Signs of the Time is a 60-minute documentary on the origin of hand signals in baseball. There are several myths in regards to how signals were started, and the film addresses some of the mysteries that led to umpires giving hand-signals to call plays in the field, base coaches to relay hand signals to players on the field, and catchers to relay hand signals to pitchers.
Plot
Baseball of the 19th century was America's most popular spectator sport. Professional teams like the 1889 Brooklyn Bridegrooms drew nearly a half a million fans per season. Thousands of fans attended some of the earliest known games, but without the benefit of the signals on the diamond to tell them what was happening on the field. There were no signals for strike, safe, out or foul and no announcer to interpret the game. Prior to the invention of baseball signs, the only signal was the umpire's voice, often drowned out by the roar of thousands of excited fans. Signs of the Time explores the origins of this innovation and the baseball pioneers that changed the course of the game and history.
Signs of the Time (Live) is the live album/DVD by Mob Rules, released in 2005.
Recorded June 18, 2004 at Pumpwerk Wilhelmshaven, Germany • Engineered by Markus Teske & Sascha Onnen • Mixed and mastered by Markus Teske, Bazement Studio • Filmed by ROAX-Films Directed by Ronald Mattes & Alexander Max Braune • Live Sound: Uli Thiessen • Lights: Bastian Strauss • Monitoring: Andreas Schulz Animation: Timo Blazycsek • DVD-Authoring: Frank • KnöllnerPhotos: Susanne Pramschiefer • Artwork: Thomas Ewerhard
Track listing
Signs of the Time may refer to:
Mob Rules are a German power metal band. They were founded in 1994 by erstwhile Van Blanc guitarist Matthias Mineur and bassist Thorsten Plorin. Pulling in vocalist Klaus Dirks and drummer Arved Mannott, the quartet began to gig. Opening slots included shows with Pink Cream 69, C.I.T.A. and Crossroads.
During the Spring of 1996 Mob Rules added second guitarist Oliver Fuhlhage and a self-financed mini album prompted a deal with Limb Music Productions for the March 1999 Savage Land. The reaction in Europe was encouraging and the band toured Germany on a co-headline jaunt with Ivory Tower. Other shows witnessed valuable support slots to Overkill and Scorpions as well as an appearance at the Wacken Open Air festival in 2000.
In 2000, the band released their second album Temple of Two Suns, Thomas Rettke of Heavens Gate and Susanne Möhle of Heavens Gate and Hyperchild providing backing vocals. Live work had the band crossing Europe in 2001 with Company of Snakes.
Mob Rules then returned to live action during July 2002 acting as support to Savatage, topping this activity off with an appearance at the Wacken Open Air festival. The band's third album arrived in September 2002 Hollowed Be Thy Name. Guests include Peavy Wagner of Rage on the track "How the Gypsy Was Born" and ex-Helloween guitarist Roland Grapow on both "All Above the Atmosphere" and "Way of the World".