Episode Adopted by: R. Joy Helvie (2004) & Stacie Wilcox (2024)
Additional info provided by: Brian Greene

Teaser:

As Lester "Doc" Fuller, a former major league pitcher stuck back in the minors again, Sam must get a hotshot rookie ballplayer back on the right track and away from drinking and self-destruction. In the meantime, Sam also has to ward off advances from his team's owner...and her daughter!

Audio from this episode:

Sam: You remember when we first met, Al?

TV Guide Teaser:

Sam takes the field as a veteran minor leaguer who tries to cover all the bases: find a way back to the majors while assisting a young hotshot with a live arm. Chucky: Neal McDonough. Margaret: Maree Cheatham. Bunny: Courtney Gebhart. Sam: Scott Bakula.

Leap Date:

August 6, 1961

Synopsis & Review:

Sam leaps into a locker room, putting some chewing tobacco into his mouth, which he quickly spits into the sink. Bunny enters and starts undressing. Billy the bat boy enters, and gives us our “Oh Boy!”

Coach asks Sam if he’s ready to pinch hit. The team pig takes a pee. Billy gives Sam his bat. Sam gets a ball, then a hit, and gets out sliding towards 3rd. Coach is mad. Chucky helps Sam. Then beats up a cowboy who gets smart with them.

The manager tells a group of non-English speaking players they can’t bring their guitars on the bus, but then lets them anyway. Sam gets put in charge of the pig Milo.

On the bus, Chucky talks to Sam about Doc’s history, and mentions his dad. He starts drinking, but Sam doesn’t think that’s a good idea. He says his dad almost made it to the majors, and Chucky needs to do good in this playoff game. They eat at a diner, and Sam asks more about Chucky’s dad. He gets into a fight with another player, and the coach tells him off.

Enter Al, who tells Sam that he is Lester “Doc” Fuller, who was in the major leagues. When he caused the death of another play, Doc quit and eventually ended up here in the minors. ZIggy says there is an 89% chance he is here to help Doc get back to the major leagues.

Sam tells Al that he likes Chucky because he reminds him of someone. Sam carries the pig back on the bus and Al thinks he’ll have a BLT for lunch!

Sam is called to the office to talk to the boss. Margaret tells us that Doc has been sleeping with her, but she hasn’t seen him in a while. Chucky was worried about what they were talking about, thinking Margaret was onto him and Bunny, who happens to be her daughter. Bunny tells him he is going to start in the game and the scout is going to be impressed. Sam spends the night on Doc’s cot in the locker room.

The next morning, Al comes wearing his old Navy baseball jersey. He still doesn’t know why this game is so important. Sam tells Al about the scout. In the original history, Doc started not Chucky. Sam says he slept his way in. Al tells him that he has to do it so that he can start the game and change Doc’s future. Sam says she gives him the creeps. He says even if he starts, he doesn’t know how to pitch. Al gives him a lesson, telling him to treat the ball like a woman not a hand grenade.

Al tells Sam that Chucky and Bunny get caught and he gets kicked out. Sam says that will kill his father, but Al tells him that the father left when he was 5 years old and Chucky is telling stories.

Billy tells Sam that Margaret wants to see him again. She goes over Doc’s history with him, and clears the desk. Billy listens at the door. Sam asks about her husband, who died. Sam excuses himself to feed Milo. She invites him over tomorrow night, and he reluctantly agrees. Billy goes to and tells the coach and the team that Doc is starting in the playoff game.

Al tells Sam they haven’t found out anything about the dad, and Ziggy goes crazy. She doesn’t like that Al is lying to Sam! They did find the dad, but Al thinks that’s not what he is here for. Sam goes to visit the dad, and he recognizes him as someone who was at the away game yesterday. He tells him that Chucky deserves to know the truth. Dad tells Sam a story about his dad, who killed himself. He left Chucky and his family because he didn’t have a job and couldn’t support them. He shows Sam a scrapbook of all of Chucky’s mentions in the newspaper. He tells Sam he should go, when he pushes to give Chucky a chance.

Sam and Al talk. His new goal is to keep Chucky from being kicked off of the team. He tells him he should stop seeing Bunny for a while. He is salty with Sam because he knows that Doc is sleeping with Margaret to get the advantage. He taunts Sam about the boy that Doc killed, and says now he is stabbing him in the back.

