“Hardball” was a 1994 FOX sitcom set in the world of professional baseball, focusing on the fictional and struggling major league team, the Pioneers. The show humorously portrayed the interactions among its quirky players, a demanding owner, and a rookie manager.

Although it offered a fresh premise, “Hardball” couldn’t secure a broad audience and was short-lived, joining many other sports-themed comedies that struggled to effectively mix sports and humor.

• S1E1 – Pilot
• S1E2 – Mike’s Release
• S1E3 – The Butt Winnick Story – Happy wants to beat an old rival who stole his girlfriend years ago. Can the Pioneers come through for their manager?
• S1E4 – Whose Strike Is It Anyway?
• S1E5 – Frank Buys an Island, Mike Pays the Price – Mike makes love to his wife three times in one night. The next day he hits three home runs. Could there be a connection? His superstitious teammates encourage him to keep it up for as long as he possibly can.
• S1E6 – Lee’s Bad, Bad Day – Lee organizes a reunion of old players. One dies and she tries to minimize the damage. Hardball meets his predecessor and the two bond.
• S1E7 – My Name Is Hard B. – Hardball comes to work drunk after his wife leaves him. Lee tries to help, but ends up injuring Barry Bonds. She later helps him get his job back. Meanwhile, Dave deals with a stalker. Hardball gets revenge on the mascot who stole his wife.
• S1E8 – See Spot Rum
• S1E9 – The Rookie, the Batgirl, and the Coach and His Wife