The Game You Learn From Your Father

This week's Baseball on TV post is being turned over to Hardcastle and McCormick Directory and YouTube. That's right, I said Hardcastle and McCormick Directory and YouTube. Cut me a little slack, please.

A bit of background. I was hoping to find some footage of either Sparky Anderson as a sports talk show host on WKRP in Cincinnati, the softbal game between WKRP and WPIG, or The Greatest American Hero as a pitcher in the major leagues. But, somehow, I found two things that needed to be used today.

Hardcastle & McCormick was, um, it was...oh, I can't explain it any better than the opening theme song



Yes, that is Uncle Bill from Family Affair in the bathrobe, firing the shotgun, and delivering a two-handed sledgehammer-like blow to the bad guy's back. That is also Uncle Bill from Family Affair with the Hawaiian shirt and early 80's running shorts under the judge's robes.

The Game You Learn From Your Father was an episode that aired on March 18, 1985, the second season of the show. Here is the recap from Hardcastle and McCormick Directory:

When Billy Bauer is critically wounded committing a crime, he decides to come clean with the fact that, a number of years ago, he was paid $25,000 to frame baseball player Duke McGuire for murder. Although Bauer dies shortly after making his statement, there is sufficient cause to free Duke from prison.

Feeling partially responsible for Duke serving a crime he did not commit, Hardcastle is determined to help him get back into baseball. Deciding the best way to get Duke noticed is to stage a media event, Mark has the released player challenge baseball player Ron Cey to an exhibition. (RattlerRadio: Ron Cey must have needed a paycheck)

Impressed with Duke's abilities, California Stars owner Chuck Foster hires Duke. The judge quickly realizes that Duke is still someone's target when drugs are planted in the player's locker.

Investigating, Hardcastle discovers that Donald Farrell, the father of Nick Farrell, Duke's old rival, took a $25,000 mortgage on his house around the time Duke was framed. Confronting Donald, Hardcastle learns that Nick had borrowed the money.

Meanwhile, Nick, convinced his career will be over if Duke returns (and seeing his drug plan fail), prepares to shoot Duke. Although Duke is wounded, Hardcastle and McCormick manage to stop Nick in time to prevent the player from suffering any permanent injuries.

Okay here is the other thing that needed to be used today. A Joey Scarbury music video for The Game Goes On from the episode. The recap kind of gives it away, but still worth it:


Weird things in that brief clip from the show: Duke goes over to talk to McCormick before heading to the mound. The manager brings in a righty to face a lefty. Hardcastle is watching the game from the dugout. The radio announcer sounds like he actually knows what he is talking about.

Oh, and the whole Manchurian Candidate rifle thing. That's weird, too.

Stephen J Cannell, executive producer and creator of Hardcastle & McCormick, was a notorious recycler. He used this song in the above mentioned episode of The Greatest American Hero about four years earlier. And, yes, Joey Scarbury is the guy who sung the theme to The Greatest American Hero.

Try getting that song out of your head today. Believe it or NOT!

And that's your Baseball on TV post for this week.