“The performances are terrific ... A well-crafted storyline ... a nice mix of comedy and drama.”
Mark Auerbach, Arts Beat Radio
“Very good ... As crisp and tantalizing as a backdoor slider.”
Chris Rohmann, The Valley Advocate
“A nicely twisting tale of fate and baseball ... All that you could ask for .”
Patrick White, Nippertown
Vernon Peters threw only one pitch in the major leagues for the New York Yankees in 1973 and was soon out of baseball and into a life that spiraled down into desperation and despair – alcoholism, divorce, homelessness and eventually an anonymous death.
In this oftentimes funny yet ultimately haunting story, a cynical, down-to-earth retired sportswriter reluctantly agrees to collaborate with a young sportswriter eager to write a paperback biography of Peters, a boyhood friend of the older writer. But it soon becomes evident there’s a secret at the heart of the pitcher's mysterious and tragic story – one the older writer fiercely intends to hide. The play's surprise ending will leave you stunned.
Although set against the backdrop of baseball, THE PITCH, written by Stan Freeman, is less about sports than it is about dreams, life choices and generational differences.
The play had its world premiere at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, Mass., on Feb. 27, 2020. Its five-week run was interrupted for 17 months by the pandemic before the theater had a chance to complete the run in 2021.
FEATURE FILM
The summer and fall of 2023, an independent feature film of THE PITCH will be shot in Western Massachusetts, starring the two actors, John Haag and Julian Findlay, who originated their leading roles on stage.
John Haag, right, who plays the retired sportswriter, and Jack Press, who plays the pitcher, during a scene from THE PITCH.
Julian Findlay, left, who plays the younger sportswriter, and John Haag, who plays the retired sportswriter, during a scene from THE PITCH.
