S04.E20: Foul Balls

[thewhiteowl]

The team must use their IQs to win a softball game. Walter's secret night out with Florence put Happy and Toby on edge.

[madfortv]

I really enjoyed this episode.  I laughed out loud several times.

[wilnil]

And thankfully, they didn't go in the totally obvious direction with the aftermath of Walter's "white lie."

[Jack Kerouac]

Happy: "For years I pretended I wasn't attracted to Toby but the whole time I knew he was sexy as Hell."

Tody: "Hot balls, comin' thru!"

Happy: "See?"

Good episode. Nothing ridiculously earth-shattering and the unsung hero was the announcer.

[sinycalone]

I found myself laughing a lot during this episode....a very nice change of pace.

[shapeshifter]

FWIW, I skipped last week and couldn't get through this week's.

[joanne3482]

4 hours ago, Jack Kerouac said:

 

Happy: "For years I pretended I wasn't attracted to Toby but the whole time I knew he was sexy as Hell."

Tody: "Hot balls, comin' thru!"

Happy: "See?"

 

I'm late to Scorpion, so I really want to find the earlier seasons to see how Happy and Toby got together. I'm very curious about that. 

[HurricaneVal]

This was a very good change of pace!  I loved how being forced to play sports was the universal nightmare of every nerd on the team.  I know it is mine... 

[threebluestars]

I really enjoyed it too. Nice to have an episode every so often that doesn't revolve around rescuing the world.

I also liked how they handled the white lie, although since Paige doesn't know, I think we may still be in for some angst, which ugh, put a sock in it. I don't see any Florence/Sly connection yet, but in a way it'd be nicer to see her turn him down and then over time come around and start liking him. I think that happens a lot in life, you initially are like "nah" and then time shows you who someone is and it changes things.

[UncleChuck]

OK, so they screwed around with the balls, and that might explain why Homeland was having such a hard time scoring with their dead balls, but someone explain to me how juicing up the Scorpion balls would produce all of those runs when the only thing the geniuses were proficient at was striking out. 

Even with a very lively ball, someone had to actually swing at a pitch and HIT it, and to produce 15 runs they had to hit A LOT of pitches. 

[incandescent]

I thought this was a really cute, funny episode. For me, one of the funniest bits was when the delivery boy came in with the busted knee. I thought, oh, Dr. Toby's gonna patch him up and get access to the steamer. And then he offers to take over the child's bike route!

[sinycalone]

24 minutes ago, UncleChuck said:

OK, so they screwed around with the balls, and that might explain why Homeland was having such a hard time scoring with their dead balls, but someone explain to me how juicing up the Scorpion balls would produce all of those runs when the only thing the geniuses were proficient at was striking out. 

Even with a very lively ball, someone had to actually swing at a pitch and HIT it, and to produce 15 runs they had to hit A LOT of pitches. 

I'd guess there were a lot of walks, wild pitches, and passed balls.

[HurricaneVal]

They had also done a statistical analysis of the game videos the Homeland jerk had recorded, so they knew what was going to be pitched.  They didn't cover this part nearly as well as they covered the Homeland team's hitting half of the inning (that line up in the first base infield was hilarious), but if I'm willing to suspend my disbelief that the Scorpion team can launch into space, stabilize floating islands of plastic garbage, and dissipate tsunamis, then them using statistics and foreknowledge to hit softballs isn't too far of a stretch.

Though...  They are nerds.  Hitting balls.  OK.  That's as big a stretch as plugging methane holes in the arctic ice to prevent total earth annihilation. 

[theatremouse]

I couldn't get over how preposterous the beginning was. I can see the not-business-savvy-cranky Scorpion members taking issue with the business taking credit for Happy's invention, but Cabe's reasoning that his not getting a share made him "not a real part of the team" was some emotional projection middle school bullshit. Walter is often an ass but his reasoning was completely sound. I know Cabe doesn't exactly run a business but he's an adult, his point was absurd. Of course locking yourself in a room to avoid being seen playing sportsball when it means probably losing your business is also absurd so...as much as I might want to enjoy the hijinx... their escaping death on any number of occasions was less ridiculous than Cabe's whining.

[shapeshifter]

My main problem was that they've had so many episodes that asked me to believe that nerd Walter could perform jock-like superhero feats and leaps by using physics calculations in his head, that it seemed unfair to as me, as a viewer, to now accept him as a mere mortal geek who really can't shoot (or hit or anything) straight.

