BASEBALL: ECHOES FROM THE BLEACHERS to Premiere on PBS

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is opening its vaults to share the story of the National Pastime and America. BASEBALL: ECHOES FROM THE BLEACHERS, made through an exclusive partnership with the Hall of Fame, draws on tens of thousands of artifacts and over 10,000 hours of never-before-seen media to tell a story bigger than the game: the story of America itself. The film is part of special programming premiering on PBS stations beginning Thursday, October 22, 2026 (check local listings), and will be available for streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app.

The film's premise: nearly every defining chapter of American history has a parallel on the diamond. Sometimes baseball reflected the nation back to itself; sometimes, as with Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron, it led the way.

ECHOES FROM THE BLEACHERS doesn't shy away from tragedy. It revisits Roberto Clemente's final flight, lost delivering earthquake relief; the 1989 World Series, interrupted mid-game by the Loma Prieta earthquake; and Mike Piazza's home run in the first game back in New York after September 11th.

Alongside these stories of courage and catastrophe, the film celebrates baseball's enduring spirit: Lou Gehrig's farewell speech, Cal Ripken Jr.'s streak of 2,632 consecutive games, and the simple joy of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' echoing through a summer night.

Taken together, these moments aren't just baseball highlights — they're America's own history, told back to us in the language of the game. With unprecedented access to the Hall of Fame's private archive, BASEBALL: ECHOES FROM THE BLEACHERS is the first film able to tell that story this way.

The film is another part of the Museum's America 250 initiative throughout 2026.

About the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an independent nonprofit educational institution, dedicated to fostering an appreciation of the historical development of baseball and its impact on culture by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting its collections for a global audience as well as honoring those who have made outstanding contributions to the National Pastime. Opening its doors for the first time on June 12, 1939, the Hall of Fame has stood as the definitive repository of the game's treasures and as a symbol of the most profound individual honor bestowed on an athlete. It is every fan's 'Field of Dreams,' with its stories, legends and magic shared from generation to generation.

PBS special programming invites viewers to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. Viewer contributions are an important source of funding, making PBS programs possible. PBS and public television stations offer all Americans from every walk of life the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content.

About Copper Pot Pictures

Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker travel the world searching for stories. Since founding Copper Pot Pictures in 2007, the pair have produced and directed award-winning films and series on all platforms.

I Am Big Bird (Tribeca), their documentary about Caroll Spinney, who was Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for 50 years, played to sold-out crowds in theaters across the country and festivals around the world. Following their success with the film, the pair created The Zoo, a docuseries set at the Bronx Zoo, now streaming on HBO Max. Its instant popularity spawned two spinoffs: The Zoo: San Diego and The Aquarium.

In We Must Go (Gravitas), their documentary using soccer as a lens to view the Arab Spring, they embedded with the Egyptian National Football Team. In Exploring Planet Futbol, a globe-trotting soccer travelogue they created for Sports Illustrated, they journeyed from one end of Africa to the other to amplify unheard voices. In Don Bluth: Somewhere Out There, they wove intimate conversations into hundreds of hours of archive and home video to create a compelling portrait of an artist forced to contend with his own ego as he tries to strike a balance between commercial success and artistic integrity.

Their ability to bring nostalgia to life in ways that are both emotional and startlingly relevant through their use of archival footage is currently on display in Summer of 94, their documentary about the 1994 World Cup for Stand Together and Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment, which premiered at SXSW in March before being a centerpiece of Fox's World Cup 2026 coverage. Up next is Baseball: Echoes From The Bleachers, a PBS film showing how inextricably bound the game's history is to the story of America itself. The pair are also in post-production on The Animal Sanctuary, a dynamic wildlife rescue show set at Tasmania's Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, which will launch on Paramount Australia before a global rollout in 2026.

About Round the Horn

Round the Horn was founded by Griffin Gmelich and Dan McNamee. Gmelich is a seasoned entertainment executive with over two decades of experience in digital and physical distribution. An alumnus of Warner Bros. and Hulu, among others, Gmelich has also held executive positions in Content Licensing and Programming, and Business Development/Sales, and has launched six OTT channels, including Whistle TV and the Comedy Dynamics Network. EP credits include Down to Earth with Zac Efron and Life After.

Dan McNamee has been responsible for the development of several projects for Round The Horn, including Baseball Samurai and Hometown Heroes. He is an experienced branded consumer and retail executive, having served as CEO and President of several lower middle market companies, including leading Floyd's 99 Barbershops through a significant expansion phase.