Three Strikes, You're Out

Jessica goes to Scottsdale, Arizona for a writers' seminar, and then plans a short side trip to Tucson to visit another nephew, this time a high-prospect minor league baseball player named Johnny. He is a member of the fictional Titans, who train in Tucson. Jessica was about to check out of her hotel to head south to see her nephew when she learns that he and another minor leaguer have just been traded to the fictional major league team, the Comets, who have their spring training home in Scottsdale.

Other reviewers have nicely gone over the plot of this show, so I will forego another basic rundown of what was a nice, typical episode of this series that mixed in a bit of humor with the dramatic plot. I enjoyed the manager calling Jessica "Aunt Minnie" and trying to get her out of the clubhouse by suggesting he was about to take of his post-shower towel in front of her. It worked, as Jessica beat a hasty retreat for the door.

I wish to focus on the baseball aspects, and include corrections on some misinformation given by other sources on this website. The brief summary and story line combine to say that the two young players were "recruited" to play for the "Scottsdale...minor league...team." They were traded for a 35-year-old star thought to be on his way down-proving this was no minor league team. It was not mishandled in the show as far as I can remember (I just watched the episode), but people recounting it are a bit off.

One reviewer who normally does an excellent job recounting plot lines gets a few things mixed up. The club has one manager, Harry Dial, while the other "manager" cited, Irving Randolph, was clearly stated on the episode to be the club owner. It is also incorrectly stated that one player served prison time before changing his identity. He actually jumped bail before trial.

This reviewer identifies the two young players' agent, Al, as a sportswriter, and says he helped explain the game to others in his seating area. In fact, he only explained two simple points in response to questions from Jessica, one in each game depicted. The odd thing about those two scenes is that after telling Jessica what "WP" and "PB" on the scoreboard meant, he said nothing more to explain it to her. He didn't seem annoyed at her lack of knowledge, so I would have expected a one-sentence explanation of what is meant by the two rulings.

The biggest flaw in the show concerning the club's activities is that the Comets and Titans were supposed to be playing a three-game series of exhibition games. Teams do not do that in spring training. They might occasionally play a game at one team's home and then go to the other team's home the next day, but not three in a row at the same park, nor even two.

Another "goof" is that in his second game with the Comets, Jessica's nephew, a pitcher, is sent up to hit by the skipper as a pinch hitter. Pitchers in the National League in 1989 would rarely take an at bat in an exhibition game, and surely only if their turn came up in a game when they were pitching. Or course, American League pitchers who never batted all season in those years would not be hitting at all in spring games.

Another reviewer got mixed up on the two teams, calling one the "Tucson Comets." Not only was neither team based in either Scottsdale or Tucson for the regular season, but the one that was supposed to train in Tucson was the Titans.

In the trivia section comes the most erroneous tidbit, claiming the title "Three Strikes, You're Out" comes from "the umpire's announcement to the batter...when he has completed his time at the plate..."

Umpires on calling batters out on strikes never say more than "Strike Three" and not always do they say that much. The phrase, as most people know, comes from the chorus of the popular baseball anthem "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", written in 1908 and played at virtually every pro baseball park in the country at every game to this day.

Overall a good episode, garnering an 8 from this reviewer.

During the course of "Murder, She Wrote", there must have been 45028 epsides (give or take 45000) where Jessica Fletcher visits a niece or nephew....and "Three Strikes, You're Out" is yet another one. It seems that her nephew is a baseball player who was just traded to another team. Jessica comes to watch him in a few games and during this time, a woman is killed...and the killer made it look like it was a robbery turned bad. Of course, Jessica looks into it and there's more to it than some robbery!

This is a decent episode....but not an outstanding one. The mystery is okay but the nephew angle...well,...it certainly was overused. Still, if you can look past this cliche, it's not a bad show.

Have always been quite fond of 'Murder She Wrote'. It is a fun and relaxing watch that makes you think as you try to unwind in the evening. If one wants more complex, twisty mysteries with lots of tension and suspense 'Murder She Wrote' may not be for you, but if you want something light-hearted and entertaining but still provide good mysteries 'Murder She Wrote' fits the bill just fine.

