Baseball on Television
Players turned actors, classic shows, commercials, and cartoons.
Players Turned Actors
- Chuck Connors"The Rifleman" - Played for Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs
- Bob Uecker"Mr. Belvedere" and "Major League" films
- Kurt RussellPlayed minor league baseball before acting career
- John Berardino"General Hospital" star, played for St. Louis Browns
- Mike PiazzaCameo appearances in "The League" and other shows
- Jim LehrMinor league player turned actor in TV and film
- Miles Heizer"13 Reasons Why" star, son of minor league player
- Jim PalmerActed in "The Naked Gun" and underwear commercials
- Don DrysdaleActed in "The Brady Bunch" and other shows
- Ron CeyAppeared in "The Bad News Bears" sequel
- Joe PepitoneTV appearances and own brief variety show
Players as TV Hosts
- Joe GaragiolaHost of "Today" show and game shows
- Bob UeckerHost of "Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports"
- Jim PalmerOrioles broadcaster and occasional TV host
- Tim McCarverLongtime broadcaster and host of baseball specials
- Joe MorganCo-host of "Sunday Night Baseball" with Jon Miller
- Johnny BenchHosted "The Johnny Bench Show" for kids
- Frank RobinsonHosted pre-game and post-game shows
- Steve GarveyGuest host for various sports programs
Classic Baseball TV Shows
- This Week in BaseballHosted by Mel Allen (1977-1998)
- NBC Game of the WeekCurt Gowdy, Tony Kubek, and Joe Garagiola
- Sunday Night BaseballJon Miller, Joe Morgan, and others since 1990
- ABC Game of the WeekKeith Jackson, Howard Cosell, and Jim Palmer
- The Johnny Bench ShowChildren's baseball instruction show
- CBS BaseballGame of the Week broadcasts (1990-1993)
- Baseball TonightESPN's nightly highlight show since 1990
- Baseball Almanac TV ListComprehensive history of baseball on TV
- SABR TV HistoryScholarly articles on baseball broadcasting
Baseball Cartoons
- The Simpsons"Homer at the Bat" and other baseball episodes
- Peanuts Specials"It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown" and others
- The Baseball BunchLive-action/cartoon hybrid with Johnny Bench
- Backyard Baseball (Cartoon)Animated series based on the video game
- Bugs Bunny Baseball"Baseball Bugs" (1946) and other Looney Tunes classics
- The Flintstones"The Baseball Flintstones" episode
- Tom and Jerry"Safety Second" and other baseball cartoons
- Mighty MouseBaseball episodes in the 1940s-50s
- Saturday Morning ArchiveVintage baseball cartoons collection
Famous TV Commercials
- Joe DiMaggio - Mr. CoffeeIconic 1970s-80s coffee maker commercials
- Mickey Mantle - VariousMantle for Wheaties, Ford, and more
- Pete Rose - VariousRose for Aqua Velva, Right Guard, and others
- Jim Palmer - JockeyFamous underwear commercials in the 1980s
- Bob Uecker - Miller Lite"I must be in the front row!" classic series
- Tom Seaver - VariousSeaver for Chock full o'Nuts, others
- Reggie Jackson - VariousReggie for candy bars, cars, and more
- Nolan Ryan - AdvilRyan pitching through pain in Advil ads
- Cal Ripken Jr. - VariousRipken for Chevy, Milk, and others
- 1980s Baseball CommercialsYouTube compilation of classic ads
Home Run Derby Shows
- Home Run Derby (1960s)Original TV show with Mays, Mantle, and Aaron
- Original Episodes on YouTubeFull episodes of the 1960s series
- MLB Home Run DerbyModern All-Star Game event on ESPN
- MLB Home Run Derby XInternational tournament series
- 1993 Home Run DerbyFirst televised modern derby (Juan Gonzalez)
- 2005 Home Run DerbyBobby Abreu's record-setting performance
- Derby Records & HistoryBaseball Almanac's Home Run Derby stats
Players in Sitcoms
- Chuck Connors in "The Rifleman"Starred in 168 episodes (1958-1963)
- Bob Uecker in "Mr. Belvedere"George Owens in 117 episodes (1985-1990)
- Don Drysdale on "The Brady Bunch"Appeared as himself in "The Winner"
- Joe DiMaggio on "The Simpsons"Guest voice in "Dancin' Homer"
- Reggie Jackson on "The Jeffersons"Guest appearance in "Me and Billy Dee"
- Mike Piazza on "The League"Cameo as himself in "The Expert"
- John Berardino on "General Hospital"Dr. Steve Hardy for 30+ years
- Jim Palmer on "The Naked Gun"TV series spinoff appearance
Baseball Documentaries & Specials
- Ken Burns' BaseballPBS documentary series (1994, 2010)
- The Battered Bastards of BaseballHBO documentary on Portland Mavericks
- When It Was a GameHBO specials using home movie footage
- The Last Dance (Baseball Episodes)Baseball references in sports docs
- MLB Network DocumentariesOfficial MLB documentary collection
- The Tenth InningKen Burns' 2010 follow-up