S01.E06: Wear It

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

Ginny feels the pressure after signing a huge deal with Nike, which leads to a wild night of rebellion and a mandatory session with her therapist.

[Enero]

Great episode! Now this is what the show should be. This IMHO was the best episode of the season. KB is mesmerizing.  

Ginny is just too isolated, which basically led to her going off the reservation. It's unfortunate that she lost everyone she cared about due to baseball even the opportunity to go to college and have some of the sewing her wild oats experiences that she had in this episode.  Thank goodness the waitress she met was actually a descent person. Unfortunately, if that situation was real life the video either would've ended up all over the internet or as a tool to blackmail her for money. Hopefully this won't be the last we'll see of Ginny working through her emotionally challenges with being the first female in the MLB. 

Who else thought that when the coach told Ginny they weren't talking about the video of her jumping into the pool but another video that it was about the pictures etc.that got hacked from her ex's phone? Nice redherring.

Amelia blowing up Eliot's phone when Ginny went missing was hilarious, but I enjoyed getting a little insight into him, and for the first time I enjoyed the back office conversations with the GM, Coach and Unknown Guy (who is he?), discussing how to handle the difficulties Ginny was having with the game and her disappearing act.

Good advice from Mike's ex. 

This episode might bring me back next week. I'm not crazy about the naked picture scandal if that's what it's going to be, but I am mildly curious to see how they resolve the issue in one episode. RME. LOL.

Edited November 4, 2016 by Enero

[mtlchick]

For those coming off the euphoria of one of the biggest games of all times last night (congrats to the Cubs) expecting more baseball were probably really disappointed.  

"I am...not going to leave because I want to hear the rest of it."  HA!  I love that she didn't do the trope of leaving the room and stayed to listen.  

I get the feeling that Ginny never had a day to be crazy and wild (within reason) as she was so focused on baseball.  It was nice to see her let loose and let down her guard in several ways and finally admitting outloud that things were getting to her.  Cara was pretty damn nice to delete it off her phone...I don't think some would have been as charitable if they had the chance. I hope this will toughen her up about the selfies being leaked.

Finally I wonder how Nike and New Balance felt when they got the script.  New Balance: "She likes us!  US! YAYAYAY!!!" Nike "So we signed her! Woot--aw damn it, she prefers them?  We would have felt a bit better if it was Reebok!" 

[scenicbyway]

I really like this show but I wasn't a fan of the episode.  I think it's great that there's a real depth to her character but, Ginny is a train wreck.  How did she get that far into a career with no support system?  Blip and his wife seem to be her only real friends.  She's distanced herself from her family.  And it seems like what sent her off on her night of drinking beer and playing games at a house party was that she was jealous of Mike and Amelia?  Really?  

There obviously needs to be scene between Mike and Ginny where they decide to go for it or not (probably not since its season 1).  But the whole front office and her agent made it seem like she'd had a wild night in Vegas when it was really a small party at a house.  Talk about way overblown.  And how did the waitress give Amelia the video?  Did they track her down?  Will Ginny ever see her again?

[marina to]

I really like that we got to see Ginny get some cracks. When we first started watching the video, I thought they were going to work the whole "oh no, she looks like a lesbian" so I'm glad that didn't happen. Really looking forward to see what they do with this.

[In2You]

I'm tired of the constant drama of Ginny's life  that doesnt even correlate with baseball. If she's such a fragile mess how did she get this far? Because year one of the minors would've broken her down. And next week we have to deal with stupid nude picture nonsense.

[marina to]

8 minutes ago, scenicbyway said:

I really like this show but I wasn't a fan of the episode.  I think it's great that there's a real depth to her character but, Ginny is a train wreck.  How did she get that far into a career with no support system?  Blip and his wife seem to be her only real friends.  She's distanced herself from her family.  And it seems like what sent her off on her night of drinking beer and playing games at a house party was that she was jealous of Mike and Amelia?  Really?  

And how did the waitress give Amelia the video?  Did they track her down?  Will Ginny ever see her again?

I didn't see it as being jealous of Mike and Amelia. She was pissed because Mike knew she had a panic attack because she had called Amelia. That wasn't something she wanted him to know. Amelia had been her support system and now she couldn't trust it anymore.

The waitress had driven Ginny to the ballpark and waited for her to wake up. Pretty sure Amelia or someone from the team was there waiting for them. I hope Ginny sees her again. I really liked her.