Sam tells him he didn’t have a choice, or he wouldn’t have ever gotten out of here. Chucky punches him. Sam tells Al that Chucky reminds him of Al. He tells him about the 1st time they met, at Starbright, and Sam came into the lab when Al was smashing a vending machine with a hammer. The govt wanted to wash him out of the project but Sam saved him because he knew under the booze and the anger he was a terrific person.

Sam sneaks into a Bunny’s room through a window, to retrieve a passed out Chucky from her bed. Bunny is happy to find him there. (Did we think this was a good idea? This doesn’t sound like a good idea). Margaret comes in and catches Bunny hugging Sam. She fires him and Chucky both.

Returning to pre-game, the Mustangs are taking on the Biloxi Eagles. Chucky blames himself for them getting fired. He apologizes and they shake hands. Margaret and Bunny approach Sam. He asks her to reconsider. She points out the Yankees scout in the stands.


Al wants to know why Sam isn’t in uniform; he assumes that Sam patched things up with Margaratte bc ziggy says that Doc still pitches in the game. Billy calls Doc to the locker room, where the coach is begging the immigration officer to wait until after the game - he has a warrant to detain the Sanchez brothers and now the team only has 8 players.

Bunny agrees to let Chucky play. He refuses, and tells her to start Doc.

The baseball game begins and there are several shots of the sport being played.

Al says every hit has been exactly the same as original history. Sam doesn’t seem to be having any actual influence on the game. They are on track to lose the game. Sam calls time. He takes himself out of the game, he can’t be here to make the same mistake twice. He tells the coach to put Chucky in.

Chucky’s dad watches from the stands. More baseball happens. They win!

In the locker room, the Yankees scout talks to Chucky, and tells him he can stick around for the big game. Ziggy says that Chucky does well in the championship game and goes up to the majors in six months. Chucky asks the scout about Doc. He says that there's not much call for a 35 year old rookie with a bum arm, but he made the right call to take himself out of the game when he did, and he could use a pitching coach with those smarts. (Instead of admitting he was wrong that Sam was there to get Doc to play in the majors, Ziggy calls it semantics)

Chucky’s dad comes in, and Sam introduces them. Chucky realizes who he is, and asks if he can buy him a cup of coffee.

Sam tells Al he should have played baseball instead of basketball. Chucky throws him a ball and he catches it. Sam leaps… Synopsis by Stacie Wilcox

Music:

"Traveling Man" - by Ricky Nelson plays in the diner.

Sam Trivia:

Sam finds Chucky to be awfully familiar; he later figures out that he reminds him of Al. This is because when Sam first came to Project Star Bright, he met Al in the lab one night after Al had been beating a vending machine with a hammer; the machine had eaten Al's dime. Beneath the anger and drunkenness, Sam saw a terrific guy. Sam helped Al sober up, thus saving him from being booted out of the Star Bright project.

Sam has seen Pete Rose play baseball.

Al Trivia:

Played in the Navy baseball league as a starting pitcher; had the lowest earned run average in the league; his number was 9.

Miscellaneous Trivia:

The Mustangs' mascot is Milo --a pig. When Sam says "Not another pig..." he is referring to events in the Season One episode "How the Tess Was Won."

A shot of the baseball field is taken from the movie, "Field of Dreams" much like the establishing shots from "The Leap Home."

Guest Cast Notes:

Neal McDonough as Chucky Myerwich: Multi talented and award winning actor Neal McDonough has been blessed to have an incredible career in the film industry. He is now producing films alongside his wife Ruvé for the McDonough company. Films such as THE WARRANT, BREAKERS LAW, REDSTONE, BOON, BLACK SPARTANS ,and most recently the hit film THE SHIFT for Angel Studios. McDonough is about to start filming THE LAST RODEO which he has written with his partner Derek Presley. The McDonough company will be producing this film with Jon Avnet directing. After that they will going into production on their next western he has written called THE WICKED AND THE RIGHTEOUS. McDonough is well known for performances in productions, such as BAND OF BROTHERS, MINORITY REPORT, WALKING TALL and STAR-TREK FIRST CONTACT. He also started in many stage productions, and most recently playing Whitey Bulger on stage in FINDING WHITEY at the Wilbur theater in Boston. He also recently played Daddy Warbucks in ANNIE and numerous other stage productions as well. His voice over career is what really started him. The voice of many cartoons, including Bruce Banner in the INCREDIBLE HULK and in many video games such as CALL OF DUTY ZOMBIES. He has also been the long term voice of FIDELITY AND CADILLAC. But he's most proud of his relationship with God, his wife, Ruvé, and their five children. McDonough trained at Syracuse University and studied at LAMDA in London.

