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Batter up.
The promo trailer for Fox’s “Pitch” was released Monday as part of the network’s upfront presentation.
“Pitch” tells the story of fictional Ginny Baker (Kylie Bunbury, “Twisted”), the first woman in MLB, making her pitching debut for the Padres.
Dan Lauria, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Kylie Bunbury star in "Pitch."
(Ray Mickshaw/FOX)
The show will be written and produced by Dan Fogelman (“Crazy, Stupid, Love”) — who calls himself a diehard Mets fan — in conjunction with MLB to make sure it feels “real and authentic."
Former relief pitcher and current Fox Sports analyst C.J. Nitkowski and former pitcher Gregg Olson also worked with the script to ensure accurate representation of the league.
Kylie Bunbury stars as Ginny Baker, the first woman to play in MLB.
(Ray Mickshaw/FOX)
“All the people involved with the show on my end are baseball lovers and on top of that, on the field as we were shooting the pilot, we have Major League umpires and consultants and former MLB players,” Fogelman told The Hollywood Reporter.
“They're grabbing the actors and telling them how to properly grab the rosin bag and get all the nuance right.”
Mark-Paul Gosselaar (“Saved by the Bell”) stars as Mike Lawson, the Padres catcher who was described as “a handsome, charming and self-assured future Hall of Fame MLB catcher” who has a “spark” with Ginny as he helps her adjust to the big leagues.
Fogelman credited Mo’Ne Davis, the baseball player who was the first female to win a Little League World Series game, as part of his inspiration for Ginny Baker.
Writer Dan Fogelman said part of the inspiration for the show came from Mo'Ne Davis, the baseball player who was the first female to win a Little League World Series game.
(Howard Simmons/New York Daily News)
“The amount of attention that would come with a woman breaking this barrier in one of the four professional sports is a big part of our story; it's not just about baseball. It's about celebrity, fame and self-belief and self-worth,” Fogelman told The Hollywood Reporter.
“It's a real coming-of-age story. If it was to happen — and it will happen at some point — if the person who does it has Kylie's skill set, she's going to instantly become one of the most important women on the planet overnight. It will transcend baseball and sports.”
“Pitch” will air at 9 p.m. on Tuesdays in the spring.