A Leela of Her Own
Encyclopedia
"A Leela of Her Own" is the sixteenth episode in the third season of the animated series Futurama
and is a homage to A League of Their Own
directed by Penny Marshall
. It originally aired in North America on April 7, 2002. Bob Uecker
provided the voice of himself and Tom Kenny
provided the voice of Abner Doubledeal.
restaurant run by Cygnoids has moved in across the street from the Planet Express building. Leela convinces the others that they should go to greet their new neighbors. They find that the Cygnoids have much to learn about Earth customs. Fry
tries to help them get adjusted, first by giving them advice on how not to make pizza (such as not using live bee
s as an ingredient, not crushing rats to make wine, and not letting their relatives live in the pizza oven when not in use) and then by suggesting that they learn how to play blernsball (the 30th century version of baseball
as seen in "Fear of a Bot Planet
"). The Planet Express staff and the Cygnoids form teams and go to a blernsball diamond in a nearby park. While playing blernsball with the Cygnoids, Leela's lack of depth perception causes her to injure opposing players by beaning
them in the head. Gaining notice from Abner Doubledeal, the owner of the New New York Mets, who thinks that having a one-eyed woman repeatedly bean opposing players would be a good novelty act, she becomes the first female player to play professional blernsball. Leela sees herself as a pioneer for women in sports, but Jackie Anderson, a female star for a college blernsball team, tells her that she is an embarrassment who is making it harder for legitimate female athletes to be taken seriously. Leela is on the fast track to becoming the worst blernsball player ever and seeks help from Hank Aaron XXIV, a distant relative of Hank Aaron, who is currently the worst blernsball player of all time.
Leela, not wanting to be the worst blernsball player of all time, is delighted when she throws a strike to Hank Aaron after taking his advice. During the last game of the season, the Cygnoids sell their pizza in the stadium and their franchise is bought by Fishy Joe. With the Mets leading in the bottom of the ninth inning and two out, Leela pleads to be put in the game, explaining that she has been training with Hank Aaron. The manager gives in and Leela pitches to Jackie Anderson, who is making her professional debut. Leela throws two strikes, but on the third pitch Jackie hits a grand slam
and wins the game
.
Leela walks away, unhappy until Jackie tells her that she really was a role model after all, since she encouraged women to try harder than ever in order to prove that they were not all like her. Meanwhile, at the blernsball museum, Hank Aaron XXIV sadly leaves his post as the worst blernsball player ever (now occupied by Leela), with the head of the original Hank Aaron consoling him by reminding him that he is still the worst football player ever.
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
and is a homage to A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Directed by Penny Marshall, the film stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell...
directed by Penny Marshall
Penny Marshall
Penny Marshall is an American actress, producer and director.After playing several small roles for television, she was cast as Laverne DeFazio in the sitcom Laverne and Shirley...
. It originally aired in North America on April 7, 2002. Bob Uecker
Bob Uecker
Robert George "Bob" Uecker is an American former Major League Baseball player, later a sportscaster, comedian, and actor. Uecker was given the title of "Mr. Baseball" by Johnny Carson...
provided the voice of himself and Tom Kenny
Tom Kenny
Thomas James "Tom" Kenny is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is especially known for his long-running-role as SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as the live-action character Patchy the Pirate, Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on...
provided the voice of Abner Doubledeal.
Plot
A new pizzaPizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
restaurant run by Cygnoids has moved in across the street from the Planet Express building. Leela convinces the others that they should go to greet their new neighbors. They find that the Cygnoids have much to learn about Earth customs. Fry
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
tries to help them get adjusted, first by giving them advice on how not to make pizza (such as not using live bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s as an ingredient, not crushing rats to make wine, and not letting their relatives live in the pizza oven when not in use) and then by suggesting that they learn how to play blernsball (the 30th century version of baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
as seen in "Fear of a Bot Planet
Fear of a Bot Planet
"Fear of a Bot Planet" is the fifth episode in season one of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on April 20, 1999. The episode was written by Heather Lombard and Evan Gore and directed by Peter Avanzino and Carlos Baeza....
"). The Planet Express staff and the Cygnoids form teams and go to a blernsball diamond in a nearby park. While playing blernsball with the Cygnoids, Leela's lack of depth perception causes her to injure opposing players by beaning
Beanball
"Beanball" is a colloquialism used in baseball, for a ball thrown at an opposing player with the intention of striking him such as to cause harm, often connoting a throw at the player's head...
them in the head. Gaining notice from Abner Doubledeal, the owner of the New New York Mets, who thinks that having a one-eyed woman repeatedly bean opposing players would be a good novelty act, she becomes the first female player to play professional blernsball. Leela sees herself as a pioneer for women in sports, but Jackie Anderson, a female star for a college blernsball team, tells her that she is an embarrassment who is making it harder for legitimate female athletes to be taken seriously. Leela is on the fast track to becoming the worst blernsball player ever and seeks help from Hank Aaron XXIV, a distant relative of Hank Aaron, who is currently the worst blernsball player of all time.
Leela, not wanting to be the worst blernsball player of all time, is delighted when she throws a strike to Hank Aaron after taking his advice. During the last game of the season, the Cygnoids sell their pizza in the stadium and their franchise is bought by Fishy Joe. With the Mets leading in the bottom of the ninth inning and two out, Leela pleads to be put in the game, explaining that she has been training with Hank Aaron. The manager gives in and Leela pitches to Jackie Anderson, who is making her professional debut. Leela throws two strikes, but on the third pitch Jackie hits a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
and wins the game
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
.
Leela walks away, unhappy until Jackie tells her that she really was a role model after all, since she encouraged women to try harder than ever in order to prove that they were not all like her. Meanwhile, at the blernsball museum, Hank Aaron XXIV sadly leaves his post as the worst blernsball player ever (now occupied by Leela), with the head of the original Hank Aaron consoling him by reminding him that he is still the worst football player ever.
Broadcast and reception
In its initial airing, the episode received a Nielsen rating of 3.0/9, placing it 89th among primetime shows for the week of April 1-7, 2002.External links
- A Leela of Her Own at The Infosphere.