Maree Cheatham as Margaret Twilly: Maree Cheatham was born on June 2, 1940 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. She is an actress, known for Hart of Dixie (2011), Baskets (2016) and Young Sheldon (2017). She has been married to Robert Staron since November 22, 1998. She was previously married to William Arvin and Patrick Lambert Searcy Jr.. On Days of Our Lives (1965), she played one of the "Horton" children who was a nun. She patterned her role after one of the nuns she knew when she attended a convent school in Texas. Her father died in Italy in World War II. Her mother remarried, and she took the name of her stepfather, Odell Cheatham. Graduated from Bellaire High School (Bellaire, Greater Houston Area), class of 1958, and was named to the school's Hall of Fame.

Don Stroud as Manager, Harlan Edwards: The younger son of vaudeville great Clarence Stroud (of the Stroud Twins) and singer Ann McCormack, who toured the world with Frank Sinatra, Don Stroud grew up on the beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, where his stepfather, Paul Livermore, and his mother, Ann, owned and operated the popular Embers steakhouse/nightclub where his mother performed nightly. He thrived on Waikiki Beach under the watchful eyes of such mentors as Blackout, Mud, Buckshot, Rabbit and Steamboat. In 1960, at the age of 17, he placed fourth in the "Duke Kahanamoku World Surfing Championship" at Makaha, Hawaii. Don was surfing at Waikiki when he was discovered. Actor Troy Donahue was filming Hawaiian Eye (1959) and needed a stunt double for his surfing scenes. At 18, 6' 2" and 175 pounds, Stroud stepped up and was hired on the spot. He decided to go to Hollywood to give it a try. Upon arriving in L.A., he landed a variety of jobs, including parking cars, bouncer and then manager of the world famous "Whiskey A Go-Go" nightclub on the Sunset Strip, where such greats as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison of the "Doors" appeared. It was at the "Whiskey" that actor Sidney Poitier turned Don on to his acting career. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and 175 television shows to date. He starred in four television series, notably The New Mike Hammer (1984) and The New Gidget (1986).

Courtney Gebhart as Bunny Twilly: Courtney Gebhart was born on September 18, 1964. She is an actress, known for My Name Is Khan (2010), Summer School (1987) and 976-WISH (1997). She was previously married to Jared Chandler.