[marina to]

4 minutes ago, In2You said:

I'm tired of the constant drama of Ginny's life  that doesnt even correlate with baseball. If she's such a fragile mess how did she get this far? Because year one of the minors would've broken her down. And next week we have to deal with stupid nude picture nonsense.

I don't see her as fragile. She pointed out that she wasn't the first woman to play professional ball so she wouldn't have gotten the kind of reaction she's dealing with now before. I remember reading about Jackie Robinson's experience. There's a lot of pressure in being the first and the show nailed it when she talked about how there was her and then there's this other thing that is so much bigger than her. How many people can go throw that kind of pressure unscathed?

I don't think they're nude pictures but they are pictures of her with a player on a rival team. That's going to be enough to make the tabloids crazy. 

[In2You]

1 minute ago, marina to said:

 

I don't think they're nude pictures but they are pictures of her with a player on a rival team. That's going to be enough to make the tabloids crazy. 

They said in the promo they're nude photos of her. Tabloids wouldnt go crazy over her simply dating a rival player.

[enlightenedbum]

This is a show I want to like, but the writing is so bad.  I like the idea and the performances a lot, but I'm not sure how long I can put up with this hokey nonsense.

[DearEvette]

Oh I liked that we got this episode, the look at how the immense pressure and stress is affecting Ginny's mental health.

There is so much expectation placed on her and the show has made a point of showing that Ginny had not been 100% committed to making baseball her future. With her father dying at the time he did and the way he did it seemed to push her into this path and a decision she made while she was still grieving. 

An even tho Evelyn and Blip are friends, that aren't there primarily for her.  I also think that the Amelia/Mike thing isn't as simple as jealousy.  Amelia was the one person there that was solely hers.  And when she hooked up with Mike she wasn't just Ginny's anymore.  Ginny already lives in a fishbowl and has very little freedom of movement, to have even something as simple as a midnight phone call over a panic attack become something that becomes 'known' is just a further example of that.

So I can see why she feels the walls closing with an added dash of imposter's syndrome plus the sheer exhaustion of having to watch everything you say and do all the time.  I imagine that newbie pro athletes wild out all the time with something similar to this but  the conversation around athlete behavior doesn't trend toward mental/emotional stresses.

I loved the scene in the office where they showed her the crying in the bathtub and how they actually seemed compassionate, even Oscar.  And Ginny's face just dropped and she let herself admit she needed help. 

I hope that if Rita Wilson doesn't return, they at least allude to the fact that she is staying in therapy.

[Enero]

10 minutes ago, marina to said:

I don't see her as fragile. She pointed out that she wasn't the first woman to play professional ball so she wouldn't have gotten the kind of reaction she's dealing with now before. I remember reading about Jackie Robinson's experience. There's a lot of pressure in being the first and the show nailed it when she talked about how there was her and then there's this other thing that is so much bigger than her. How many people can go throw that kind of pressure unscathed?

I don't think they're nude pictures but they are pictures of her with a player on a rival team. That's going to be enough to make the tabloids crazy. 

Yep. And I don't think it's the game that's breaking her down but this megastar status she's achieved practically overnight. She was known in the minors and when she was playing for a local team but I'm gathering this is the first time she's had this type of publicity where she can't go to the bathroom without a camera being there. Add in that she's the first female player to make the majors and she starts to crack. Anyone would.

I also agree that her issue with Mike and Amelia was more about trust being broken and perhaps not having the one person who was hers alone - her confidant, friend, agent, biggest supporter, having someone else to give her attention to. For how many years has Amelia been pretty much Ginny's all? And now she had to share her with Mike. Her response was a bit immature, but I could see where her head might be on this. 

33 minutes ago, marina to said:

I really like that we got to see Ginny get some cracks. When we first started watching the video, I thought they were going to work the whole "oh no, she looks like a lesbian" so I'm glad that didn't happen. Really looking forward to see what they do with this.

I thought they were going to show her doing drugs. It's no secret that illicit drug use is quite prevalent in Major League Baseball. Thankfully they didn't go that route either. Though they could go down that path if the show lasts for more than one season. 

[marina to]

10 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Oh I liked that we got this episode, the look at how the immense pressure and stress is affecting Ginny's mental health.

