BALL FOUR: WORK IN PROGRESS {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The first in this short-lived comedy series, starring and based on the 1970 book by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton, about the eccentric players of the Washington Americans minor league baseball team. In this episode, the rowdy players are surprised to learn that new pitcher Jim Barton is also a sportswriter and has been taking notes for a new article. Southern-fried Rayford Plunkett objects in particular to Barton's comments about racial tension among professional athletes and declares him a "sports communist," and the other players, worried that Barton might embarrass them by airing their "dirty laundry," agree that they don't want him writing about them. The entire team snubs Barton, and manager "Cappy" Capogrosso pleads with Barton to reconsider, then learning that they have both been summoned to meet with the commissioner of baseball himself.
Barton's roommate Lopez decides that he "supports him 1%" and gives him his lucky tie, and Barton finally tells off Plunkett before heading off to New York with Cappy. Once there, the commissioner voices his shock over the bawdy and scandalous behavior – including some drunken player-on-player kissing – described in his article. Barton, however, argues that fans deserve a peek behind the curtain at how famous athletes really behave, and he politely refuses to abandon his writing. Later, the players read Barton's article and decide that they are somewhat impressed, though they are shocked when Barton decides to expand into an entire book. Program cuts off abruptly; no closing credits.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: November 30, 1975 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:23:52
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:14903
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Baseball; Comedy; Sports
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1976
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Don Segall … Producer, Writer
- Helene Taub … Associate Producer
- Jay Sandrich … Director
- Marvin Kitman … Created by
- Vic Ziegel … Created by
- Jim Bouton … Created by, Writer, Based on the book by
- Greg Antonacci … Writer
- Jay Sommers … Writer
- Herbert Hartig … Writer
- Leonard Shecter … Based on the book by
- Harry Chapin … Music by
- Jim Bouton … Cast, Jim Barton
- Jack Somack … Cast, 'Cappy' Capogrosso
- David-James Carroll … Cast, Bill Westlake
- Ben Davidson … Cast, 'Rhino' Rhinelander
- Bill McCutcheon … Cast, Coach 'Pinky' Pinkney
- Marco St. John … Cast, Rayford Plunkett
- Lenny Schultz … Cast, Lenny 'Birdman' Siegel
- Jaimé Tirelli … Cast, Orlando Lopez
- Samuel E. Wright … Cast, C.B. Travis