Peter Jason as Talent Scout (Kilpatrick): Excellent, prolific and versatile character actor Peter Jason was born on July 22, 1944, in Hollywood, CA, and grew up in Balboa. He attended Newport Beach Elementary School, Horace Ensign Junior High and Newport Harbor High School. He originally planned on being a football player, but fell in love with acting after playing the lead in a high school production of "The Man Who Came to Dinner." Following his high school graduation he attended Orange Coast Junior College and did a season of summer stock at the Peterborough Playhouse in New Hampshire. He then studied as a drama major at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, PA. More stage work followed with the acting group the South Coast Repertory Company. He made his film debut in Howard Hawks' final film, Rio Lobo (1970) (which Jason says is one of his favorites). He worked with Orson Welles on the uncompleted The Other Side of the Wind (2018) as an actor, boom operator, prop man and even cook for the cast and crew. Jason has appeared in many films for director Walter Hill; he's especially memorable as the racist redneck bartender in 48 Hrs. (1982). He has also appeared in many films for director John Carpenter: he's very engaging as the jolly Dr. Paul Leahy in Prince of Darkness (1987) and was terrific as underground guerrilla army leader Gilbert in They Live (1988). Other notable roles include a sinister government agent in Dreamscape (1984), rugged Maj. G.F. Devin in Clint Eastwood's Heartbreak Ridge (1986), jerky detective Fedorchuk in Alien Nation (1988), a newspaper reporter in Seabiscuit (2003) and the U.S. president in Alien Apocalypse (2005). Jason recently had a recurring role as dissolute gambler Con Stapleton in the superbly gritty cable Western TV series Deadwood (2004). He also had a regular part as Capt. Skip Gleason on Mike Hammer, Private Eye (1997). Among the many TV shows Peter has done guest spots on are Desperate Housewives (2004), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996), Nash Bridges (1996), Coach (1989), The Golden Girls (1985), Murder, She Wrote (1984), Married... with Children (1987), Roseanne (1988), Dear John (1988), Quantum Leap (1989), Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993), B.J. and the Bear (1978), The Incredible Hulk (1977), Gunsmoke (1955) and Hawaii Five-O (1968). In addition to his substantial film and TV show credits, Jason has acted in over 150 plays and hundreds of TV commercials. An accomplished baritone vocalist, Jason has sung in such musical stage productions as "The Music Man" (this is one of his favorite plays), "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off," "The Roar of the Greasepaint" and "Threepenny Opera" (as Mack the Knife). He's been married to his wife Eileen for 33 years. In his spare time he makes his own furniture with found, recycled wood.

Casey Sander as Warren Monroe: Actor Casey Sander has been a seasoned Hollywood veteran for over thirty years, since moving to Los Angeles from Washington State. Sander started his career doing comedy with The Groundlings. Since then, he has been seen in over 300 episodes of television shows, 25 movies of the week, 18 feature films and countless commercials, both in front of the camera and as a voice over artist as well. Sander may be best known as a series regular on Home Improvement and Grace Under Fire, where in 1993, he won a People's Choice Award for "Best New Comedy" as a regular cast member. He also had a pivotal leading role as Capt. Dan Gruber in "16 Blocks" and was 5th billed. An ex-professional baseball player in the California Angels organization and college football player at The University of Puget Sound, Mr. Sander has used his athletic background and acting fame to co-sponsor celebrity/sport charity events that have donated more than one million dollars to Cancer research. Sander has recently been a major recurring character on The Big Bang Theory, Sons of Anarchy, Justified and The Middle and Guest Starred on some of TV's hottest shows such as: Silicon Valley, NCIS Los Angeles, Mad Men, The Mentalist, CSI: NY, Harry's Law, The Glades, Criminal Minds, NCIS, Rules of Engagement, etc...

Royce D. Applegate as Radio Reporter: Character actor, born in Oklahoma, his most visible role was that of Chief Petty Officer Manilow Crocker on the first season of the television series sea Quest DSV. Applegate portrayed Deputy Crawford in Stir Crazy (1985); in his career worked in many films and series Tv: Splash (1984), Gettysburg (1993), Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Gods and Generals (2003), Seabiscuit (2003) Intolerable Cruelty (2003) and many others; Royce passed away on New Year's Day 2003, in his Hollywood Hills home in a fire just one week after his 63rd birthday.

Michael Bellisario as Billy, the bat boy: Michael Bellisario was born on April 7, 1980 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Grandma's Boy (2006), NCIS (2003) and JAG (1995). Michael Bellisario also played a little boy in "Camikazi Kid", "Martin, Jr." in "A Tale of Two Sweeties", and "Kid #2" in "Mirror Image". (Donald P. Bellisario's son)

Juan Garcia as Jorge: Juan Garcia is known for Crossing Over (2009), The Net (1995) and El Mariachi (1992).

Charles Fick (as Chuck Fick) as Ryker: Charles Fick is known for The Sandlot (1993), Mr. Baseball (1992) and The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988). Brother of baseball player Robert Fick. Former minor league baseball player. He is now the scouting supervisor for the San Francisco Giants.

Russel Lunday as Eagle Manager: Russel Lunday was born on January 18, 1939 in Billings, Montana, USA. He was an actor, known for Jerry Maguire (1996), Say Anything (1989) and Quantum Leap (1989). He died on March 14, 2021 in Santa Monica, California, USA.