There is so much expectation placed on her and the show has made a point of showing that Ginny had not been 100% committed to making baseball her future. With her father dying at the time he did and the way he did it seemed to push her into this path and a decision she made while she was still grieving. 

An even tho Evelyn and Blip are friends, that aren't there primarily for her.  I also think that the Amelia/Mike thing isn't as simple as jealousy.  Amelia was the one person there that was solely hers.  And when she hooked up with Mike she wasn't just Ginny's anymore.  Ginny already lives in a fishbowl and has very little freedom of movement, to have even something as simple as a midnight phone call over a panic attack become something that becomes 'known' is just a further example of that.

So I can see why she feels the walls closing with an added dash of imposter's syndrome plus the sheer exhaustion of having to watch everything you say and do all the time.  I imagine that newbie pro athletes wild out all the time with something similar to this but  the conversation around athlete behavior doesn't trend toward mental/emotional stresses.

I loved the scene in the office where they showed her the crying in the bathtub and how they actually seemed compassionate, even Oscar.  And Ginny's face just dropped and she let herself admit she needed help. 

I hope that if Rita Wilson doesn't return, they at least allude to the fact that she is staying in therapy.

There's all kinds of stories of players going nuts when they first get to the show. And there's tons of impostor syndrome. Read Dirk Hayhurst's Out of My League, which goes into this in depth.

[SnoGirl]

I really thought this whole episode was going to come down to her father's death because of the breaking glass in the ad for Ginny. And I kinda wish she had spoken up, or Amelia had and pointed out that yes, Ginny was breaking the glass ceiling for Women in Baseball but it might not be the most appropriate considering her past.

Speaking of her past, this is the first episode we haven't seen flashbacks to Ginny's past right? I know the whole episode was a flashback, but it wasn't flashing back to when she was a teen. They could slow down on them, I definitely didnt miss them.

Anyone know how old Ginny is? She's definitely at least 21 because she drinks but I'm confused on the timeline. She didn't go to college, but she's not 18. Did she spend three years in the minors?

I hope Mike chooses to be single for awhile, and I hope Amelia doesn't fall back into his bed. Mike and Amelia were idiots this episode about Ginny. Amelia even pointed out that Ginny was upset with her and Mike but yet she went over in the hoodie, and Mike mentioned the panic attack. That being said, I hope Ginny tells Mike about her breakdown.  I think he needs to know whats going on so he can be a good friend in the storm.

That was totally Angie from Agent Carter as the waitress friend. I hope she comes back, Ginny needs a friend. She watched out for Ginny all night, she seems like good people.

[Primetimer]

A lucrative endorsement deal leads to a social-media meltdown for our hero while Sarah D. Bunting wonders what the BFD is about a little Roomba beer pong.

View the full article

[DaBigDave]

OMG. you are right - this would be much better if Mike Schur were writing it. Also, the Stat Nerd jokes would be much better. And maybe Ginny could do an ad for the Law Firm of Babip, Pecota, Vorp and Eckstein.

And yeah - sports psychologists are not new. I remember back during the World Series, when John Smoltz credited his mental approach and dealing with stress to his psychologist.

The 1991 World Series.

[Moose135]

26 minutes ago, SnoGirl said:

Anyone know how old Ginny is? She's definitely at least 21 because she drinks but I'm confused on the timeline. She didn't go to college, but she's not 18. Did she spend three years in the minors?

I believe she is around 23 - I think she spent 5 years in the minors after high school before being called up.  And if I remember, in tonight's episode, she said she was the same age as the waitress, who had just graduated college.

Edited November 4, 2016 by Moose135

[Jediknight]

30 minutes ago, marina to said:

There's all kinds of stories of players going nuts when they first get to the show. And there's tons of impostor syndrome. Read Dirk Hayhurst's Out of My League, which goes into this in depth.

Yeah, the Majors are a whole different other animal.  There's countless stories of athletes in all sports dominating in college, getting to the pros, and they fall apart under the pressure.  And Ginny has the weight of the universe on her shoulders, so yeah, there are going to be cracks, but it's how she deals with it.

I liked that Al and Oscar seemed more concerned for Ginny's well being than about her career right away.  Oscar immediately recognized a problem, and wanted to find a way to stop that party, and Al seemed to agree with him.  And then later, they both didn't get pissed about what Ginny was doing and how it would hurt the team, they were worried about Ginny.

