Yankees-Dodgers: An Uncivil War

I will start with what is great about this documentary. I really love all of the sources they have speaking in this film, they are all excellent primary sources who lived these rivalries and the interviews really take you inside the clubhouse. The style of the documentary isn't my favorite as there is no voiceover at all, it just runs from clip to clip in an attempt to weave a story together that is often difficult to follow. I say it is perhaps mistitled because it spends more time talking about conflicts within the two organizations than between them. There is also a heavy Yankees bias with the most attention given to Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson. That isn't to say that is all this documentary hits on, but it gives it a disproportionate amount of time. It wasn't the Yankees/Dodgers World Series hype documentary I was hoping for, but I did learn a few things and ultimately enjoyed it.

This is heavily focused on the Yankees, the Dodgers just happened to be the reoccurring opponent in the World Series. The only drama for the Dodgers was Steve Garvey not being liked for being a nice guy. The rest is about the Yankees and Reggie Jackson and his troubled relationship with Billy Martin. The Dodgers side of the story just seems to be stretched out throughout the film as filler content. The title insinuates that both teams had internal chaos, the fact is the Yankees did. Steve Garvey's all American boy attitude rubbing his teammates the wrong way pales in comparison with what was going on with the Yankees.

As a huge SF Giants fan I truly despise both of these franchises, but this story is well told, I learned a few things, and I think any baseball fan will enjoy! The story does focuse heavily on Reggie J, Steve G, Billy M and George S. Who all played major roles of this era of baseball. I would recommend this show not just to baseball fans of any franchise but to sports fans of any sport. It's 2022 now and my GIANTS have won a few World Series' recently so I'm not butt-hurt anymore but I remember the days of defeat by these two historic and infamous franchises. Overall it's a great watch for anybody that enjoys competition!