"Ball Four"...a 'lost' sitcom

From 1976, CBS's adaptation of Jim Bouton's book (starring Bouton) was cancelled after only five episodes. And while it sits in a studio vault somewhere, no episodes seem to be floating around. I recall that it was actually decent, outside of Bouton's performance...

All we have is the opening title sequence, with a wonderful theme performed by Harry Chapin...




Also existing is the opening credits to the pilot episode, with a more generic theme, but featuring WKRP's Gary Sandy as one of the stars...

BALL FOUR opening credits CBS sitcom pilot episode

 

I remember seeing an episode of that show before I read the book. The book was much better!

 

The book was pretty good (and controversial) , but I think it was watered down quite a bit for 1970s network TV. It would make a great cable show where it could be more realistic (and as a drama, not a sitcom).

 

Loved the book.
I can't imagine even attempting to make a sitcom based on it.

 

I can see one problem right off the bat (no pun intended) -- the cast was too damn big.

Also prime time TV, even by the '70s, is female. Having only one female regular, while not an impossible handicap, does make it a bit harder to establish a sitcom.

In 1983 the Hill Street Blues team tried to give the idea the HSB treatment in Bay City Blues, but that lasted only a little longer.

The book Ball Four is hilarious -- it should have been made into a feature film.

Bouton discusses the sitcom in "Ball Five", the updating chapter he wrote for B4's 1981 reissue.

 

How many episodes did this run? I remember the show vaguely but was distracted by other matters at the time.

 

The idea behind the TV adaptation of Ball Four was to make it the "M.A.S.H" of the Baseball world. It just didnt seem to really click, but all of Boutons books are excellent and make very funny reading.

 

Loved the book.

Didn't know there was a tv show.