Here's hoping we see Cara again, because Ginny needs a friend outside of baseball.

[marina to]

1 hour ago, DaBigDave said:

 And maybe Ginny could do an ad for the Law Firm of Babip, Pecota, Vorp and Eckstein.

I have a bunch of people on my website that would hire that firm in a heartbeat. Although they'd want to make Eckstein pay for Aaron Hill first.

[Password]

I am just more and more endeared to Ginny and surprisingly Amelia in this episode. 

I love when women are allowed to show their feelings, and talk about what's bothering them. I love that she was angry at Amelia and Mike. I like that she broke down in the bath tub send the girl she was with was decent. The pressure is enormous on Ginny and she really needs her "person" or "people" to be there with her. 

I like that Amelia said she wasn't waiting for a thank you from Ginny and then Eliot said the same thing. 

I am so here for the scandal. I eve forgot about it and was momentarily surprised. Ginny is unbelievably strong, but fragile at the same time. I can't wait to see what happens :D

[marina to]

1 hour ago, PreviouslyTV said:

A lucrative endorsement deal leads to a social-media meltdown for our hero while Sarah D. Bunting wonders what the BFD is about a little Roomba beer pong.View the full article

Quote

Manager Al is obliged to explain to the pitcher and catcher who work there already that she's "got to eat some innings" because the bullpen got "wiped out" yesterday.

Quote

 

 

 

Wow, I find myself disagreeing with so many things in all Sarah Bunting's reviews.

Why does the writer think it's a BFD Ginny's being told she has to eat innings? We hear that same stuff ad nauseam on game broadcasts. It felt completely natural to me, a dedicated baseball fan, and it's important information for those who don't watch. So why dump on it?  

[colorbars]

This was probably my favorite episode of the season so far. Maybe it's Nikita/Lyndsy Fonseca fan in me, but I think I just enjoyed this plot for Ginny, and Kylie knocked it out of the park.

I personally love seeing her cracking under the pressure and navigating the emotional part of everything, too. There needs to be character building and development outside of just baseball and her dynamic with her teammates, otherwise the show would get stale fast. The best Friday Night Lights scenes had nothing to do with football. Seeing Ginny struggling and having doubts like this just ups the stakes.

Anyways, it was really fun to see Ginny letting loose and I was so happy to see Cara was a genuinely good person who was looking out for Ginny. I definitely expected her to end up as some bad influence that ended up screwing her over in one way or another, but I was very happy to be wrong. I really hope we see her again, because Ginny could really use a friend that's completely removed from anything that has to do with baseball. She doesn't have to have wild nights like that, but surely there's a middle ground in there for her to just have a regular friend.

[In2You]

Friday Night Lights did a much better job of highlighting football than this show does baseball though. I'm not even a football fan but that show dud a great job portraying the intensity of the actual game while also showcasing it's characters every day drama. Each episode of Pitch seems to move further and further away from baseball and they have yet to capture the intensity of one game.

[Nanrad]

4 hours ago, scenicbyway said:

I really like this show but I wasn't a fan of the episode.  I think it's great that there's a real depth to her character but, Ginny is a train wreck.  How did she get that far into a career with no support system?  Blip and his wife seem to be her only real friends.  She's distanced herself from her family.  And it seems like what sent her off on her night of drinking beer and playing games at a house party was that she was jealous of Mike and Amelia?  Really?  

There obviously needs to be scene between Mike and Ginny where they decide to go for it or not (probably not since its season 1).  But the whole front office and her agent made it seem like she'd had a wild night in Vegas when it was really a small party at a house.  Talk about way overblown.  And how did the waitress give Amelia the video?  Did they track her down?  Will Ginny ever see her again?

1. Ginny has a support system, but it is incredibly small. When she got scouted and sent into the minors, she had a brother and the attention was very much small. And then, she had Amelia and her brother was probably still around as well, but the attention wasn't nearly as intense now that she is in the majors. Just about in any field when you gain access to fame as such as quick pace, many are bound to crack and do. Ginny has been compartmentalizing and reached her breaking point due to too many things overlapping and her career is simultaneously overwhelming and becoming less surreal and more real. Then she and Mike stared becoming friends, but after initially asking them if something was going on, they denied it, which led to her down spiral: almost nothing in Ginny's life isn't centered around baseball even if appears so. 

