#’A League of Their Own’ Casts Nick Offerman as the Rockford Peaches’ Coach

Nick Offerman is set to play the team’s coach, Casey “Dove” Porter, Amazon Studios has announced. Dove is an ex-Cubs pitcher who’s brought in to coach the Rockford Peaches. He’s most famous for his forkball killing a dove in mid-air in the middle of a game (hence the nickname). He’s described as inspiring and charismatic and was thought to be MLB’s next big star until he blew his arm out after three years. He’s hoping that by making the Peaches champions, he can stage his comeback. It’s the series’ version of Tom Hanks’ Jimmy Dugan in the 1992 film.

Amazon Studios ordered the hour-long series from executive producers and co-creators Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham in August 2020. It evokes the joyful spirit of Penny Marshall’s classic and widens the lens to tell the story of an entire generation of women who dreamed of playing professional baseball. It takes a deeper look at race and sexuality as it follows a new ensemble of characters carving their own paths towards the field, in and outside of the League.

In addition to Offerman and Jacobson, A League of Their Own stars Chanté Adams, D’Arcy Carden, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Roberta Colindrez, Kelly McCormack, Priscilla Delgado, Molly Ephraim, Kate Berlant, and Melanie Field.

“28 years ago, Penny Marshall told us a story about women playing professional baseball that up until then had been largely overlooked. We grew up obsessed with the film, like everyone else. Three years ago, we approached Sony with the idea of telling a new, still overlooked set of those stories. With the help of an enormously talented team of collaborators, an amazing cast, and the devoted support of Amazon to this project, we feel beyond lucky and excited to get to bring these characters to life,” Graham and Jacobson said in a statement at the time. “It took grit, fire, authenticity, wild imagination and a crackling sense of humor for these players to achieve their dreams. We’re hoping to bring audiences a story with all of those qualities.”

(c) Columbia Pictures/ Courtesy: Everett Collection.

Joining Graham and Jacobson as executive producers are Hailey Wierengo and Jamie Babbit (who directed the pilot). Elizabeth Koe serves as co-executive producer.