Filmmaker Burns visits AT&T Park

SAN FRANCISCO -- There's probably no way Ken Burns wouldn't stop by the ballpark when he's in town.

Burns is the Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and documentarian whose work includes the nine-part "Baseball" series released in 1994 and updated with "10th Inning" in 2010. He took a break from the Public Broadcasting System's annual meeting that's headquartered at a downtown hotel to toss Tuesday night's honorary first pitch before the Braves-Giants game.

Burns also took care of some business while visiting AT&T Park. He stopped by the Giants clubhouse to check in with the legendary Willie Mays, who attends most home games. Burns plans to interview Mays for a documentary on baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson. The two-part series will be released next year or early in 2016, Burns said.

Burns, 60, said that though he was born in Brooklyn and thus "had affection for" the Dodgers, Mays remains his favorite ballplayer.

"It doesn't matter where you're from. There's nobody better," Burns said, citing Mays' combination of "power, speed, intelligence [and] instinct."