The Losing Edge

Infobox Television episode
Title = The Losing Edge
Series = South Park


Caption = Kyle's cousin Kyle at the bat.
Season = 9
Episode = 130
Airdate = April 6, 2005
Production =
Writer = Trey Parker
Matt Stone
Director = Trey Parker
Guests =
Episode list = List of "South Park" episodes
Season list = Infobox South Park season 9 episode list
Prev =
Next =

"The Losing Edge" is episode 905 of the Comedy Central series "South Park". It originally aired April 6, 2005.

Plot

The boys of South Park are involved in a Little League baseball team, despite the fact that they all hate the sport; they play because of the enthusiasm of their parents. When they win their final game they are initially elated, thinking the season is over, but then discover to their horror that they have to continue playing in the state championships. They decide to lose their next game, and thereby get out of the running for the championship, but the teams they oppose have exactly the same idea. They compete with Fort Collins, Greeley, and Pueblo (shown as being full of Mexicans). While trying desperately to lose, they manage again and again to beat the other team, whose efforts at throwing the game are more effective. After the game against Pueblo Cartman suggests that the team needs someone who "really sucks ass".

Meanwhile, Stan's father, Randy, has taken up the hobby of being a "trash talking dad," being generally obnoxious at every game so as to get into fights with other, equally obnoxious fathers. While training to be the best fighter he can be, he becomes terrified when he meets the Denver team's "Bat Dad," who wears a purple Batman cowl and cape, is much bigger than him, and behaves like an over-the-top professional wrestler. He decides not to attend his son's game, as Stan and the others play the Denver game, which, if they win, will force them to waste the whole summer in the national circuit. The team drafts Kyle's stereotypically Jewish cousin, Kyle Schwartz (distinguished in a previous episode as "Kyle One") to join their team, knowing he is terrible at any sport. Even this strategy fails to work as the pitcher hits Kyle's bat with the ball, resulting in a ground ball and subsequent home run after Kyle rounds the bases with no effort from Denver to throw him out. The kids realize that while they were practicing being bad, the other team got "really good at sucking" - they can even "bat themselves out," purposely hitting pitches directly into South Park fielders' gloves. Just as it seems the South Park team is sure to win, Stan's dad shows up and begins harassing Bat Dad. The two get into a huge brawl that spills onto the field, and the umpires declare that if either man continues to fight their team will be disqualified. With the encouragement of his son and his team (though he doesn't really know why) and other illusionary people in his head (including Mickey Goldmill from "Rocky"), Randy gets up and keeps fighting, and the South Park team is disqualified, leaving victorious Denver to go to the national circuit. Stan tells his father, "You're the greatest," as he is led away in handcuffs by the police in his underwear. After hearing that, Randy jumps for joy as the song "You're the Best" plays.

Notes

- This episode is one of the few that shows the characters without hats, even Kenny is seen without his parka on. He is the blonde kid seen to the right of Kyle at Whistling Willy's. [http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/ FAQ at southparkstudios.com]

References