Must-Watch Baseball Documentaries To Celebrate America's Pastime

Eight documentaries about baseball that remind us why we love the game so much.

Published on April 15, 2020 | Last updated on May 30, 2025 by PBS

For many, spring means warmer temperatures, blossoming gardens, a touch of wanderlust, and baby animals. It also means baseball season is here! The history of baseball is fascinating, in part to the remarkable individuals who have loved and played the game. In this collection of documentaries you can meet some of the baseball players who helped make the sport an integral part of America's character. You'll also see how baseball's history has been deeply connected the country's own challenges and growth over the last century.

Editor's note: This collection of documentaries was first published on Jackie Robinson Day (April 15) 2020. Later, it was updated and shared on March 14, 2022, after a 99-day lockout, as fans marked their calendars with the 2022 season's Opening Day: April 7. PBS editors will continue to update this page as more baseball documentaries become available.

Jackie Robinson

It was on April 15, 1947 that the great Jackie Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson was the first African American player to compete in Major League Baseball. Thus, every April 15th belongs to him, and baseball fans continue to honor his legacy decades after he broke the color barrier in baseball.

In the two-part film from Ken Burns, we get a complete portrait of Jackie Robinson's life. His achievements in baseball were but a portion of his legacy. There is no better way to honor #42 than by learning more about him and his impact on American society.

Baseball Behind Barbed Wire

PBS Hawai'i Presents

A documentary exploring the impact baseball had on those forced to live in Arizona’s Gila River camp following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.

A Team of Their Own

The documentary, A Team of Their Own, accurately and wonderfully recounts the history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from its inception in early 1943 through the present.

While we're on the subject of women in baseball, we also recommend watching the following short documentaries: "How History Ignored Women in Baseball" from In the Margins and "Salty Sands Ferguson" from WVIA Short Takes.

A Century of Change: Negro League Centennial Celebration

The Negro Leagues were established in Kansas City in 1920. It was the home of the Kansas City Monarchs, where Jackie Robinson played shortstop for one season. Kansas City, Missouri's local station KCPT produced this documentary to look back on the century of baseball since then.

The Mohawk Giants: Schenectady & The Negro Leagues

WMHT in Troy, New York told the story of their star team: the Mohawk Giants. Baseball games in the Schenectady region were a show to behold, with athleticism and pizzazz. This documentary reminds us how baseball is woven into so many of our communities and local histories.

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A Baseball Legacy: Fans Remember the St. Louis Browns

Do you remember the St. Louis Browns? Generations of St. Louis, Missouri residents sure do. The Browns played baseball there for 51 years before moving to Baltimore (oh, hey O's!) This documentary from the Nine Network is a love letter to the true fans of a forgotten team.

Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns

Why do we call baseball "America's Pastime?" Perhaps because the story of baseball mirrors the story of America through the years. Ken Burns takes us back in time to the origins of the game. Learn about baseball in America from 1840 to 1900 in the first episode of the epic series: Baseball.

The Astros Edge

FRONTLINE examines the Houston Astros cheating scandal and what it says about baseball today. With reporter Ben Reiter, the documentary traces the making of one of the best teams and worst scandals in modern Major League Baseball history, the limited accountability and how the Astros’ approach to baseball changed the sport.