For many Arizonans Christmas arrived early in November with the World Series championship, but a really worthy seasonal present remains—Major League Baseball's VHS/DVD production of the 2001 World Series, appropriately subtitled Destiny in the Desert. Released less than a month after Mariano Rivera's last pitch, the 85 minute feature is remarkably edited to summarize the essence of both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Yankees while capturing the most memorable moments of the World Series. The film is created by the same people who put together the very professional This Week in Baseball series during the regular season, giving them access to essential archive footage from the regular season. The experienced cinematography team juxtaposes action and interviews in a well edited film that works with both rabid and casual fans.

Even more amazing is how balanced this film is after decades of baseball documentaries heavily biased towards the Yankees and other east coast teams--and that includes the comprehensive Ken Burns Baseball series that severely slights the St. Louis Cardinals and other teams west of the Appalachians.

Given the results of the series most Arizona residents with VCRs and DVD players will grab copies, and all hard-core baseball fans will want to replay this dramatic series over a few times. Yankee fans will also want to preserve some remarkable moments—the incredibly surreal games in Yankee Stadium and the touching farewell to Paul O’Neill that brings the veteran right fielder to the verge of tears.

Leading up to the World Series the documentary gives background information about both teams, giving a "theme" to both and showing highlights of each team’s route through the playoffs. Composed of veterans from various teams (who "came to the desert to end a drought") the four-year-old Diamondbacks only had one player with a World Series ring (Craig Counsell from the '97 series) and three other players who had participated in losing World Series efforts (Matt Williams, Steve Finley, and Curt Schilling). The film clearly establishes the fact that the team has veterans who had accomplished great individual feats but never the ultimate team dream--three Cy Young Awards for Randy Johnson and more hits in the 90's for Mark Grace than anyone, yet neither had appeared in a World Series before this year.

No such World Series dry spells recently for the New York Yankees. With three straight championships and four of the last five World Series, the Yankees rank as the team of the decade, and with 26 World Series championships total, they have clearly established themselves as the most successful franchise in all of sports. The General Douglas MacArthur quote shown leading to the Yankee clubhouse is telling: "There is no substitute for victory." The film shows highlights from the conclusions of the past three World Series to firmly implant images of the Yankee dynasty.

Who woulda thunk that the Yankees could be tabbed as the "Sentimental favorites?" But who could have imagined the tragic events of 9/11. The horrible tragedy figures into this year’s World Series, and many former Yankee haters around the country had softened their attacks. First baseman Tino Martinez relates how he was touched when Boston fans sang "New York, New York." Anyone familiar with this traditional bitter rivalry knows that this gesture is about as likely as Osama bin Laden being welcomed to a White House dinner. Brief homage to NYC firemen is granted and a group of them declare that it looks like the Yankees are going to win their 27th World Series and "can’t lose--they have 4,000 angels looking over them." Fortunately the idea that the Yankees had become "America's Team" isn't dwelled on to excess--more a case that the Yankees grant its fans a brief few hours of respite away from thoughts on the tragedy.

After all, a sign of normalcy is getting back to baseball as the national pastime. It just ain't natural for longtime Yankee haters to suddenly declare peace or even worse--switch to being bandwagon fans "for the good of the country." The World Series is all about matching the best teams from the two leagues and determining the world champion in a best of seven series. And this one will go all seven games in what is widely regarded as one of the best World Series ever played—and certainly the most exciting one that I've ever witnessed. (And I'm not just saying that because I was able to witness all four games live at Bank One Ballpark).

As one New York announcer states before the start of game 5: people should not expect a repeat of the drama they had witnessed in game 4 since "those games happen only once in 50 years." Looking back in hindsight that quote is hilarious because game 5 turned into déjà vu all over again (as Yogi Berra woulda said). If a World Series has just one exciting climatic game with last inning heroics, it is well remembered (like Mazeroski's winning homer in 1960 or Buckner’s boot in 1986). If it adds another tough battle in game 7, it's often called a great series (1975 series highlighted forever with Carlton Fisk "willing" his game 6 winning home run to stay fair). With that criteria the 2001 World Series has to rank as the greatest ever--the drama is so unreal that most Hollywood producers would reject the script as too unbelievable. Who would believe that three games would end up with come from behind heroics in the bottom of the ninth? And the final blow against an invincible closer who hadn’t blown a World Series save during the entire lifespan of the Diamondbacks' franchise.

Well, we already know the result of the Series. But the video does re-create the drama between the pitcher and hitter and does a great job incorporating interviews with key players during those crucial moments—Jeter, O'Neill, Spencer, Pettite, Clemens, Posada, Brossius, Brian Anderson, Gonzalez, Batista, Schilling, Johnson, Finley, Miller, Counsell, and others. Some of the best quotes come from D'backs first baseman Mark Grace--no surprise to Arizona and Cubs fans. Gracie is a real down home type guy with a great sense of humor--expect him in the broadcasting booth when he retires even though he is heard on the film as saying that he wants to take in a game at the Bank One Ballpark swimming pool and yell at Matt Williams when his playing days are over. We also hear Grace declare that weird things happen during a full moon before game 4 (decided understatement) and after game 5 describe the supernatural qualities of the New York home field: "As far as their mystique--when I'm in Yankee Stadium, I'm a believer now!"

With manager Bob Brenly wearing a microphone, we are privileged to hear snippets of his mound conversations. Just what does he say to a tearful Byung-Hyun Kim after his painful game 5 outing? There's also a classic positive mound pep talk with a prophetic ring to it when Brenly removes Curt Schilling from game 7 after giving up a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning--"That ain't gonna beat us, Big Man."

Best of all is the raw emotion. The dejection and sadness of defeat and the exuberance of victory where grown men turn into little kids and jump with complete joy and abandon inhibitions. I know a bit of this myself from my upper deck seat at the BOB, and have a small scar on my shin to mark where I landed in the next row after joyfully jumping after Gonzo’s final hit--there were 49,000+ of us in the stands doing much the same thing and thousands more throughout Arizona. I did hear that New York City actually went silent momentarily when this happened, but elsewhere wherever baseball fans dwell there were shaking heads and smiles for one of the greatest world championships ever contested.

This documentary will bring back those moments and cause Diamondbacks fans incredible flashbacks to those happy moments. Yankee fans will have to satisfy themselves with their miracle finishes in games 4 and 5 and the knowledge that their team participated in such a great series. Ordinarily the Hall of Fame requests one or two items for display from any one World Series. This time it was six items! No doubt that the action and drama of the series makes this a superior baseball documentary, but credit Major League Baseball with doing something right with the way this is edited to capture those dreams that many boys have--a chance to come to bat in a World Series with the game on the line in the ninth inning and be a hero. Baseball relies so much on history and special moments to pass on its rich tradition, so Destiny in the Desert is one to treasure for the ages!

Note: The DVD has approximately 25 minutes of extra features. These are very simply composed of Fox television coverage of the at bats from key home runs and hits from games 1 – 5, and the entire bottom of the 9th rally in game 7. I suggest that Arizona fans focus on the "good" stuff. I didn't bother watching those game 4 and 5 home runs (but Yankee fans will replay those often, I suspect).