Smack!
You hear the sound of a catcher’s mitt from your seat in the stands of your favorite MLB team. You look up from your peanuts and cracker jacks to see… a woman on the mound. Now, to many avid baseball fans this image may seem to be one of pure fantasy. There has never been a woman who pitched in the major leagues of professional baseball in the United States. Many fans would have trouble even picturing this feat.
Well, FOX is changing all of that with their show Pitch. Well, sort of. Pitch is a work of fantasy. But, it is nonetheless fascinating. It has all the drama and excitement that other TV shows have to offer, so even non-sports fans could find enjoyment in this wonderful series.
The show revolves around Genevieve "Ginny" Baker, the first ever female baseball player in the MLB. She is well renowned for her tricky “screwball” pitch. Ginny gets called up from the minor leagues by the San Diego Padres who drafted her out of high school.
Of course, a change as big as the first female baseball player is drama enough, but there is plenty of other events that come along to shake up Ginny’s already exciting life. These are usually caused by those closest to her, her friends and family,
She is haunted by her father, who has pushed her relentlessly to get to this level. This causes some resentment, and some heavy drama. Other characters include Blip Sanders, a close friend to GInny during her time in the minor leagues. Blip plays right field for the Padres now and is someone Ginny turns to in troubling times. There is also the enigmatic Mike Lawson, the veteran captain and catcher for the Padres. He may be cocky and arrogant, but he also backs it up. Additional characters include Oscar Arguella, a former player and scout turned general manger, as well as Al Luongo, the manager of the Padres.
One other major player in this series is not a baseball player at all, it is Ginny’s agent, Amerlia Slater. Amelia definitely pushes the “girl power” vibe. She is yet another strong female character in a series that is chocked full of them. Slater is another person who pushes Ginny when it seems she has nothing left to give, as well as handles her image for the public. This is no easy job when you represent a superstar.
Pitch pushes the boundaries of what we know in sport, and though the world that Ginny Baker lives in is fictional. I believe that it is only fictional for now, at some point in the future we may truly see a female in the big leagues. So, if you want a taste of the future, take a look at Pitch on FOX.
