Parents' Guide to

Pitch

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

MLB's first female pitcher boldly faces challenges.

TV Fox Drama 2016
Pitch Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 2 parent reviews

rosenyc
rosenyc Adult
September 26, 2016
age 11+

Entertaining show with a relatable main character but a little mature.

My elementary school aged children watched the first episode with us. They found the story very interesting and easy enough to follow. My only objection kid-wise was really a few instances of bad language and innuendo (ex: main character gets called a bitch by a jealous rival pitcher). But overall the message of hard work and resilience and female excellence in sports was worthwhile. I don't think it's something we will watch with the kids all the time, I would guess later episodes will have more romance/sex than we find appropriate. But we might let them watch particular episodes or scenes after screening them first, because our girls really did like the main character Ginny and were very interested in her challenges and how she was working to succeed.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much swearing
chris D.
chris D. Adult
September 23, 2016
age 13+

fox has a huge hit here

i watched the premeire of this show and all i can say is that i tryed not to stand up and cheer for the show and for our heroine but it was so good i loved it smiled threw the entire show it really kept my intrest too 'it has a little too much swearing for my taste' but aside from that it was a stupendous show with a super lesson

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

PITCH is a drama about the first female Major League Baseball player. It stars Kylie Bunbury as the fictional Ginny Baker, a young pitcher coached by her father (Michael Beach) until she's recruited by the minor leagues. When she is called up by the San Diego Padres to take the mound in the majors, the new MLB rookie must prove herself to her teammates, including Padres team captain Mike Lawson (Mark-Paul Gosselaar). She must also contend with the intense -- and unforgiving -- media spotlight and the fact that she has suddenly become a role model for millions of girls around the world. While Ginny's agent, Amelia Slater (Ali Larter), and her social media assistant, Eliot (Tim Jo), guide her through all the fanfare, old friends like center fielder Blip Sanders (Mo McRae) and his wife Evelyn (Meagan Holder) offer her much-needed emotional support. As she works on her game and her self-confidence, team manager Al Luongo (Dan Lauria) and general manager Oscar Arguella (Mark Consuelos) negotiate the impact her presence is having on the franchise.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (2):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This show is a well-written, entertaining series with a unique, timely premise, a charismatic star, and an interesting exploration of the idea that women can (and should) be given equal opportunities. It does so by featuring a fictional female successfully doing so in present day, despite the fact that women are excluded from playing the majors in real life. It also touches on many of the stereotypes currently perpetuated about female athletes and the varied responses men have about women playing what is considered America's national pastime.

As Pitch follows Ginny's difficult journey, it weaves in narratives about father-daughter relationships, budding romances, individual player challenges, and the professional politicking involved when running a major league sports team. But none of them overshadow the ironic significance of the show's central theme. Aspiring ball players of all genders may find it inspirational, but chances are they will also be frustrated by the fact that it's a work of fiction, which may push the real world closer to the TV one.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why, unlike in Pitch, women are excluded from playing on major league baseball teams in the United States. They continue to play on national all-women's teams, but only a few have played on coed national and minor league baseball teams. What do you think the sports world would be like if teams became coed?

  • Do the stereotypes that exist about female athletes contribute to the reasons why women are excluded from professional, coed sports teams? What are some of these stereotypes? Are they valid?

TV Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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