t very real thought is enough for Bunbury to feel bonded with this character. It is a journey they are taking together, actor and subject indistinguishable from one another.Ginny Bak

TEMPE, Ariz. Matt Suhey Jersey . -- Washington State coach Mike Leach earned himself a big fine and some harsh words from Arizona State coach Todd Graham after accusing the Sun Devils of stealing signs this week.Even if the Sun Devils knew what was coming, they had a hard time stopping Luke Falk and the Cougars.Falk threw for 398 yards and three touchdowns, helping Washington State hold off Arizona State 37-32 Saturday night in a game punctuated by heated words during the coaches postgame handshake.I respectfully decline on grounds that I might be publicly reprimanded and fined, so any questions about them I really dont plan to answer, said Leach, who repeated the refrain four times.Leach irritated the Sun Devils and Graham this week by repeating a comment from last season about Arizona State stealing signs. Washington and Oregon both used sheets to block their signs from Arizona State last season, so the sign-stealing accusations were nothing new.But the Pac-12 came down hard on Leach for his comments this time, hitting the coach with a $10,000 fine. Graham retorted during the week and again during the postgame handshake, using a pair of expletives picked up by TV cameras that sent Leach walking away, but would not elaborate when asked about the encounter after the game.Thats between me and him, Graham said.Washington State (5-2, 4-0 Pac-12) had more trouble with Arizona States defensive scheme in the first quarter, unable to get anything going as the Sun Devils dropped deep into coverage and forced Falk to throw underneath.Once Falk adjusted, he picked the Sun Devils (5-3, 2-3) apart, leading the Cougars to 28 straight points, a run triggered by Robert Taylors 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.Falk hit Tavares Martin on a 9-yard TD late in the second quarter and Jamal Morrow on a 3-yard score in the third. The junior also laid the ball in perfectly for Gabe Marks, who became Washington States all-time receptions leader, on a 52-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that put the Cougars up 37-21.Falk completed passes to 11 different receivers and connected on 42 of 53 overall to keep Washington State tied atop the Pac-12 North Division with No. 5 Washington after its fifth straight win.We started off slow. Thats on me, Falk said. Youve got to put the ball in play and give it to our playmakers, but ultimately we did a nice job of having a gutsy win and finishing the game.Arizona State was down to its fourth-string quarterback after Manny Wilkins was injured on the opening drive and had four other starters out. The Sun Devils still managed to lead by 11 early and clawed most of their way back from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter.Tim White had a 70-yard touchdown on a punt return and Zane Gonzalez hit a 29-yard field goal to pull Arizona State within 37-32. But Falk and the Cougars ground down the games final 4:36.Wilkins ran for a 3-yard touchdown by hurdling a defender -- his third hurdle of the season -- before going out and freshman Sterling Dillon-Cole completed 7 of 16 passes for 86 yards in his place.Dillon did what he could do, he played with heart and all we had to do as an offense is keep him motivated and confident because you never know what can happen on the last series of the game, White said.INJURED SUN DEVILSArizona State was banged up heading into Saturday and it only got worse as the game wore on.The Sun Devils were missing two starters from their offense, Sam Jones and AJ McCollum, and safety Armand Perry was out with a turf toe injury.Wilkins did not play after the first series and linebacker Salamo Fiso, one of the keys to Arizona States defense, had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter.THE TAKEAWAYWashington State: The Cougars have come a long way since their 0-2 start to the season, keeping themselves on course for a season-ending showdown against the rival Huskies that could decide the Pac-12 North.Arizona State: The Sun Devils struggles against the pass continue and their offense could be in more trouble if Wilkins continues to miss time. Arizona State has lost three of four.UP NEXTWashington State plays at Oregon State next Saturday.Arizona State plays at Oregon next Saturday. Authentic Custom Bears Jersey . Those lessons were more than enough to overwhelm the Utah Jazz. Lou Williams scored 25 points and the Hawks continued their offensive upswing as they rolled to an easy 118-85 victory over the Jazz on Friday night, winning their third straight and for the fourth time in five games. Mark Bortz Jersey . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. http://www.custombearsjersey.com/custom-...large-576t.html . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. ?Kylie Bunbury took a deep breath before stepping on set. The upcoming scene required her character to engage in a rather tense conversation with her fictional mother, Janet Baker (Chastity Dotson), and her agent, Amelia Slater (Ali Larter). She was prepared. She had studied. She put her all into that seemingly fleeting moment.Bunbury morphed into Ginny Baker, the first female Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher and lead for the new Fox television show Pitch, which premieres Sept. 22. This potentially ground-breaking character is a sign of hope for little girls who aspire to join the league, for those who were steered out of baseball because there wasnt an end goal, and for women who love the game but have never found a home within the sport.However, Ginny Baker is not real. There has never been a woman who stared down a batter from the mound of the San Diego Padres Petco Park.?Baker hasnt shattered the glass ceiling to become the first woman to start in an MLB game. She hasnt walked a player or thrown a single strike. She hasnt done these things, because she, in fact, does not exist.?At least, not yet.Theres a mockup of a Sports Illustrated Cover on the shows Los Angeles-based set (they also filmed in San Diego). The image shows Ginny Baker throwing a pitch, and hangs right outside of showrunner Kevin Falls (Minority Report, Franklin & Bash) office. But upon first glance the image almost looks like Mone Davis, the real-life 15-year-old female pitcher from Philadelphia who helped lead her team to the Little League World Series in 2014. Which begs the question: Without Davis, would there be a Baker?[Mone] turned out to be a terrific [reference] for us, said Rick Singer (Younger, American Dad!), one of the shows creators and co-executive producer, who developed the concept with film veteran Tony Bill (Flyboys, The Sting).The trick, however, was finding the right person to play Baker. Enter Kylie Bunbury (Under the Dome, Twisted). She received two scenes via email and was immediately intrigued by the script, and by the opportunity to play someone making history, or herstory in this case.The moment Bunbury, 27, stepped into the room, Singer sat up in his chair. He silently prayed that she had the acting chops. Theyd seen countless actresses, but none had fit the bill. They needed a great talent whom viewers would buy as an athlete.That combination made it a really elusive role, Singer said.Bunbury, however, has athleticism in her blood, which was visible from the moment she walked in for her audition. As the daughter of retired Canadian pro soccer player Alex Bunbury, she was someone for whom sports were a way of life.One thing that was instantly relatable for Bunbury was Bakers relationship to her father, Mike Baker (Michael Beach), a former minor league baseball player who helped her develop an enviable screwball. Baker was groomed for greatness. Her father pushed her, not satisfied with any accomplishment less than getting her into the MLB and ensuring that she thrived.Mike Baker is hard on his daughter, but he loves her. Family, for Ginny Baker, is complicated, and her relationship with both of her parents will be explored throughout the season.Growing up, Bunbury played basketball and soccer and ran track. But never baseball. So, in preparation, she immersed herself in all things baseball. She religiously watched the MLB Network, read baseball books and spent the two-and-a-half months before filming the pilot learning how to be a convincing pitcher. Additionally, she boxed three days a week, she said, just for body strength.Another layer of legitimizing the storyline was building a relationship with the MLB. With that agreement came access to stadiums, official team names and jerseys. But the shows creators didnt want it to become a long-form commercial for the league.I was very leery going in -- thats not what were doing here, Falls said.However, laying the groundwork wasnt enough. The storyline needed to paint Baker as a true competitor, who would stand up to the male brass of the league and teammates.She is an athlete that transcends sports, Falls said. Her gender may make her one of the most famous people in the world. However, her [priority] is contributing to the team in a meaningful way.But the tension within her own clubhouse is very real. Bakers team catcher, Mike Lawson (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), who is in the twilight of his career, isnt quite sure what to do with her, and the fictional Padres manager, Al Luongo (Dan Lauria), could live without the added attention she brings to the team.Baker does, however, have her supporters, such as teammate Blip Sanders (Mo McRae), who played with her in the minor leagues. Theres also team owner Frank Reid (Bob Balaban), who harbors a soft spot for her as well, or at least her notoriety.Part of the shows allure is that it directly tackles race and gender issues in an ingestible manner, while also imploring the viewers imagination. Bunbury accepts her responsibility whole-heartedly, and she hopes that real life might one day, imitate art.I gravitate towards strong messages and things that make an impact, Bunbury said while sitting on the couch in the on-set office of General Manager Oscar Arguella (played by Mark Consuelos), while working on the seasons fourth episode, which will be directed by Regina King. I think this show does that.Pitch will air at a timee where identity politics in sports have come to the forefront, reflecting