Ginny isn't jealous of Amelia and Mike, she feels betrayed and further isolated because she can't just be a regular person, she feels like transaction for help them build a brand or win a title.

2. Ginny is the first woman in the MLB--everything she does is going to be overblown and it is the responsibility of the front office to act according to the reaction of the media. They're basically acknowledge that no one would care if she were a man, but she's not. The waitress could've sent it to Amelia sometime before Ginny woke up, and then deleted it off of the cloud and her phone. 

3 hours ago, In2You said:

I'm tired of the constant drama of Ginny's life  that doesnt even correlate with baseball. If she's such a fragile mess how did she get this far? Because year one of the minors would've broken her down. And next week we have to deal with stupid nude picture nonsense.

The minors and majors are two very different things when it comes to the attention player receive. Ginny received relatively little attention in comparison to what she gets as a woman int he MLB. She got away with not having a major support system and compartmentalizing, but now the whole world is watching and everyone wants something from her--it doesn't make her a fragile mess. She's probably used to lying about how she feels because people would use it against her to prove she doesn't have the emotional toughness to be there, but at the same time, as Mike said in ep 2, no one is going through what she is going through at that moment. Mike can say almost whatever or do whatever he wants, but Ginny can't. 

[Password]

@Nanrad all the up votes!!

[Bwill3133]

I really liked this episode. Kylie Bunbury is so good and I'm glad she's the lead. I also have a soft spot for Lyndsy Fonseca so I was happy to see her as Cara. I hope she comes back because clearly Ginny needs some friends. She was bound to snap at some point due to all the pressure. It was nice to see the upper management worried more about Ginny's health. 

I assume we haven't seen the last of Mike's ex-wife? I have a feeling she will be back in his bed soon. 

[colorbars]

2 hours ago, In2You said:

Friday Night Lights did a much better job of highlighting football than this show does baseball though. I'm not even a football fan but that show dud a great job portraying the intensity of the actual game while also showcasing it's characters every day drama. Each episode of Pitch seems to move further and further away from baseball and they have yet to capture the intensity of one game.

I don't get how it's moved further away from baseball when this is the first episode where the main plot wasn't really baseball centric? Sure there wasn't a baseball game last episode, but it was all about the trade deadline, which is a huge part of baseball. Every other episode has been entirely baseball centric.

[In2You]

4 hours ago, colorbars said:

I don't get how it's moved further away from baseball when this is the first episode where the main plot wasn't really baseball centric? Sure there wasn't a baseball game last episode, but it was all about the trade deadline, which is a huge part of baseball. Every other episode has been entirely baseball centric.

The trade deadline episode was all about Ginn not losing a best friend.  She wasn't even up for trade and frankly Blip never really was either.  So we were seeing the sides of those who weren't affected. 

[DearEvette]

I thought it was a nice insight to the back office (or rather front office) dealings of baseball, though.  So even if the action wasn't on the field, it was still very baseball.  And by making Blip & Ginny the the central focus it gave an emotional investment into it through Ginny.  But I have to say I learned about the whole trade stuff and it wasn't something that I'd have thought of at all.  And it created a jumping off point for me to come here and ask questions.

Kind like how this episode opened my eyes to the whole mental health issue that surrounds this sort of transition into fame.  I am used to seeing movie stars/ teen pop stars etc break down but I never thought about that for professional sports.  Maybe it is because most of what I see in passing for athletes who do act out it the headline just seems to be about them doing something bad in a club without any additional context then "oh another athlete is fighting at a club."

[biakbiak]

I loved Blip's surprised "Whaaaa?.." when Ginny alludes to Mike and Amelia at the party and his wife responded "she knows we know!" and he dropped the fake puzzled expression.

[Password]

2 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I loved Blip's surprised "Whaaaa?.." when Ginny alludes to Mike and Amelia at the party and his wife responded "she knows we know!" and he dropped the fake puzzled expression.

I cannot express how much I enjoy Blip, and Evelyn. They are such a fantastic couple with their terrible, fake reactions. But Blip just killed me with his "whaaaaaa".

[colorbars]

On 11/4/2016 at 9:30 AM, In2You said:

The trade deadline episode was all about Ginn not losing a best friend.  She wasn't even up for trade and frankly Blip never really was either.  So we were seeing the sides of those who weren't affected. 

