Casting Agent: "Breaking In"

It's Sunday, which must mean it's time for another round of Casting Agent, everybody's favorite baseball-card game. The rules: You choose, based on the photograph on the front of their baseball card, the perfect candidate for each role in a film or television show.

Musical television series seem to be popular these days, what with Glee and Smash and, well, maybe that's it. Could that mean that the premise is ripe for a third show? Today I'm casting "Breaking In," a sports operetta and star vehicle for real-life big-league brothers Paul and Rick Reuschel. Think of it as an all-singing The Bank Job meets Friday Night Lights.


"A" Plot: College World Series–winning teammates and twins Paul and Rick are drafted by the same major-league team. The twins are going in opposite directions—Rick's going to be a star and Paul rides the pine.

"B" Plots: The manager masterminds a series of bank robberies—committed by the veterans on the team—in the cities where the team is playing. Paul is making in-roads with the veterans' criminal schemes, while Rick is against the idea of committing a crime.

Characters

1977 Topps Big League Brothers Paul/Rick Reuschel

Paul and Rick Reuschel as Paul and Rick, twins with different baseball destinies

1976 Topps Bill Greif

Bill Greif as Wayne, Rick's pitching rival and team-bus getaway driver

1993 Stadium Club/Ultra Pro Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds as Lamar, a good-natured, generous veteran outfielder and safe-cracker

1980 Topps Bo McLaughlin

Bo McLaughlin as Manager Schnute, former major-league All-Star managing on his laurels. Also criminal mastermind.

1976 Topps Jim Bibby

Jim Bibby as Zero Sampson, veteran pitcher and do-gooder morally opposed to team's criminal activity.

1976 Topps Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson as Rifle Baby, tough-as-nails shortstop and sharpshooter enforcer

1987 Donruss Bob James

Bob James as Country Gold, veteran relief pitcher and loose cannon

Ridiculous boudoir photo of Frank Thomas masquerading as a trading card, 1993 Donruss Studio

Frank Thomas as The Big Hurt, power-hitting first baseman and muscle-bound enforcer

1981 Fleer Dave Parker

Dave Parker as Cobra, a legendary criminal con man, known for banking nearly $10 million in an unprecedented string of 57 daring robberies; special advisor to the team