This 1938 film “Play Ball!” was produced by the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, and looks at important strategies that make the difference between winning and losing for baseball teams. It is narrated by Ford Bond and Harry “Moose” McCormick. The film begins with the importance of preparation, including various shots of a team’s Spring training. “Moose” is then introduced and starts going over important strategies for each baseball position. These include stealing bases, bunting, ball anticipation, signaling, double play combinations, and “cut off play”. The film includes many slow motion demonstrations of each strategy in action.
0:13 Socony-Vacuum Oil Company presents “Play Ball!”, 0:27 Ford Bond on screen as commentator, 0:34 “Moose” McCormick on screen introduction, 0:49 a major league baseball game going on in a completely full stadium, 1:25 a team doing its practice in Spring Training, 2:03 a player adjusts his wood Derby Ball & Edwards Corp. baseball bat, marked “Critz type” in honor of player Hughie Critz 2:26 players stretching, doing warm up laps, doing sliding practice, rope skipping, and batting drills at Paso Robles, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3:32 slow motion of a player missing his shot, 4:00 training camp practice games with lots of action, 4:30 a proper game in front of a completely full stadium, 5:01 Bond talks to the camera, 6:03 “Moose” introduces himself to Bond and an interview begins, 6:38 slow motion of a ball being thrown and then being hit, 7:38 runner steals a base with several slow motion slides, 8:27 “Moose” speaks to the camera, 8:47 player attempting a steal but having to abort, 9:09 demonstration of a hit and run, 9:49 slow motion of a batter demonstrating a bunt, 10:41 slow motion close up of a bunt, 11:27 slow motion shots of good defensive strategies including anticipating where a ball will go, 12:09 different signaling being given by pitching team, 13:41 “Moose” demonstrates defensive strategy with a diagram, 15:45 diagram shifts to a real life demonstration of the same strategy, 16:16 demonstration of a double play combination around the keystone sack in slow motion, 17:08 center fielder running around catching balls, 17:48 diagram is being used to demonstrate“cut off play”, 18:46 demonstration of “cut off play” in real life, 19:01 “Moose” talks to the camera, 19:35 Bond talks to the camera, 19:45 a tired looking commentator commentating on a match interjected with footage from the match, 20:19 player runs a home run, 20:34 narrator reading a commercial for Socony-Vacuum products and the “Flying Red Horse”.
Ford Bond (1904-1962) was an American radio host, who was a sports commentator for NBC radio in the 1930s. Harry “Moose” McCormick (1881-1962) was a professional baseball outfielder who played for the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Philadelphia Phillies. He was one of the first pinch hitters in the game’s history and was considered one of the best pinch hitters in the game.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
