Balk

As ever, Fox used the World Series to plug its shows, including Pitch, about the first female player in the majors.  Judging by the promo, I’d have to say Pitch is more about fantasy than future fact.

It showed the main character throwing; so far so good.  But she only threw one pitch per ball.  The catcher didn’t throw the ball back.  Instead, the pitcher picked a new ball out of a basket for her next pitch.  Spoiler Alert:  Pitchers are as crazy as hitters, only with balls instead of bats.  It’s all about “feel,” how a ball relates to the fingers.  If it feels right, the pitcher will throw his/her pitch with confidence.  If it feels “wrong,” pitchers will ask for another ball.  It has to be the right one, just like a bat for a hitter.

Pitchers ask the home-plate umpire for a new ball all the time.  That’s during a game.  During warmups or side sessions, pitchers tend to treat whatever ball’s at hand as the right one.  They’re not facing a batter, so there isn’t that same worry about giving up a base hit.  What pitchers want to do is get into a groove—throw pitch, get the throw back, throw pitch….      

Apparently, no one on Pitch has spent a lot of time around pitchers.  Unless technical advisor and ex-MLB reliever Gregg Olson knows something I don’t.