by Jon Partridge
Pitch. Nope, its not another singing talent show, this is baseball, America’s favorite pastime (so they tell me). While not a watcher of the game, I’m a fan of A League of their Own, so a TV show showing the first woman in a men’s professional American sports league caught my attention. Direct from 2016 upfronts, ATX TV Festival aired the pilot for this new FOX show before it airs later this fall with stars Kylie Bunbury (Under the Dome) and Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Saved By the Bell) in attendance along with creator Rick Singer (American Dad) and executive producer Kevin Fells (The West Wing) for a Q&A after the screening.
Pitch tells the story of Ginny Baker, a girl who was raised by her father to become a baseball player. She is called up as pitcher by the San Diego Padres to become the first woman on their main roster, but more importantly the first woman to every play Major League Baseball. As if coping with the media spotlight wasn’t enough, Ginny also has to contend with an all male locker room and the preconceptions of both her teammates and the public. She finds support in veteran of the game and team captain Mike Lawson (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and draws inspirations from the lessons her father taught her growing up.
At its core, Pitch is a “dramedy” about the first female MLB baseball player. It paints an inspirational message but also drives home the idea that a good work, effort, and application are what can get you places. It’s a nice balance between the two, and while it occasionally veers towards the schmatlzy, it usually maintains a more somber tone and is the better for it.
The show does approach the concept in a thoughtful way. It admits the indisputable physical differences between a male and female player and has her play smarter, not harder. Ginny can’t hit 100 mph with her pitch but has been taught by her father to use some unorthodox pitches to make her effective. This upbringing is effectively weaved into the show through a series of flashbacks, a resource she often draws on when the pressure mounts as her career escalates. The show looks very polished, taking full advantage of its access to Petco Park, but some of the camerawork is far too shaky, becoming rather off-putting.
The real strength of the show comes from its two leads. Kylie Bunbury is compelling, a tough nut whom you can root for, although I hope they let her bring some more of her giddy charm to the show, as it was so evident and winning during the Q&A. The real surprise is a barely recognizable Gosselaar, buried under a beard his wife apparently hates. A gruff but undeniably charming straightshooter. If you have a favorite moment of the pilot, it will undeniably be a scene between the pair. Mo McRae and Meagan Holder have little to do but are compelling enough to root for more screentime. But the other supporting characters such as the Padres owner played by Bob Balaban, Ali Larter’s sports agent Amelia Slater, and Tim Jo’s media rep Eliot feel a little stereotypical or caricaturish. Apparently Elisabeth Shue will be part of the cast despite her not appearing in the pilot, so the signs are reassuring that the show will become a little more rounded out.
The series is being filmed in San Diego, California and will feature connections and images related to the San Diego Padres. There’s also footage of newscasters, replays, and media events that further add to the air of authenticity the show has. Often a show of this type fails because it seems a little unbelievable, a heightened reality, but the universe of Pitch is very grounded. If they keep this up and manage to keep developing the story in a realistic way, then Pitch should strike a chord with many viewers.
Q&A
- Rick Singer originally envisaged the story as a movie, but it was redrawn as a TV series after some convincing by Wells.
- The partnership with Fox was a smart one, with the network having the MLB license they were able to bring the two properties together allowing Pitch an unprecedented level of authenticity. This gives them access to footage, stadiums and uniforms, notably that of the San Diego Padres, the team featured in the show.
- The creative team chose this collaboration in favor of a “fictional world” citing the opportunities it gave such as being able to use American sportscaster Joe Buck to help “put you in this world.” Their license allows them to use professional baseball players and they will be shooting the All Star Game (taking place this year in San Diego) and have access to others. While they have a fictional team, the show will mix them with real characters.
- Kevin Falls said, about approaching MLB with the concept, said “There are certain topics MLB does not like to talk about” but “this is also the sport that broke the color barrier. I hope that with success we’ll be able to tackle those things that other sports run away from, because this will be a chance to get in front of certain issues.”
- The show will not feature as much actual baseball as the pilot, focusing more on the stories and relationships, but there will still be plenty of footage as “it’s very important to the show.”
- On staff they have Grey Olsen (Dodgers) and Royce Clayton, retired players who consult and help train the cast.
- Kylie Bunbury described her part as an “empowering role” and she “respected the resilience and focus” the character had, making taking the role an easy choice. She loved the fact that her character Ginny was “not a superhero, she’s a regular person who has a lot of focus.” Gosselaar said the script “hit him” with “elements that hit home” and he wanted to be a part of it, the story resonating moreso with him having two daughters. “It’s very rare that you get a script in television that you read and it just hits you, and you want to be a part of it.”
- Kylie Bunbury originally came in and read for 2 scenes; one the “slapass” scene and the other was a monologue recanting a scene that ends up in the pilot as a filmed flashback using a younger version of herself. There was no script when she came on board but they wanted to cast her part early to ensure whoever they chose would have time to train for the role.
- Bunbury’s father and brother are both professional soccer players, so she “got it” and threw herself into the role hard. She trained for 2 months, 3 days a week, in boxing, long tossing, and watching baseball.
- Gossellar says he was inspired by David Ross (Cubbs), Buster Posey, and the “look of Derrick Norris” to develop his character.
- Bunbury was asked how she felt young girls will react. Her response, “Just because something hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it can’t be done. I think it’s going to give them strength, and it’s really inspiring to see a woman, and also I’m a woman of color as well…this is the type of television that needs to be out.”
- Singer acknowledged the show’s importance to the younger generation. “The idea that some young girl could be sitting in her living room watching this and use it as inspiration…is an idea we thought would be amazing. It’s not just about whether you can make the major leagues, it’s whatever dreams you are going for. Dream big and go for it.“
As pilots go, Pitch has set some solid foundations for a show that could successfully merge entertainment with a strong social and inspirational message. The leads have a great chemistry and with the backing of MLB, the air of authenticity makes the show a more engaging prospect.
Pitch airs on Fox this fall.
Photo credit: Waytao Shing/Picturegroup