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Long Gone Summer: ESPN Back with Another 30 for 30

As sports action has been at a minimum this spring, ESPN has released a series of documentaries over the past several weeks. There have been episodes on Michael Jordan’s 1998 Bulls, Lance Armstrong, Bruce Lee, and now, a look into baseball.

The next documentary will be “Long Gone Summer,” which will dive into the impact of the home run battle between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire in 1998. These two were in the spotlight for most of their careers, and not always in a good way.

Steroids and corked bats filled the news during their long-ball hitting careers. But their 1998 season chase for the home run crown remains one of the most popular seasons in MLB history, and the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs on September 7 still remains the most-watched regular-season game ever.

One of the aspects that make these documentaries so compelling is the time they allowed to pass before bringing them up again. AJ Schnack is the director of this 30 for 30, and it is releasing at just the right time.
Baseball fans are currently missing the sport while players and owners fight over finances. It is hard to tell if there will be baseball at all in 2020 or not.

Dan Bernstein of 670 The Score watched the documentary and gives a preview of the format.
There’s no narrator, with Schnack relying on interviews with a wide range of players, coaches, broadcasters, writers and executives, and others connected to share memories and perspective,” said Bernstein. “The use of play-by-play from both radio and television makes for an aural tapestry of home run calls, particularly from some late and legendary voices of the game.”

Every 30 for 30 that seems to come out is directed with brilliance. They have truly found a way to portray these previous events in the best manner possible.

A Look Back on the Controversial Era

Baseball fans were blown away by the power of this era. Many looked the other way of guys getting bigger and stronger because of the positive impact it had on the sport. Longer home runs made for better TV.

When McGwire broke the record, the Sports Illustrated cover headline read, “What it means to Mark McGwire — and to America.” Some believe that this was the best era of baseball, while others believe it ruined it. But baseball has lived on, and talents such as McGuire and Sosa continue to make waves in the sport.

David Schoenfield of ESPN wrote, “If you followed along in 1998, how do you feel 22 years later? The victim of a con? Angry? Sad? In watching “Long Gone Summer,” it’s hard to separate those emotions from the joy unfolding on the screen — heck, we see Jack Buck in tears at one point.”

If the lack of sports because of coronavirus has done anything, it has allowed fans to look back on the important memories that brought professional sports to where they are today.

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