Hardball

Pilot

The Pioneers are a losing baseball team. And to make matters worse, they now have to deal with a new manager - Happy Talbot - who seems anything but "happy" about his new appointment. Happy decides to put pressure on some of the players and targets both wisecracking pitcher Dave Logan, whose losing streak is in direct opposition to his salary, along with catcher Mike Widmar, whose weight is as much a problem as his age. To compound problems for the womanizing Dave, his latest conquest, Jennifer, turns out to be Happy's daughter, a fact that almost gets him fired when their stadium "kiss" is broadcast via the scorecard camera. A secondary plot involves the ditzy new publicist, Lee Emery, and her attempts to introduce a new team mascot. In the end Happy decides to be magnanimous, Dave is inspired by Jennifer to win his first game in months and Lee admits defeat and brings back the team's mascot -- the ever popular "Hardball".