On Tuesday night, MLB Network will air the latest documentary under its "Presents" banner. This one, entitled "Birds of a Different Game," will focus on the St. Louis Cardinals of the 1980s -- a team from a bygone day that would not fit in the current, longball-heavy era of offense. The program will premiere at 8 p.m. ET.
The documentary, narrated by actor and Cardinals fan John Goodman, includes interviews with a number of notable figures from those Cardinal teams, including manager Whitey Herzog, Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith, and All-Star first baseman Keith Hernandez. Media members Bob Costas and Al Michaels, and actor Jon Hamm are also among those who make appearances throughout to discuss the '80s significance for the franchise.
Obviously, given the title, there's a focus on so-called "Whitey Ball" -- that is, the Cardinals' focus on aspects like putting the ball on play and stealing bases offensively, as well as cleanly fielding the ball and pitching well on the defensive side of things. Considering the Cardinals reached three World Series (and won one of them) during the '80s, it's fair to say they found a formula that worked to perfection for them.
Some of the key moments featured in the film include the Cardinals' 1982 World Series win against the Milwaukee Brewers; Ozzie Smith's walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series; and the infamous blown call by Don Denkinger in Game 6 of the World Series that paved the way for the Kansas City Royals to rally and win the championship.
Below is a trailer for "Birds of a Different Game."