[Sarah 103]

20 hours ago, threebluestars said:

I really enjoyed it too. Nice to have an episode every so often that doesn't revolve around rescuing the world.

I would like more small/low stakes episodes like this that are supposed to be silly fun. 

[mythoughtis]

Did everyone catch the one-liner during the beginning argument from Toby? The IVF procedure didn’t take  so they need more money to try again. 

[Captain Asshat]

So, I play softball and I came to the conclusion that whoever wrote this episode does not actually play, or they have a kid who plays either baseball or fast-pitch softball. They basically mixed what they know about baseball / fast-pitch softball with a bit of science and physics. Which, hey, that's kind of what the show is about--be all MacGuyver about things with science! I admit I do some serious suspension of disbelief for this show...I mean a LOT...because this show is my brain candy, and I don't expect a lot from it. But...<quietvoice>I really love softball,</quietvoice> and I found myself saying, "that would/could never happen" alot.

So here are my softball nits to pick:

• Neither of the two ruling bodies (ASA or USSSA) that tend to be used for recreational slow pitch softball have a rule book that thick.
• The rules for balls refer only to the size and composition of the balls. Game balls are used by both teams, and the league tends to supply the balls. You know...to keep geniuses from steaming and baking balls.
• There are no wild pitches or passed balls in slow pitch softball. It's. Slow. Pitch. Nothing wild about it.
• No pitcher who wants to win would even try a fast pitch. An ump would call such pitches "illegal," and pitch is recorded as a ball. Competitive pitchers are not giving up balls/walks. I get the Homeland guy's character is supposed to be a colossal dick, so maybe he would give up a ball or two.
• There is no automatic walk if a batter is hit by a pitch. It's. Slow. Pitch. You have ample time to move. Yes, even if you are a nerdy kid.
• Knowing where a pitch is coming does not automatically translate to a hit. Batting involves timing, muscle mechanics, and knowing how to hit an inside, outside, or up-the-middle pitch. In short, knowing where the pitch will be doesn't mean a batter knows what to do with it, especially if that batter doesn't know how to swing a bat. I will maintain that even if Scorpion players got their bats on a ball, it wouldn't leave the infield and the batter would be out at first.
• I didn't understand how the sensors were helping Scorpion players catch balls. It seemed like the purpose was to get the player in proximity of the ball and maybe to line up the glove with the ball? In either case, to catch a ball, you also have to close the glove around it. That fly ball that Ralph's crush (whose name I can never remember) caught likely would have popped out of the glove if it hadn't ACTUALLY been dropped there by a guy on a ladder. ;)
• Anyone who knows anything about sports would NEVER accept that game, or make that bet, considering what their team would be. "I don't have to take this level of taunting from you, because I played sports early in life. Why, yes. My 'team' of players who are not athletically inclined and don't know this game will be happy to meet your undefeated softball team for a game in 30 minutes. Oh, sure, let's make it interesting and play for the future of this company and government contracts." Seriously, is the goal of this show to make Cabe and Paige look completely inept at times? They're not geniuses, but they're not stupid.

The only believable thing I saw was Cabe hitting a fast pitch. Yes, a batter can swing at a pitch if the ump calls it an illegal pitch, and that becomes a live ball. And if a ball comes in fast, and you hit it with the sweet spot and with decent bat speed, it's going to sail. And, with all this? I will continue to watch this show. Because Happy is awesome, and they haven't ruined her character.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Captain Asshat

[sigmaforce86]

I thought it started slow and thought I wouldn't like it.  I think I was waiting for the other shoe to drop - what's the "case" of the week, is the artificial turf poisoned, are the homeland players being stalled so a crime can be committed somewhere?    That's how the show usually goes.  But it was refreshing and fun and in spots very, very funny to have them just doing something for themselves.  The resolution of Walter's "date" was nice becuase it wasn't drawn out.  Although how Flo even with a low EQ (as Paige would say) can't see how Sylvester feels is beyond me.  Also loved seeing Penn Jillette again; he looks really good but even though he's kept the weight off for a few years his "new" look still startles me a little.

The only thing I wish they'd drop is the money issue.  Scorpion is broke, Scorpion has money for Cabe's bail, Scorpion is broke and needs the bail money back, Scorpion gets the bail money but is still broke but has money for tools and gadgets.  Maybe the writers could stop swinging from one extreme to the other and not make that such a huge plot point of being broke or near broke all the time or only when convenient for the story.  They don't have to be rich either, happy medium to focus on other things would be nice for the viewers (IMHO)