Take Me out to the Holosuite (Sisko appreciation)

[Thomas Elliot]

Man, I just started watching the first few minutes of this episode, and seeing Captain Sisko and the Vulcan Captain doing their passive aggressive verbal sparring is a delight to watch.

I'm not the biggest fan of DS9 as a whole, especially in relation to the previous series's and original films, but Avery Brooks really was one of the best choices to portray the next incarnation of Star Trek's captain.

Kirk, Picard, and Sisko all have their distinct personalties and styles and I kind of wish that somehow DS9 would have been more of a successor of TNG rather than a spin-off.

 

[Kilana2]

I'm not a fan of Baseball, but I like the team spirit that is shown in that episode. And I love the Ferengi parts in the game. Nice episode!

 

[DS9forever]

There were series before DS9? If you read comments by the TNG writers who went to DS9, I would think all of them preferred writing for DS9.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Apparently, Max Grodenchik is such a good baseball player that he almost turned pro. It was really hard for him to be bad at the game (as Rom) because he's so good at it.

Also, Cirroc Lofton is the nephew of Kenny Lofton . That's why Cirroc wore an Atlanta Braves cap during rehearsals because that's who Kenny was playing for at the time.

Fun fact: One of the Vulcan players was played by Ernie Banks' son Joey (who was also the baseball coach for the actors).

 

[kkt]

It would have been interesting to make Rom really good at the game and someone else, say, Jake, be the one to get kicked off. Or would it have been too harsh for Sisko to kick him off?

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I like baseball but I really hate that episode.

 

[Thomas Elliot]

In some ways though, this episode is a reason I didn't take to DS9 as much as I did TNG. TNG felt more in the future, more exploring the uncharted unknown of the galaxy, while DS9 was stationary, had a lot more comic relief it seems, and a lot of elements that felt a little too familiar and contemporary (like Sisko and Jake being such big baseball fans and having a baseball-centric episode).

On the other hand, I really like that Sisko is a fan of the old school game of baseball. Maybe because he's from what was the United States of America, he would have an affinity for an old but native sporting contest.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I don't go out of my way to watch the episode, and I don't jump to switch the program when it's on. It's light and fluffy, and it was a good one-liners (I always laugh at the notion of scotch infused gum).

In general, I think that Sisko's interest in baseball was among the franchises more successful implementations of a character trait. Picard's interest in Shakespeare played to the actor's strengths, but was at odds with his Gallic origins (yes, the French have good theatre). I don't think that Janeway's time with Galileo served the character well, and the less that can be said about holographic Irishmen, the better.

Brooks wasn't a big baseball fan, but I think that it was effectively used for Sisko. I like how the baseball on the desk could always be used as a prop for the actors, allowing them to express more physically. I loved how Alaimo used it to show Dukat's anxiety in Sacrifice of Angels, and I also loved how it was used at the end of What You Leave Behind to show that Kira was finally in control.

[ETA:] Piller took Behr to a Dodger's game in order to pitch the series to him. Behr had a terrible experience with TNG in his one season, but he was generally adored by the writers and respected by Piller. It was there that Piller said that the series would be different, and that in several years, it would be Behr's. I think that the references to baseball make an interesting outside reference to the creation of the series itself.

 

[Tenacity]

... and someone else, say, Jake, be the one to get kicked off. Or would it have been too harsh for Sisko to kick him off?

Would have been a good way to show how obsessed Sisko was to win, by throwing his own son off the team.

 

[velour]

If you have ever tried to teach a non-baseball fan the game of baseball, you can appreciate Sisko's attempt to teach the rest of the clueless crew the nuances, rules and tactics of the game.

All of the girls, Kira, Ezri and Leeta looked cute in their baseball uniforms. It was amusing seeing them throw like girls.

Apparently, Max Grodenchik is such a good baseball player that he almost turned pro. It was really hard for him to be bad at the game (as Rom) because he's so good at it.

Throughout the series, Rom was portrayed in such a way that made it seem as though Rom may have been somehow mentally challenged. Even though Rom was a competent engineer, the show gave the impression that his awkwardness may have been due to some mental handicap.

By the way, what was the music that was played before the game? Was that the Fed's anthem?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I don't think Rom was mentally challenged, just very very shy.

 

[kkt]

If you have ever tried to teach a non-baseball fan the game of baseball, you can appreciate Sisko's attempt to teach the rest of the clueless crew the nuances, rules and tactics of the game.

All of the girls, Kira, Ezri and Leeta looked cute in their baseball uniforms. It was amusing seeing them throw like girls.


Throughout the series, Rom was portrayed in such a way that made it seem as though Rom may have been somehow mentally challenged. Even though Rom was a competent engineer, the show gave the impression that his awkwardness may have been due to some mental handicap.

By the way, what was the music that was played before the game? Was that the Fed's anthem?

Clearly that's what we're supposed to think. Wonder if there are lyrics. (And is GR getting the royalties?)

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Clearly that's what we're supposed to think. Wonder if there are lyrics. (And is GR getting the royalties?)

There are no lyrics. And IANAL but even if there were, I highly doubt Gene's estate could possibly be entitled to royalties from something that was written and recorded after his death.

 

[Voth commando1]

I was not a fan of this episode for the way Vulcans were treated.

 

[kkt]

There are no lyrics. And IANAL but even if there were, I highly doubt Gene's estate could possibly be entitled to royalties from something that was written and recorded after his death.

I was making a leetle joke, sir.

 

[TheSeeker]

All of the girls, Kira, Ezri and Leeta looked cute in their baseball uniforms. It was amusing seeing them throw like girls.

Throw like a girl? Really? That's still a thing?

It's more apt to say they threw like people who haven't had a lot of practice at throwing a ball. The ability to throw something well is not some innate ability exclusive to men.

 

[Spot261]

I was not a fan of this episode for the way Vulcans were treated.

Sisko really came off quite badly to be perfectly frank and although it's good to see a captain with flaws I spent much of the episode wondering just how many duty hours were neglected just so he could beat the Vulcans. They came across as arrogant, he came across as childish and petulant.

Throw like a girl? Really? That's still a thing?

It's more apt to say they threw like people who haven't had a lot of practice at throwing a ball. The ability to throw something well is not some innate ability exclusive to men.

Surely Kira of all people should throw like someone who has plenty of experience tossing greanades?

 

[Voth commando1]

Sisko really came off quite badly to be perfectly frank and although it's good to see a captain with flaws I spent much of the episode wondering just how many duty hours were neglected just so he could beat the Vulcans. They came across as arrogant, he came across as childish and petulant.



Surely Kira of all people should throw like someone who has plenty of experience tossing greanades?

Sisko came across horribly, petty, vindictive, stupid and childish. I mean if I were a subordinate officer of his I would have been embarrassed.

 

[Prax]

Throwing baseballs won't help you with throwing grenades, but throwing grenades WILL help you with throwing baseballs.

 

[Tracy Trek]

I liked that Rom got something to feel good about.