While there are some excellent previous episodes to Season 5 (especially "Mr Penroy's Vacation", "The Search for Peter Kerry", "A Little Night Work", "Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble" and "The Last Flight of the Dixie Damsel"), which generally is one of the better seasons, not all the episodes are great. While it is better than "Truck Stop" (to me the weakest and strangest of Season 5), "Three Strikes You're Out" did feel a bit lacking.

The mystery itself engages in how the deductions are done and how it is solved and everything revolving the baseball and the conflicts behind the scenes were interesting, but there are far more inspired and crisper paced mysteries. As well as more surprising reveals and more believable motives, the nature of the murder was less surprising.

Neither are most of the supporting cast are that inspired as characters that are not particularly well defined. Only Anne Lockhart and Vince Edwards rise properly above the material or stand out. Terri Garber also fares very well in one of the juicier roles but she deserved more to do. There are no problems to be had with Angela Lansbury though, she's terrific.

Production values as ever are slick and stylish, love the setting here. The music has energy and has presence but also not making the mistake of over-scoring, while it is hard to forget or resist the theme tune.

The writing is mostly thought-provoking, light-hearted and amiable.

Overall, above average but lacking and less than inspired episode. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Jessica's nephew has a golden opportunity to pitch in Major League baseball - until murder steps up to bat. Average MSW, but still enjoyable. The setting is baseball and the politics are just as heady.

Anne Lockhart and Roxanne Reese portray the roles of dedicated sporting wives, who accompany their baseball-playing husbands to spring training camp, where murder is soon to follow.

Scottsdale, Arizona, marks the setting for this episode featuring professional baseball team hopefuls, including Kel Murray (Beau Billingslea), Pete Briggs (Shea Farrell), Johnny Eaton (Todd Bryant), Mike Warlop (Rick Dean), Avery Burns (Jake Jacobs) and Charlie Holcomb/Freddy Masters (Tim Dunigan), who has had to change his identity after serving prison time to qualify for the team.

Doc Evans (Bernie Casey) serves to nurse team members from pain and injuries, while Managers Irving Randolph (Robert Mandan) and Harry Dial (Vince Edwards) keep an eye on operations from field to locker room.

Television Sports Reporter Loretta Lee (Terri Garber) covers events before and behind the scenes for her station's pre-game program, while threatening to expose secrets harbored by various players and managers. (Note: this Loretta Lee is not to be confused with another Loretta Lee, in "MSW" #11.5).

Kel's wife, Nancy Murray (Roxanne Reese), and Pete's wife, Roz Briggs (Anne Lockhart), spend game time as spectators, along with sportswriter Al Sidell (Paul Sorvino), who helps to explain the game to others around the seating area.

Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) makes her second journey into Arizona this season, to attend a baseball game for the purpose of catching up with nephew Johnny Eaton, and, of course, to prove Johnny and his friend Charlie/Freddy innocent of murder when they stumble across a body in a room upon the floor of their hotel.

With another nephew in trouble, Jessica eagerly assists Lieutenant Caceras (Reni Santoni), who investigates the murder scene, in which the victim has been lunged against a chest of drawers, with fragments of broken glass lying about the carpeting.

Secrets begin to emerge, turning teammate against teammate, and officials against players, for when murder stalks the baseball diamond, it's "Three Strikes, You're Out!"

The cast is rounded out by Harry Robinson as Umpire, David Elliott as Young Officer, Ed Hooks as Bellman, and Harry Woolf as Fan.

This episode represents the first of two "MSW" appearances for Reni Santoni, the second of two for Harry Woolf, the first of three for David Elliott, and the third of four "MSW" performances each for Anne Lockhart and Shea Farrell.

In addition to his acting credits, Todd Bryant has also performed in the capacity of Stunt artist for nearly three decades. Vince Edwards, acting in film and on television since 1947, has unfortunately since passed.