Clubhouse

I've watched about 3 episodes of this show, and too much emphasis is being placed on the kid. How much do 16-yr. olds know about the fast-paced world of sports? This is too family-friendly, I wish this would be on cable TV, to show the REAL underbelly of baseball, especially the fame, potential for substance abuse, the bad behavior, etc. For example, could you see a 16-yr. old batboy take life lessons from Darryl Strawberry or Dwight Gooden? Not hardly!

Clubhouse soft sells baseball trials and tribulations and turns it into this softball, cushy, feel-good family show. Dean Cain made a another career boo-boo, when he starred in this show. Maybe if he made peace with Teri Hatcher, maybe he could have a spot on the MORE successful "Desperate Housewives".

Ever since I discovered Jeremy Sumpter was the star of 'Clubhouse' I was hooked. I was excited for the premier, and it was amazing. I discovered that Jeremy isn't just super hot, but hes an amazing actor, too. He makes his character completely realistic and I love his facial expressions. When he was crying in the pilot, I cried too. The rest of the cast is amazing, too. Kirsten Storms' character; Betsy, adds humor to the show with her drinking problem and disregard for the rules. The only thing that annoyed be about the first two episodes, was how similar they were. In both, Pete was put in a situation where he has to decide whether to help the team, and possibly get in trouble, or stay out of it and become hated by them. If the show continues like this, I can see the ratings going down. Overall, Clubhouse is a great original show for everyone, its definitely different from the typical teen dramas. From the die-hard baseball fans, to the squealing fangirls, Clubhouse can be enjoyed by all.

CBS pulled the plug on Clubhouse way too early. A friend gave me the book that Clubhouse was based on. It's called "BAT BOY" by a guy named Matt McGough who was actually a bat boy for the Yankees. It just came out a few months ago, after the show got cancelled (kind of weird timing). As good as the show was, the book is even better.

A lot of the stories from Clubhouse seem like they came straight from the book -- the prank the players pulled on Pete his first day of work, and the potato cannon, and meeting girls at Yankee Stadium, and lots of other inside stories about the Yankees locker room and growing up in New York. Not much about his sister Betsy the JD, but that was actually my least favorite part of the show by far.

I even met Matt at a reading he did in New York last weekend. He didn't know if they're planning on releasing Clubhouse on DVD. But he did say that the book has a website, www.batboybook.com, and that he'd try to post any update.

The young actor reminds me of actor Hayden Christensen, who plays Anakin Skywalker in the "Star Wars" films. Does anybody else see they resemble each other? I actually thought it was the same actor! This was a fine series. Some stories were corny but several were thought provoking. Two episodes come to mind. In one, Pete sees a player using drugs. He is seen and threatened by the player. Pete must decide whether to keep his mouth shut or tell. He decides to tell. He keeps his job and also wins the respect of the team. Another good episode was when Pete and his friend must undergo an initiation. Pete showed his integrity when his friend got hurt. This was a good series and like "American Dreams" on NBC, got canceled.

I've seen three episodes of "Clubhouse", and I honestly have mixed feelings. I think Jeremy S. has real talent (he's 15 for cryin' out loud!) But, the script has a few loose ends. I'm just not seeing a connection between these two teens. I like the family connection between Pete and his Mom, it's genuine. Pete driving the Ferrari was a bit much, though i bet he enjoyed it. LOL. Who wouldn't? Anyway, I just can't see what age group this show is appealing to. I guess everyone, not sure though. So bottom line: can't see a bright future for this show, but I still have hope. I'll be watching this Saturday to see if my opinion changes. It's got a touch of everything, but it's just not enough. It could still change, though. Good luck to "Clubhouse"!!