Fox on Tuesday picked up producer Dan Fogelman's new baseball drama series "Pitch," which "scored a behind the scenes homerun when the network and studio teamed" with MLB, according to Lesley Goldberg of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The series centers around a "young female pitcher who defies the odds when she becomes the first woman to play" in MLB. The deal with MLB gives the series "unparalleled access to the league's teams, uniforms, players, stadiums and more." In exchange, the league offers its "experts to help ensure the show reflects" the sport in the "most authentic way possible." Fogelman said it was "very important to us" to strike the deal with MLB. Fogelman: "I didn't want to do fictional baseball teams and uniforms and that sort of thing. I was very hopeful because it's such a natural fit between Fox and MLB. ... I pitched [MLB] the show and told them what I wanted to do to see if they'd be interested in coming on board. That went well and it's been a process that involved a lot of people and moving parts." Fogelman said discussions with MLB began at the "end of summer." Fogelman: "I went to New York and met with the commissioner of MLB and a couple of his people and they were very into it. Their big ask was that we get the baseball right and make sure this feels real and authentic. ... On the field as we were shooting the pilot, we have Major League umpires and consultants and former MLB players. They're grabbing the actors and telling them how to properly grab the rosin bag and get all the nuance right." Fogelman said that he is working with Fox baseball analyst C.J. Nitowski and former MLBer Gregg Olson as consultants. Fogelman said he decided to feature the Padres as the primary team in the series because they "felt like a team that would be friendly toward us and they've been incredible thus far" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 5/11).