the ways in which modern society processes conversations about racial justice and the treatment of LGBTQ people. Henry Waechter Jersey. The television show does not shy away from race or gender, and in this day in age it would be difficult to do so.In some ways the show was thrust into that position after Bunbury was cast to play Baker. Though much inspiration for Baker was drawn from Venus and Serena Williams, Jackie Robinson and Tiger Woods, there was no explicit intention of casting Ginny Baker as an African-American. Bunbury, however, brought Baker to life, immediately making her a woman of color, bringing forth interesting questions that might have been overlooked otherwise.?For instance, as a black female pro-athlete, would Ginny Baker kneel during the national anthem?Its a provocative question, and while the answer is unknown thus far, the character will face todays political and social conversations.Director Paris Barclay, who is an African-American man, noted, Someone is going to ask her if Black Lives Matter or not. And what is she going to say? Is she going to be able to face these issues?Ginny Baker could have gone the way of many lead television roles and been a white woman. That didnt happen because of Bunbury.I was enough, and I think that is an important message for anyone to know, Bunbury said. Youre capable. You are enough.Bunburys casting is not a gimmick. There is diversity throughout the cast and management of the show. From production assistants, the writers room, to camera operators, episodic directors and more, there are people of color and/or women making Pitch happen.What we show on television and in films is vital to the people that watch them, Bunbury said.The burden of leading a groundbreaking show as a woman of color heightens both the expectations and pressure put on Bunbury. Her being able to pitch well is essential to the shows success. If the audience doesnt buy into her enough to be able to suspend their own disbelief, the show is dead in the water.Weve all seen Tim Robbins in Bull Durham, she said with a laugh. So if I just dont ... do that, Ill be good.Every pitch Bunbury throws is essential to Ginny Baker as a character. Baker is not a miraculous find for the Padres. Shes not Henry from the 1993 film Rookie of the Year, a character who suffered a freak accident that gave him the ability to throw a 98 mph fastball at age 12. Shes not an alien who touched a magic baseball and stole another pitchers talent. Ginny Baker came through the Padres farm system before being called up for her shot.Even as she lets the taunts of haters, as she calls them, roll off her back, Bunbury, as Ginny, is committed to being in top form.While filming, she barely took lunch. She wanted to sneak in extra sessions with Gregg Olson, her pitching coach. Olson is a former MLB relief pitcher himself, winning the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1989. He worked with Bunbury two to three days a week during production. Before August, they practiced on a high school field, building up her arm strength and working on mechanics.I went into this not knowing what to expect at all, but she really put in the work. Olson said via phone. She is an athlete, so she gets frustrated when shes not throwing well.Pitching is about duplication.Pitchers have to be able to throw fastballs on the outside corner, and their mechanics need to be tuned enough to allow them to replicate that placement consistently. For Bunbury, the stakes are a bit higher. Every pitch she throws proves that she -- and by extension, women, particularly women of color -- is capable of achieving success in a mans game. Each time the ball smacks against the catchers mitt, Bunbury sees the payoff of her hard work, the game she built from her own athleticism and efforts.Shes amazing, Olson said.When Ginny Baker walks out onto the mound in front of screaming fans, Kylie Bunbury will transform into an icon, much like her fictional counterpart. It does not matter that Ginny Baker is not a real person -- the hope that buoys her character is. And that very real thought is enough for Bunbury to feel bonded with this character. It is a journey they are taking together, actor and subject indistinguishable from one another.Ginny Baker is me in these imaginary circumstances, she said.If Bunbury feels the pressure, she didnt allow it to show on set. She exited the scene with a bright smile on her face and immediately sat next to her real-life mother Kirsti, then placed her head on her moms shoulder. Her mood was upbeat, bubbly even.I never want to change, Bunbury says, exhaling. This role, which is groundbreaking in terms of portraying a monumental moment for women in sports, is momentous for Bunbury herself. And she feels it. I get nervous about that ... people thinking that Ive changed just because the circumstances of my life have.She looked out the window of Arguellas?office for a split second. There was nothing beyond the glass except the man-made set on Stage 28 at Paramount Studios. Then she took a deep breath, centering herself, which she does before starting each scene.But if I continue to put the work in and lead with love, Im good. Im chillin. ' ' '