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Each fall, most of the broadcast and cable networks debut a ton of new shows in the span of a few months, making it difficult to sort out which ones to make time for and which to skip. So we’re starting the WIRED Pilot Program, where we highlight what you should continue watching, and what you can just let sit on your DVR until it automatically deletes. Today's entry: Pitch
The Show: Pitch (Thursdays, Fox)
The Premise: Ginny Baker (Kylie Bunbury), the first female pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball, is set to make her debut for the perpetually struggling San Diego Padres. She’s got a fearsome sports agent (Ali Larter) primed to take advantage of a possible superstar, an old-school manager hesitant to heed the desires of the front office, and a jaded catcher (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) who’s comfortable accepting adulation without doing much to alter the team’s chances of winning. Away from the limelight, her domineering father (Michael Beach) mercilessly hones her game, and flashbacks show how she got to be a major league talent. The series has the official blessing of MLB (Fox also broadcasts the playoffs ever year, which definitely helps), so the series has real locations, real logos, and cameos from real announcers and commentators like Joe Buck, Colin Cowherd, and the excellent Katie Nolan.
The Pilot Program Take: This fall marks the 10th anniversary of Friday Night Lights’ debut on NBC. In the intervening decade, there have been precious few sports series (The Game around football, Survivor’s Remorse around basketball) on the air, and nothing approaching the world of baseball. Pitch isn’t as polished out of the gate nor as ambitious as Jason Katims’ adaptation of Buzz Bissinger’s high school football book, but it’s at the epicenter of many conversations in the sports world about tolerance and equality.
Baseball is somewhat notorious for having a culture that reacts poorly to change, whether in style of play or the makeup of the league. Mo'ne Davis captured the country’s attention when she became the first girl to pitch and win for her Little League team while playing in the Little League World Series. Centering the show on a black woman becoming the first female major league pitcher—and marketing it as a “true story on the verge” hooks viewers from the outset.
And the series cleverly sidesteps the physical disadvantage to women competing with men on the baseball diamond by making Ginny a screwball specialist. Actual pitchers like R.A. Dickey and Tim Wakefield have held on for much longer than they should have because of the knuckleball—pitch masters are able to compete on account of their scarcity. It also builds in a backstory for Ginny and her father, whose grim tutelage didn’t nurture so much as forge Ginny’s talent in a crucible absent of any praise.
Perhaps the strangest thing about the pilot is that Mark-Paul Gosselar’s character is an aging star catcher. Most teams would shift a dependable star away from that position to the infield to protect his health. He needs to be there to converse with Ginny, and his character’s turnaround near the end of the pilot is one of the best scenes. But it’s the one moment where the show lets verisimilitude dip just a little bit.
The Verdict: There hasn't been a sports drama on a major broadcast network for many years, and Pitch deserves attention as it starts its story. The twist at the end of the pilot is the biggest emotional ploy in an episode that traffics in extremes. But it’s a strong underpinning for why Ginny turns out the way she does. There’s a lot of locker room consternation about how to deal with a woman—seeing her prepare in a dingy space separated from the team is an example of how ill-equipped professional sports is to deal with movement toward equality. There’s also some unnecessary scheming from Larter’s sports agent and the young general manager of the Padres. But there’s promise here, and a natural narrative arc that follows the baseball season and teases out plots with Ginny’s former teammate from AAA, her relationship with friends and family, and how the league reacts to her abilities.
TL;DR: Give this one three episodes before deciding whether or not Pitch is for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0wLCGwYZ3g
