by Izamary Rios
The idea of a girl making it to the Major Leagues seems very unrealistic, but not if you’re Ginny Baker from “Pitch.” Baker accomplished what I wish I could at least achieve in my dreams; she became a pitcher for the San Diego Padres.
Although it may seem unrealistic, this show gives hope to many people to believe their dreams can come true. Not only does this show give hope, but also the new romance plot line that can be predicted within it makes the waiting worth every week.
Rather than making this show the typical dramatic show that only girls would watch, it has some intrigue to it by adding some real-life baseball characteristics. Baker has common life issues that make the show easy to relate to.
The show provides a lot of flashbacks of Baker’s childhood, and how she made it to the Major Leagues. By doing this, the show gives an interesting plot line keeping the audience guessing what’s going to happen next. Baker, like many athletes, wants to please her overly involved sports parent.
One of the show’s plot line is to show the love between father and daughter through baseball. Nothing about the relationship between Baker and her father seems like a normal father-daughter loving relationship, yet that makes the story even better. It shows that Baker’s father pushed her to be exceptionally good, helping her make it to the MLB.
“Pitch” not only shows how hard it is to make it to the majors but also displays the internal and external pressures of being a famous athlete, coach, scout or team manager. Not only is it hard for Baker to be in the majors as a woman, but “Pitch” also explains the standard pressures a man goes through as an athlete. Baker becomes an iconic symbol throughout the show representing how today’s society feels about women in sports, yet leaving it up to the audience to determine whether Baker is a good asset to the team or only just draws attention.
The show depicts two different worlds such as what Baker and the rest of the team display to the public along with their internal struggles as ball players and humans. For example, in episode seven, Baker shows a side of her that most would never imagine. She leaves the party that was in her honor after filming the Nike commercial to go out, have fun and do things that girls her age do.
So far, throughout the show, Baker and her teammates face battles that ordinary humans face, making the show relatable and keeping the audience wanting to keep watching.
Regardless of what Baker does in the show, she is my hero, and I only dream of ever watching a girl make it to the majors. Maybe this show is just the beginning of reality that is not that far from us. “Pitch” has become one of my favorite shows, and I most definitely recommend it to anyone regardless of whether they like baseball or not.