Did it not focus a lot on the politics and pressures of the trades, with Oscar running around and trying to work things out, the players worrying about having to uproot their lives and losing their friends, etc? That episode was entirely focused on baseball and the team dynamics and relationships they form. Just because they also involved character and relationship development in there doesn't make it any less baseball focused. If you're expecting the show to take place mostly on the field during actual games, yeah, you're going to be disappointed, but it's a TV show that requires some human focus because otherwise nobody is going to care much, and so far I think the show has done a great job showcaseing all different aspects that come with being involved in the major leagues.

Edited November 6, 2016 by colorbars

[tennisgurl]

I admit, I wanted to see a little more baseball action to keep riding my Cubs high (Go Cubs Go!), but I really liked this one, even without much action. I loved getting more into Ginny's head, and seeing more of how all this is affecting her. I really cant blame her for feeling so stressed out, and wanting to escape her high profile life to be a normal 20 something for awhile. I mean, that add was comparing her to President Obama for Gods sake! No wonder she`s feeling pressured! I would find it weird if we never saw her getting a therapist or having a bit of a break down. Honestly, if Ginny's worst break down is jumping into a pool in an expensive dress and crying in a bath tub, I feel like she is holding it together better than a lot of people her age in her kind of situation. 

Hey, its Angie from Agent Carter! Weird seeing her in jeans after getting used to her in 40s clothes. She really has that "fun and funky waitress who befriends a lonely woman in a high stress job" thing down to an art. I was so worried that she was using her, or would post that video of her and Ginny in the bathroom, but she was actually a nice person after all! I hope we see her again, Ginny needs a friend who isn't involved in the baseball world.  

Evelyn and Blip are such a cute couple. Their mutual fake "whaaaaaats" were hilarious. And I am glad we got more of Amelia's assistant and his life and how he feels about leaving the original company with Amelia. I wonder why he decided to follow her? 

Have I mentioned my Cubs high yet? Because I have been skipping around all day, and I am looking forward to this show filling my baseball fix!

[rippleintime17]

Booo, this episode hasn't been added to Amazon yet (I have a season pass, since I don't have cable). What the heck, Amazon! 

[Nanrad]

16 hours ago, In2You said:

The trade deadline episode was all about Ginn not losing a best friend.  She wasn't even up for trade and frankly Blip never really was either.  So we were seeing the sides of those who weren't affected. 

Here's how I understand the show: it's about how Ginny navigates being the first female player in the MLB both professional and personally. It's not that baseball is just a background, but rather, there are many things to explore beyond being on the field. IMO, the show is more about Ginny's emotional/mental journey after she was brought up to the majors, rather than being about baseball. This is why we get so many flashbacks into her upbringing--we're shown her journey to the big leagues as well as her complicated relationship with it. Many athletes, especially women, have to sacrifice A LOT just to get where they are. In this hypothetical 'first female pitcher' situation, it is unrealistic to completely ignore or not even focus on the the hurdles she'll encounter, including media attention AND scrutiny she'll receive. If you know anything about the sexist questions when are ask and the difference in how they are criticized as professional athletes, it makes complete sense for the series to navigate it the way they have. Because the selling point of this show is how Ginny is affected and deals with these situations considering her unique situation.

Honestly, I'm invested in Ginny's emotional journey whether that be on the field, baseball culture overall, and her personal life. 

Because, yeah, I love seeing her on the field, but I also gutted by "I don't want to go back." And her face after declining Mike's call after her talk with Amelia. And her "I'm a robot" freak out after she choked her first game. 

I don't know if your gender and/or race has anything with how you perceive the show, but as a (black) woman and a former athlete, this resonates with me so hard (not the baseball part, I played basketball). I get it and I'm here for it.

[possibilities]

7 hours ago, rippleintime17 said:

Booo, this episode hasn't been added to Amazon yet (I have a season pass, since I don't have cable). What the heck, Amazon!

Hulu has it, if that helps.

I didn't think Ginny was upset because Amelia was no longer "just Ginny's"; I thought she was rightfully super-pissed that Amelia told Mike she'd had a panic attack. And it did affect the way he treated her on the field. Amelia's excuse that he had just been there when the call came in was total BS. She didn't have to tell him it was a panic attack. She just had to say something came up that she had to deal with. For all he'd know, it could have been something with the Nike contract. I think Amelia was grossly over the line and Amelia and Mike both behaved extremely badly through all that. I liked that Ginny lined Amelia with defining the job and saying Amelia would no longer be the person she called.

