“The Bronx Is Burning”

I’ve enjoyed watching this ESPN miniseries all summer long, with the memories it brings back of my Yankee fandom during the summer of ’77.

This was a far different Yankee team than the Jeter-Rivera-Torre incarnation currently taking the field. The ’77 Yanks were often a dysfunctional yet compelling soap opera, which makes for an enjoyable miniseries, boosted by strong lead performances and some excellent casting in smaller, often key, roles. Therman Munson, played by Erik Jensen, comes off as a prince in this story, and Kevin Conway manages to convey a zen-like state of exhaustion as General Manager Gabe Paul when dealing with the multiple burdens of working for George Steinbrenner (Oliver Platt, one note but a good note to keep playing since Steinbrenner is well, one note himself), trying to handle Billy Martin (John Turturro, with a set of fake ears that, in the words of Johnny Carson, make him “look like a Pinto with its doors open”) and the talented but egocentric and hyperemotional slugger Reggie Jackson (Daniel Sunjata, who has an excellent shot at an Emmy nomination from his work here).

The series depicts the goings on of New York City in 1977, such as the blackout and the conclusion of the Son Of Sam case, and does so adequately, as well as provide numerous Ramones songs in the soundtrack to give us a ’70s NYC state of mind. The series also edits archival footage of the games and the broadcasts with the recreations as seamlessly as possible. An added bonus in tonight’s episode: those wonderful retro 1970s ABC World Series titles & bumpers, along with footage of Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell calling the games wearing those vanilla pudding colored polyester sports jackets that must have been sold in bulk by one of Roone Arledge’s relatives. Yes, there was once a time in World Series coverage where there WASN’T a promo for 24 every thirty seconds!

But the series real strength lies in its depiction of the players and how they deal with the game itself. Much like other “in the clubhouse” sports movies, like North Dallas Forty or Bull Durham, The Bronx Is Burning’s best moments come from showing us the things behind the game that drive the game forward – the players discussing how they’ve been pitched to in the past by the teams they are about to face, Munson stepping up to the plate manned by his arch-rival Carlton Fisk and letting go with “Hey Fisk, how’s the wife? How are my kids doing?” or Gabe Paul, worn out and fed up by the endless bickering between Jackson & Martin turning up in the press, confronting them about his 40 years in baseball without a World Series ring versus Martin’s five and Jackson’s three, only to have Martin reply “Gabe, you really need to get laid.”

Play ball!

The series concludes next Tuesday August 28 on ESPN, with its version of Game 6 of the 1977 World Series, a happy memory for me since I got to watch it from the safety of my Rhode Island den as opposed to dodging smoke and cherry bombs in right field. The 3 DVD set with extra interview footage of the real people depicted is available at the website for The Bronx Is Burning