By Janay Boone
Managing Editor
Mo’ne Davis took the world by storm at the Little League World Series. Two years later, television has finally made a show about women in baseball.
Fox’s Pitch stars Kylie Bunbury (Under the Dome) as Ginny Baker, the first female baseball player to make it to the major league. Baker’s a talented pitcher who’s called up from the minors to fill the fifth spot in the San Diego Padres’ rotation.
The first episode explores a little of her backstory, including how her father (Michael Beach) spent long hours teaching her to not only throw but also to never give up on their shared dream of baseball greatness. Unfortunately, his constant demand for practice and perfection led to Ginny feeling resentful over the fact that she didn’t have a normal childhood or close friends.
Episode one also introduces the colorful characters that pack the Padres clubhouse, led by Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Mike Lawson. Lawson’s an all-star catcher whose job it becomes to not only settle Ginny’s nerves on the field but also back her up in the clubhouse. Obviously, being the first female player to venture into this all-male club upsets the applecart, so she’s fortunate to have center fielder like Blip Sanders (Mo McRae) in her corner. The two became friends during their days in the minors, and Blip’s wife Evelyn (Meagan Holder) is one of Ginny’s few confidants. Also, in Ginny’s corner is her take-no-prisoners agent, played by Ali Larter. Larter chews the scenery as Amelia Slater, a passionate, dedicated, and determined agent who left Hollywood to dedicate herself to just one client: Ginny.
“Pitch” doesn’t shy away from sports-movie clichés, including Ginny’s skeptical teammates when she’s called up by the San Diego Padres, some of who see her as a seat-filling gimmick. There are also dollops of casual sexism and a first mound appearance that goes well beyond rookie jitters.
Pitch was made with the support of Major League Baseball, so it’s also highly unlikely we’ll be seeing anything controversial incorporated into the storylines. San Diego’s Petco Park is actually being used to film the series.
Bunbury’s Ginny is more than just a ground-breaking baseball player who’s given #43 to wear because it’s one number up from Jackie Robinson’s retired number. Thanks to Bunbury’s performance,there’s a lot of emotional depth to the character thanks, and she completely draws in the audience, getting them to root for Ginny to overcome all odds. Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s a surprising choice to play catcher, but it works well, and best of all, the chemistry between Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Kylie Bunbury is evident from their first onscreen meeting.
Pitch has an intriguing setup and a terrific cast. It also has a lot of heart along with some decent baseball sequences. It’s impossible to tell from just one episode, but with a new series like Pitch, Fox has the potential to hit one out of the park.
