball’s history is something in which I find endless joy; an epic saga with heroes and goats, amazing feats and colossal failures, and moments so iconic they’re woven into the very fabric of American history.

Baseball is a wonderful sport with a compelling history. And this set, packed with 12 hours of World Series footage dating back to 1943, is full of that history. You sure as hell don’t need to be a Yankees fan to appreciate that. You only need to be a baseball fan.

Think about it: Actual footage of Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, and other legendary Hall of Famers. Classic 1970s players like Thurmon Munson, Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson. Even modern stars Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter.

Okay, the last couple of guys aren’t a draw for you Yankees haters, but Mantle? Maris? DiMaggio? If you can resist that, you're no baseball fan.

The earliest films in this set are from the 1940s, with short reels spotlighting the 1943, 1947 and 1949 series. They’re very much of their era, almost charming in how quaint they now seem – the fake crack of the bat sound effect is hilarious - but hell, you get to see Joe D play ball. I’ll take quaint for that. The Yanks match up against the 1943 Cardinals (Stan Musial, anyone?), the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers, and the 1949 Boston Braves.

We move on to the 1950s, with great films featuring the World Series of 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, and 1958. The quality of the films takes a big step up, and so does the quality of the players. You've got Berra and Rizzuto, Eddie Matthews and a young Hank Aaron, Gil Hodges and Roy Camanella. Push forward into the ‘60s with the 1961 and 1962 series and this remarkable Golden Age for baseball is rounded out with some of the biggest icons in sports. Over the course of these films, we’ll see Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Whitey Ford, Jackie Robinson, and many more. Seeing Mays in action? Robinson? You don’t need to be a Yankees fan to appreciate that.

The modern era is covered with series you’re probably more familiar with. Here we get the brief 1970s dynasty with the 1977 and 1978 winners – these were a great look back to my childhood - and the recent run of greatness all Yankee haters will avoid, with films highlighting the 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 Fall Classics. That means Reggie Jackson, Lou Pinella, Derek Jeter, David Wells and more. It also means high quality films. They may not feature legendary Hall of Famers, but they are more watchable. Getting a chance to relive amazing moments like Jim Leyrtiz's dramatic three-run bomb in the 1996 series and the 1998 team's easy walk over San Diego was good fun.

All in all, this set is heavy with baseball history, featuring some of the best players ever to step on the diamond, legendary games, and classic moments right from the history books. I loved it. And if you're a baseball fan, Yankees lover or not, you will, too.

Disc Presentation
Does this set look great? No, it does not. A good number of these films are grainy, blurry affairs little better than old newsreel footage.

And that’s because this pretty much is old newsreel footage. These are short films (most come in at roughly an hour, sometimes a bit less) created by Major League Baseball to archive World Series highlights. Some are four, five, even six decades old – and look it.

What, you thought these were going to be picture perfect discs to flex your high-def muscle? Puh-lease. Besides, if you DID think that … well, talk about missing the point. Classic World Series game. Legendary ballplayers. THAT’S the point.

Disc Extras
Nada.

The Bottom Line
It’s simple: If you’re a New York Yankees fan, you have no business not owning this. Period.

If you’re a lover of baseball, and especially of baseball history, you’ll want to consider adding this one to your wish list, too. The array of teams the Yankees square off against feature a slew of amazing players – not to mention the greats on the Yanks – and the set overall collects a wealth of baseball history in one massive package. Hard to go wrong with that.

Play ball!