[In2You]

Why is it so hard to understand why people would want more focus on baseball on a show that advertised itself as being a baseball drama and has backing from MLB?

 A good writer would be able to showcase the game in an exciting way and make the audience feel while winning or losing is so important in addition. They do a hell of a lot more highlighting the personal drama the characters have in their lives but little time showing them partaking in the game which is what takes of a huge chunk of their lives. The way they write this show they could've set in in the backdrop of any random industry which is not a good thing because each industry is unique and brings about its own day to day issues.

[peachmangosteen]

I never expected this show to actually be mostly about baseball. It seems odd to me to even think if would be, even with the MLB connection. I just always assumed it'd be a drama/soap opera with baseball as a vehicle for character stories, so basically Friday Night Lights but with baseball. It has definitely turned out to be more soapy than FNL was, but I like soaps (especially good ones like this is imo), so I'm fine with it.

I think this was hands-down the best episode they've had so far. But again, I'm in it for the characters and not the baseball plots. I do love baseball though, so I am OK with the baseball stuff, but I like the character stuff much more.

I have really grown attached to the show so I'm really disappointed by how badly it's doing and by how obvious it is that it'll get canceled. I'm almost considering giving it up just so I don't get any more attached to it before it's gone.

Edited November 5, 2016 by peachmangosteen

[DearEvette]

22 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I loved Blip's surprised "Whaaaa?.." when Ginny alludes to Mike and Amelia at the party and his wife responded "she knows we know!" and he dropped the fake puzzled expression.

Oh Man I loved that.  Especially since it was repeat of Evelyn's earlier "Whaaaa?..." face.

I just love Evelyn and Blip.  I loved Evelyn's trying to be sensitive to the vibes in the room when Ginny and Amelia face off only to give up because she really wants to hear what they have to say and this would be too good to miss.  And than later when the Nike rep (btw, that actress played Bonnie McKechnie on As the World Turns back it the day!) asked Blip to take a photo, Evelyn shut that right down "He doesn't take a picture unless you pay him."  I loved that because, no Nike, you have deep pockets you don't get free shit.  And Blip's choke-laugh at Ginny when Ginny mistook the waitress for wanting a picture.  This or course after he joked about the big picture on the wall of Ginny's wide head.  Those two were really fun this ep.

[rippleintime17]

I loved this episode! I feel like this show is really starting to find its stride. There's only so much actual baseball that could be included and keep the show still interesting, in my opinion. There are 162 baseball games a year and yeah, a lot of them end up being just like the one before with the main drama being single plays, individual performances and who ends up winning. It just doesn't transfer as to scripted drama as easily as football (and let's be real, great as Friday Night Lights was, a lot of the in-game football went how the viewers wanted it to). If Pitch was about Ginny striking guys out every episode, that would get boring real fast. This episode had a lot of seeing what is making these people tick and how that's getting to them. I thought it was a good focus.

I really loved the scene where they had the intervention for Ginny. Of course those guys have dealt with situations like this before, but because Ginny had never had a moment like that before, it's realistic that she would be nervous about their reaction. That they did not waver in their support for her was great. And that they were proactive in getting her help and making her mental health a priority was refreshing. 

Still love Blip and Evelyn so much! And I found myself really enjoying the scenes with Mike at his ex's house. He's going through some stuff and I like that she isn't completely shutting him down but is still laying it out. I also just really like JoAnna Garcia Swisher, so I like that she pops up still.

I know this show isn't doing well in the ratings but I hope it hangs on. With MLB and Fox Sports so involved, I'm optimistic they will at least keep it on the air for the season. 

[Marley]

That was her wild night? Lol what a joke. She drank and played some games. Woo. 

This show is lame and the main actress bugs me.

[Nanrad]

It's not hard to understand, but I'm trying to explain why I don't believe that series' intention was to focus primarily on baseball being played on the field. The driving point of the series is: first female pitcher. The only thing that surprised me about how the series has been handled is that I didn't know that Mike would be such an important character as well. Other than that, I'm not surprised when we either spend a lot of time on the field or in her personal life. But, when you create a series on such a premise, you'd be doing it an injustice to primarily focus on games because, realistically, the first female players is going to be dealing with a ton of shit outside of that.