Hank Robinson as Umpire #1: Tall (6'1"), tough, and burly actor, extra, and baseball player Hank Robinson was born Henry Ford Robinson on March 27, 1923 in Covington, Tennessee. Robinson grew up on a sharecropper farm in rural Tennessee and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Hank spent thirteen seasons playing in the minor leagues in such places as Hollywood, Denver, Gladewater, Yakima, Little Rock, Saginaw, Lake Charles, Galveston, and Laredo. Robinson worked as a security guard at MGM before embarking on a career as an extra in the mid-1960's. Hank frequently popped up as cowboys on various Western TV shows and made often uncredited cameo appearances in a handful of movies. Not surprisingly, Robinson in the latter part of his acting career landed occasional credited roles both in film and on television alike in which he was cast to type as a baseball umpire. Moreover, Hank also scouted and coached young baseball players in both California and Nevada as well as was an avid golfer. Robinson died at age 89 on April 7, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was survived at the time of his death by his wife Mildred, daughters Carin and Debra, son Robbie, and three grandchildren.

Mack MacReady (as David B. Maccabee) as Immigration Officer: Mack MacReady is known for Dark Winds (2022), Still and the Spot (2015) and Quantum Leap (1989).

Owen Rutledge as Lester "Doc" Fuller (mirror image): Owen Rutledge is known for Point Break (1991), Quantum Leap (1989) and Cyber Seeker (1993).

Brandon Loomis as Scorekeeper: Brandon Loomis is known for xXx: State of the Union (2005), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007).

Guests Who Appeared in Other Episodes of Quantum Leap:

Royce D. Applegate played "Sheriff Blount" in the earlier episode "The Color of Truth".

Michael Bellisario also played a little boy in "Camikazi Kid", "Martin, Jr." in "A Tale of Two Sweeties", and "Kid #2" in "Mirror Image". (Donald P. Bellisario's son)

Hank Robinson--who played an umpire in this episode--also played an umpire in "Genesis, Part II".

Brandon Loomis, who played Scorekeeper in this episode, also appeared as Young Jack Stone in "Dreams."

Say What?

It must be extra windy in the Imaging Chamber as Al's pants blow aroudn considerably.

A freeze frame is apparently used as Al goes through the Imaging Chamber door. This is very noticable.

Al says that a batter will ground out to short, but the shortstop throws the ball before he even reaches the first base.

Production Credits:

Theme by: Mike Post
Music by: Velton Ray Bunch
Co-Executive Producer: Deborah Pratt
Co-Executive Producer: Michael Zinberg
Supervising Producer: Harker Wade
Produced by: Jeff Gourson, Tommy Thompson
Produced by: Chris Ruppenthal, Paul Brown
Created by: Donald P. Bellisario
Written by: Tommy Thompson
Directed by: Joe Napolitano

Executive Producer: Donald P. Bellisario
Associate Producer: James S. Giritlian
Coordinating Producer: David Bellisario
Story Editor: Paris Qualles
Director of Photography: Michael Watkins, A.S.C.
Production Designer: Cameron Birnie
Edited by: Jon Koslowsky, A.C.E. & Michael S. Stern
Unit Production Manager: Ron Grow
First Assistant Director: Ryan Gordon
Second Assistant Director: Kate Yurka
Casting by: Ann Winthrop
Set Director: Robert L. Zilliox
Costume Designer: Jean-Pierre Dorleac
Costume Supervisor: David Rawley
Art Director: Ellen Dambros-Williams
Sound Mixer: Barry D. Thomas
Stunt Coordinator: Diamond Farnsworth
Sound Editor: Greg Schorer
Music Editor: Bruce Frazier

Panaflex ® Camera and Lenses by: Panavision ®

This motion picture is protected under laws of the United States and other countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.

Copyright © 1991 by Universal City Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Bellisarius Productions and Universal, an MCA Company

Podcasts:

Quantum Leap Podcast - Play Ball

Pinch a wad of tobacco and step up to the plate, because it’s time to Play Ball!

On this episode of the Quantum Leap Podcast, hosts Allison Pregler, Matt Dale and Christopher DeFilippis slide into QL’s fourth season with this celebration of America’s favorite pastime, Quantum Leap style.

Listen to The Quantum Leap Podcast on this episode here: