Hulu Summary: Pitch is the dramatic and inspirational story of a young pitcher who becomes the first woman to play Major League Baseball. A beautiful, tough and gifted athlete, Ginny Baker is vaulted into instant fame when she’s called up by the San Diego Padres to make her Major League debut.
FYA Summary:
Ginny Baker fulfills her lifelong dream of playing professional baseball while under an enormous amount of scrutiny as the first woman in the MLB. She’s faced with having to prove herself as the new rookie on the team while navigating the gender politics of being the only woman in the locker room and on the field. With an old friend on the team, and her agent by her side, Ginny is urged to make the most of her new promotion and sudden fame, while also just wanting to be one of the guys.
Familiar Faces:
Kylie Bunbury as Ginny Baker
Previously in Game Night and When They See Us, and soon to be in Brave New World, Bunbury is simultaneously luminous and kickass as Ginny. She has angst and humor and phenomenal chemistry with her costars.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Mike Lawson
Mike Lawson is an infamous womanizer and the old man on the team (because 36 is old in baseball) and becomes Ginny’s reluctant mentor. But in a hot way. Cranky bearded MPG is the best MPG. Most recently in The Passage (which I actually really liked) and Mixed-Ish, MPG will be reprising his famous Zach Morris role in the Saved By the Bell reunion series.
Mark Consuelos as Oscar Arguella
Luckily, Consuelos looks almost as good in a suit as he does shirtless on Riverdale. Oscar is the General Manager of the team and helps give us that inside baseball perspective.
Mo McRae as Blip Sanders
Blip has known Ginny since their minor league days and he plays a crucial role in providing her with a surrogate family in San Diego as well as helping her fit in on the team.
Ali Larter as Amelia Slater
Amelia is Ginny’s bulldog agent who is determined to help her cash in on this moment, and protect her brand. She’s not always right, but she’s always protective. You’ll remember Larter from her greatest hits: Legally Blonde, Varsity Blues, Heroes, and most recently, The Rookie.
Dan Lauria as Al Luongo
Dan Lauria has been in a million things, but he is the dad from The Wonder Years, the end. As Al, he’s the team manager for the Padres and has an old school sensibility that requires some adjusting to having a girl in his clubhouse. But you should never underestimate him.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Bases Loaded
Pitch was brought to us by the guy who makes This Is Us and wrote Tangled. So, it’s practically a family show (if your kids are good with some network approved sex scenes). There’s sports, and yet it passes the Bechdel test as well as the shipping test (you know, when you yell “OMG, KISS” every time a couple is on screen). Ginny’s story is inspiring and empowering and her struggles and the people in her life are relatable. I can’t imagine who wouldn’t enjoy this show.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: It’s the Great American Pastime
And by that, I mean beer. Your cocktail shakers and your champers have no place here. When we’re talking about baseball, I’m afraid it has to be cans and longnecks or gtfo. And while you’re at it, throw in some of those nachos with the radioactive looking cheese sauce. Those are the best.
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Home Run
Pitch feels like it was made for this moment, when we’re actually talking more about how important diverse casting and representation is. It’s a thrill to see a show centered on a character like Ginny Baker, and for it to acknowledge what it would mean to so many young girls to get to see a woman break down these barriers. This is a fantastic first season of television that will leave you wanting more.
Between its stellar cast and its female lead in a male-dominated world, Pitch was simply a show ahead of its time. It was well-received, but without an easy way for people to stream episodes during and shortly after the season, it was hard for new viewers to jump onboard, even if everyone was talking about it. The premature cancellation was heartbreaking, but now that it’s finally streaming on Hulu, who knows? Renewed interest could get the ball rolling on a revival of this show. If you saw the new streaming promo, you know the cast are in if we are. It’s not too late to join the team!