Also, it's only six episodes; I remember someone saying this show is going to get old pretty fast if it's all about baseball and, now, there are few who wants baseball to be shown more. Maybe in a week or so, we'll see more games, maybe they're trying to spread how and when they focus on her being on the field v off of the field. 

[possibilities]

I see they are repeating the pilot this weekend, so they haven't given up promoting it and trying to build an audience. I hope there is an uptick in the ratings, so we can have more time and they don't pull the plug.

Has there ever been a show that focused more on a sport than this one? I'm not being snarky, I'm trying to remember. This and Friday Night Lights are the only ones I've personally watched.

Wait... when I was a kid I think there was a show about a high school basketball team. I was very young and my mother watched it. But I don't remember the details.

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

Wait... when I was a kid I think there was a show about a high school basketball team. I was very young and my mother watched it. But I don't remember the details.

The White Shadow, maybe?

[jhlipton]

On 11/3/2016 at 10:36 PM, marina to said:

I really like that we got to see Ginny get some cracks. When we first started watching the video, I thought they were going to work the whole "oh no, she looks like a lesbian" so I'm glad that didn't happen. Really looking forward to see what they do with this.

I thought that was where they were going, and I'm glad they avoided all the cliches -- except as soon as Amelia announced the cost of the dress ($10,000!), I knew it was going to get ruined and as soon as I saw the pool I knew how!

 

On 11/3/2016 at 11:43 PM, DaBigDave said:

OMG. you are right - this would be much better if Mike Schur were writing it.

Depends on which Mike Shur.  I loathed P&R and passed on The Good Place but love Brooklyn 99.  He has a hard time creating unusual but likeable people but when he does, he can write like crazy (that might be the cast -- Amy Poehler is never funny and the cast of B99 have real depth.)

On 11/4/2016 at 1:16 AM, marina to said:

Wow, I find myself disagreeing with so many things in all Sarah Bunting's reviews.

One thing I've found is that a lot of critics see a show and want it to be their show.  So when an episode doesn't fit the mold they've put it in, it's the show's fault.

[Jediknight]

10 hours ago, Marley said:

That was her wild night? Lol what a joke. She drank and played some games. Woo.

She abandoned a party thrown by Nike specifically for her, the party went completely against her public persona, and she chose to wear New Balance shoes over Nikes.  That does damage to her in public perception, and Oscar, Al, and Amelia already knew that Ginny was having some problems beneath the surface.  That made Oscar, Al, the President of Baseball Operations, and Amelia think that the pressure was getting to be too much for Ginny, and that she needed help.  That was all before the video of her crying saying she doesn't want to be that public image anymore, and that she may not want to even play baseball anymore.

[biakbiak]

Depends on which Mike Shur.  I loathed P&R and passed on The Good Place but love Brooklyn 99.  He has a hard time creating unusual but likeable people but when he does, he can write like crazy (that might be the cast -- Amy Poehler is never funny and the cast of B99 have real depth.)

This is obviously a YMMV abput the quality of his shows but I think the poster was referring to the fact that Mike Schur is a hugely knowledgable baseball fan. Two years ago he even predicted the Cubs would win the WS in 2016.

[possibilities]

On 11/5/2016 at 7:58 PM, Moose135 said:

The White Shadow, maybe?

Yes! That was it!

[Hanahope]

On 11/3/2016 at 10:52 PM, marina to said:

She pointed out that she wasn't the first woman to play professional ball so she wouldn't have gotten the kind of reaction she's dealing with now before.

Was this made up for the show?  Because I looked and couldn't find anyone by the name she referenced in the show as "no one remembers  (T/Dina Johns(t)on?)".  So I think its a bit disingenuous for the writers to ask audience to try and relate to Ginny as "not"  being the first woman in MLB, when as far as I know, she really is, and would be accorded all this media publicity.

[topanga]

Ginny mentioned Mamie "Peanut" Johnson a Negro League era player with the Indianapolis Clowns and the first woman pitcher in men's professional baseball

Kylie Bunbury speaks really fast sometimes, so she can be hard to understand. But my husband is a Negro Leagues fanatic, so I knew about Mamie. 

 

ETA: because "new" and "knew" are not the same word. 

Edited November 7, 2016 by topanga