Signs of the Time

Thu, Oct 22 10:00 P.M. NHPBS (11.1)

During the early days of baseball, fans experienced the game without the benefit of an umpire's colorful hand signals: the defiant fist as the perfect pitch crossed home plate, the cross-hand sweep as the runner slid into home, and the dramatic fist pump as the runner, ball and baseman converged at first base. The umpire's voice, usually drowned out by the screams of thousands of excited fans, served as the only means to signal a ball or strike or to call a player safe or out. SIGNS OF THE TIME explores the origins of baseball's hand signals and the pioneers responsible for this pivotal innovation. Narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, the award-winning documentary features full-scale re-enactments of early games and interviews with historians, retired umpires, former players Bob Feller, Brooks Robinson, Fred Lynn, Ken Singleton, Danny Litwhiler, Bobby Bragan and Bill Werber, and Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver.

Duration: 56 minutes and 46 seconds