Baseball's winter meetings are ongoing until Thursday morning (or afternoon, for the east-coast crowd), at which point the Rule 5 draft will conclude the annual swap meet. After three-plus days of nonstop rumors and news, it's natural to feel unsettled about the rest of the winter -- just how is one supposed to get their baseball fill from now until spring training? Fortunately, MLB Network will help those in need by airing an hour-long documentary concerning the life and career of Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley.
The documentary, called "Eck: A Story of Saving," will air at 8 p.m. ET. We were able to watch the program ahead of time, and it meets the high standards associated with MLB's original films.
Predictably, much of the documentary concerns Eckersley's career -- specifically his move to relief, where he helped invent the modern closer role, and the home run he yielded to Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series. Where the documentary surprises in how much time it gives to issues you wouldn't assume would be discussed -- specifically, Eckersley's alcoholism and his ex-wife leaving him for teammate and friend Rick Manning.
Throughout the program, Eckersley comes across as likable and comfortable in his own skin. Indeed, self-confidence is a big theme. The documentary also includes interviews with scribes like Peter Gammons, a number of Eckersley's former teammates, manager Tony La Russa, and his daughter.
Once more: "Eck: A Story of Saving" will air at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday night.
