| The Berenstain Bears Go Out for the Team | |
| Season 1, Episode 7a | |
| Series: The Berenstain Bears (2002) | |
 | |
| Air date | September 18, 2002 (Treehouse TV) January 24, 2003 (PBS) |
| Written by | Laura Kosterski |
| Directed by | Scott Glynn & Gary Hurst |
| Preceded by The Berenstain Bears and the Double Dare |
Followed by The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings |
“When Brother finally decides to compete, too bad it's Sister he has to defeat.”
—Sister Bear
The Berenstain Bears Go Out For the Team is the first segment of the seventh episode in season one of The Berenstain Bears. It first aired on Treehouse TV on September 18, 2002, and later on PBS on January 24, 2003. It is based on the book The Berenstain Bears Go Out for the Team.
Summary[]
Papa asks Brother to join Bear Country's cub baseball league, but Sister wants in as well. When Sister proves that she's a better baseball player than Brother, he has to practice his skills just in time for tryouts.
Plot[]
Brother, Sister, and their friends are playing baseball on Farmer Ben's farm with Farmer Ben himself acting as the umpire. As Freddie runs to the next base, Lenny catches the ball and Freddie returns to the dugout. Just then, it's Brother's turn to bat and he hits a home run. Papa walks in as Brother tells Farmer Ben the current score: two triples and three home runs. Amazed at Brother's skills, Papa suggests that he should try out for the Bear Country Cardinals, piquing Brother's interest.
Papa explains to him that Billy, a cub on the Bear Country Cardinals, was removed from the team per his parents' orders due to poor grades. Brother becomes interested and Papa promises to take him by the Cardinal clubhouse after the game, but it ends abruptly when Millie shows Brother that Dora, Farmer Ben's goat, ate the baseball. Later at the clubhouse, Brother and Sister marvel at the larger baseball diamond and sign themselves up for Cardinals tryouts. As they were leaving, Sister signs herself up for tryouts as well, and Brother tells her that the cub league is boys only.
Back at the treehouse, Mama was reading the baseball rules to Sister, and states that she can play for the Cardinals as there's nothing in the eligibility rules about girls. Brother reminds Sister that she'll be going against cubs that are good at batting, and Mama adds that there's more to baseball since it involves catching, running, and throwing, which Sister is exceptional at. Papa implores the cubs to go outside and practice, which Brother readily agrees to.
Outside, Brother and Sister both take turns practicing their pitching by throwing baseballs at a target on a sack. Brother hits the target, but Sister doesn't at first. At first, Sister hits the sack, but not the target. However, on her second try, she hits the target and rips the sack open in the process. Sister is amazed at her throw, making Brother slightly jealous. The next day, the cubs and their friends gather at Farmer Ben's farm and play another game of baseball. Sister catches the ball then throws it to Lizzy, knocking her on her bottom. Lenny then jokingly tells Brother that it'd be nice if Sister made the team and he didn't. The comment, however, made Brother more upset.
It was then Brother's turn at bat. Lenny's comments play out in Brother's mind, causing him to get his first strike. On the second pitch, Brother misses the ball and gets another strike. Lastly, Brother gets a strikeout and the teams swap places. It was Sister's turn to bat. She hits it with a powerful swing just after Lenny pitches it. Brother runs to catch it, but ends up backing into a puddle. He watches in humiliation as the ball lands in the lake with him.
Several concerned cubs run over to help Brother up, but he says he'll be fine after he makes the Cardinals team. Just after getting up, Brother fakes having arm pain. Back at the treehouse, Mama tends to Brother's arm and notices he overdid his practicing. Brother picks up a paddleball and rambles to himself on why Sister had to join the tryouts just because he was going to. Sister watches him from the doorway and catches Brother using his "injured" arm to hit the paddleball. Brother tells her that he's afraid she'll make the team and he won't due to her improving for the season. Sister encourages him to try out anyway and adds that the only reason she got better was because she had been watching Brother play. Brother decides to try out just for the fun of it.
The cubs then practice playing baseball with each other as they steadily improve for tryouts. On the day of tryouts, Mama and Papa wait outside the field for Brother and Sister as they both practice. When tryouts end, Sister runs toward Mama and Papa and tells her she made the team. Brother leaves the field dejected, but soon sports a happy disposition when he tells them that he made the team as well. Their coach remarked Brother's batting and Sister's throwing, so he made two extra spots for the Cardinals. Papa gives both cubs a hug and they all share a laugh.
Differences From the Book:[]
- In the book, Brother and Sister were wearing baseball clothes while they were playing baseball. In the TV episode, they were just wearing baseball caps.
- The opening quote is different.
- In the book, both Brother and Sister made the baseball team. In the episode, during tryouts, Brother and Sister's coach were so impressed that he opened up two more spots on the team, allowing both cubs to join him.