THE TWO-HUNDRED-MILE-AN-HOUR FASTBALL
Episode 8
Air Date: November 4, 1981
Written By: Stephen J. Cannell
Directed By: Georg Stanford Brown
At a baseball stadium a man in a player’s uniform is going to his car when he is approached by two men. After refusing to throw the game for money they beat him.
At a baseball field at Whitney High School Bill and Ralph are practicing using the suit for playing baseball. Bill has arranged a tryout for the local team; the Stars. He does this because recently two hitter and one pitcher have been attacked. Feeling angry because someone is attacking America’s past time he wants Ralph to go undercover to lure the attackers out. Ralph uses the powers of the suit to throw a ball at Bill which knocks him back and breaks his hand.
Later, at the stadium, Ralph meets Debbie Daniels; the team’s owner, Shortie Robison; the manager, and Russ Decker; the business manager. He tried out and once again pushes the catcher back and bust his hand with the ball going so fast that they can not clock it.
He is hired and later Ralph and Bill go to Debbie‘s mansion to negotiate the contract. While Bill faces a team of expert lawyers Debbie talks with Ralph. She advises him to keep his head with all the attention he is receiving and she shows interest in him but he declines.
Meanwhile, in a warehouse a group of men gather around a table with a number of guns on it. It is revealed that one of the men who is attacking players placed a bet against the Stars winning the Pendant and once he receives his winnings he will buy the guns which they will use to win a revolution in a South American country.
Later, Ralph arrives home where he is grabbed by the two men who is attacking ballplayers and they threaten him. As they drive off Ralph changes in to the suit and flies after them. He manages to stop the car but a bus almost crashes in to them and he has to save it while they escape.
Bill arrives at Ralph’s house and after discussing the case they talk about Ralph’s contract. Bill explains that while Ralph will have to pitch during class time he will be paid three million dollars a year.
During class Ralph is talking to his students about the French revolution. As the class ends Ralph informs them that he will be pitching for the Stars and will leave passes for them at the gate. They, though, don’t believe him.
Later, during the game, Debbie is in the owner’s box with Bill and informs him that the Three million will be paid in life insurance. She wonders who he really is due to the fact he lacks an Agent’s knowledge of contract negotiations.
On the field the Stars are doing badly so Debbie calls Shortie and orders him to put Ralph in play. He reluctantly does so. Ralph strikes out the batter winning the game.
Ralph watches an interview he gave on TV. Pam calls as she is watching the same program. She mentions that it is common for contracts to make it sound like the money is in a salary when it’s in fact insurance. Bill manages to get through the mob of reporters and in to the house. Ralph asks about the money which Bill confess is in insurance.
Later, Ralph is in front of his class. He notices that there upset about something so he asks them about it and they reveal that they are afraid of losing Ralph to his newfound fame. He assumes them that won’t happen and asks why can’t he be both a teacher and a ballplayer. The conversation turns to his playing ability and he becomes slightly immodest causing the class to leave.
Later, Shortie calls the two men and tells them that they will have to take out either Ralph or Debbie. The two men don masks and one of them throws away a hotdog he was eating. The enter the owner’s box and chloroforms Debbie, abducting her.
By the dugout Ralph is practicing when he gets a holograph of the abduction. He calls Bill and they go to the owner’s box. Ralph gets vibes from the eaten hotdog and sees where they are keeping Debbie. He goes off to rescue her.
Ralph arrives at the house, find Debbie still unconscious, and quickly defeats the men. Bill arrives. When the men won’t answer any questions Ralph flies one to the top of a billboard. After Ralph returns with the man he tells Bill about their plan was really a gun running operation and that Shortie is the inside man.
Ralph brings Debbie back to owner’s box and changes clothes. She wakes up and on his advice she fires Shortie and puts him in the game. He goes in as a batter and after two strikes he hit’s a homerun knocking the cover off the ball. In the parking lot Bill arrest Shortie and Said how could you do it you of all people how could you do it to the great American pastime?.
Some time later, Ralph and Bill arrive at a sports bar. Bill tells Ralph that people are already forgetting and to prove it he ask the bartender about the player who helped the Stars win the Pendant. After a few moments the bartender vaguely remembers Ralph’s name. Ralph counters that he remembers.