With ESPN's "The Last Dance" whetting the appetite of folks desperate for any sort of sports content, theScore editors have joined forces to look back at some of the most captivating narratives that deserve similar treatment to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dynasty.
Today, we're looking at five baseball documentaries we'd love to see:
'RE2PECT'
Jordan is a one-of-a-kind sports figure. If Major League Baseball did have its own MJ, though, it'd be Derek Jeter.
Much like Jordan, Jeter saw his club dominate much of the 1990s, though the Yankees shortstop's prime years would continue into the early 2000s as well.
Jeter made his MLB debut in 1995, the season after the players' strike. He'd ultimately claim Rookie of the Year honors in 1996, the same year he won his first of five World Series championships. Like Jordan, Jeter had a stellar supporting cast with the "Core Four" also comprising Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera, the latter being arguably the greatest closer ever.
The final episode would be somewhat bittersweet, though. In the wake of 9/11, the city of New York rallied behind the Yankees once again. The Pinstripes fought back from a 2-0 ALDS deficit against the Oakland Athletics, thanks partly to Jeter's iconic flip.
Despite going on to beat the 116-win Seattle Mariners, the Yankees fell short against the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games. It was the first World Series to be played beyond October, and Jeter was anointed "Mr. November" due to his heroics in Game 4.
Who wouldn't watch that 10-part series?
'The Rise and Fall of the Dark Knight'
Matt Harvey looked like he was going to be one of baseball's best pitchers for a long time. And now, at age 31, the former New York Mets ace may never throw another pitch in the majors again. What happened?
The electric righty burst onto the scene in 2012 and thrilled Queens in 2013, as the Dark Knight started the All-Star Game at Citi Field and finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting.
Harvey bounced back in 2015 after missing the season prior due to Tommy John surgery. His agent, Scott Boras, wanted him on an innings limit and to not pitch in the playoffs, but Harvey ended up ditching the plan and helped New York reach the World Series. He infamously lobbied to stay in Game 5 as the Kansas City Royals mounted a comeback off him and eventually won the contest in extras to take the Fall Classic.
It was downhill from that point on as the star pitcher posted a 5.65 ERA from 2016 to 2019 for the Mets, Cincinnati Reds, and Los Angeles Angels while dealing with several injuries.
Embarrassingly, Harvey was suspended by the Mets in 2017 after he failed to show up for a game the night before his start. He was reportedly upset after spotting ex-girlfriend, supermodel Adriana Lima, out with NFL player Julian Edelman. There certainly would be no shortage of drama in this documentary.
'Big Mac vs. Slammin' Sammy'
Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61 had been in place nearly four decades entering the 1998 season. What followed was one of the most memorable campaigns in history, even if controversy has since shrouded its place in baseball lore.
Mark McGwire's prodigious power was already of note after he formed one half of Oakland's Bash Brothers alongside Jose Canseco. He was coming off a career-high 58 homers in 1997, confirming Maris' record was within striking distance. Sosa didn't exactly come out of nowhere, but him going toe to toe with McGwire in a season-long slugfest was unexpected and offered a nice parallel to the Maris-Mickey Mantle back-and-forth.
In addition to the 1998 season, this docuseries would focus on the storied Cardinals-Cubs rivalry, Maris versus Mantle in '61, Sosa's and McGwire's early years, Barry Bonds eclipsing the pair only three years later, and the steroid scandal that tainted the feat and both men's legacies. Telling this story without a "warts-and-all" approach would do a disservice to all involved.
It would also serve as a prime opportunity to re-examine whether claims that the home run race saved baseball are true or simply part of the sport's myth-making.
'Breaking the Code: How the Astros were unmasked'
It'll be a while before this documentary is produced - but oh, what fun it will be.
Although baseball fans have been able to watch the Astros' cheating scandal unfold in real time, an in-depth, all-access look into the events of 2017 and the past offseason would surely capture audiences. A breakdown of "Codebreaker;" the Brandon Taubman scandal following the 2019 ALCS and how he indirectly paved the way for the cheating to be exposed; how Astros players avoided punishment; whether Rob Manfred's office knew more than it claimed to. That only scratches the surface of potentially explosive storylines that this film could reveal.
The scandal is a saga fit for a documentary investigation and would have plenty of crossover appeal for non-baseball fans. For the sake of the sport, it deserves to be told in full, with nothing left on the cutting-room floor. When it does happen, it will be a one-of-a-kind undertaking that could end up leaving a legacy of its own.
'Marlins for Sale'
Since their inception in 1993, the Miami (nee Florida) Marlins have been an enigma. They've never lost a playoff series and have two World Series championships. And yet, they've also never won a division title. They're consistently the laughing stock of the league, and Creed's Scott Stapp even wrote an anthem about them:
One defining feature of the Marlins, though, is that they've always been for sale.
Under its first owner, Wayne Huizenga, the club won its first championship in 1997. Immediately after, Huizenga instructed GM Dave Dombrowski to trade away Moises Alou, Kevin Brown, Jeff Conine, and Gary Sheffield, among others in one of the most blatant fire sales ever.
Then came Jeffrey Loria's tumultuous reign, which began with him purchasing the Marlins for $1.2 billion mere months after Huizenga sold the club to John Henry for $150 million.
Loria's reign would end with a sale to Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter who, once again, tore down the franchise by trading away Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, J.T. Realmuto, and Marcell Ozuna.
This isn't to mention the story of Jose Fernandez, which could warrant a documentary on its own. The pitcher saved his grandmother from drowning during an attempt to defect and became one of the league's best pitchers at 20 years old before his tragic death in 2016.
