Selina attends a healthy eating event at Camden Yards with some very grumpy fast-food executives, where she also confides a secret to Amy. Mike holds a press briefing for some local news pals, save for the inquisitive Leon West. Later, with the Veep delayed, Amy and Dan are forced to entertain elementary school children.
Lowest-rated episode relies on cringe discomfort, barely sustaining 69.6 index.
Directed by Armando Iannucci · Written by Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche, Tony Roche
WAR
103.5
Wins Above Replacement
“Baseball” ranks #62 of 65 Veep episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 86.0 — Elite. The episode packs 90 scored jokes at 2.7 per minute, averaging 7.2 on craft and 7.1 on impact, with Selina landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Selina: 'Read my lips... Don't read my lips.'
Selina Callback Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Callback Amy · Gary: 'I meant for him.' — Amy's response after Gary says it must be tough that his dad doesn't respect him
Amy Gary Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Gary: Gary's call: 'You're right, I do do a proper man's job.' — closing his father's storyline while 'If You're Happy and You Know It' plays in the background
Gary Callback Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Dan: 'No. My first thought was, "there goes your figure," but I didn't say that because I thought it would be upsetting.'
Dan Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Unidentified character: 'You're very, very pregnant.' — whispered during children's song
All Jokes — 90 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Staffer: 'Food-nomenal. Really. It really is.' — staffer sincerely complimenting Chick-fil-A to the VP
Staffer Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Staffer: 'My bladder was like a fuckin' blimp.'
Staffer Observational Character Comedy Selina: 'If you ever want me to confess, don't rip out my fingernails, just make me eat like a vegan for a fuckin' week.'
Selina Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Selina: 'Yeah, feel my soul slide out of my ass.'
Selina Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Selina: 'This smells like the inside of a taxi cab.' — Selina about the healthy food
Selina Observational Character Comedy Selina: 'Orgasmic's more like it, right?'
Selina Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Bystander: 'I'll have some of what you're having.' — bystander response to Selina's 'orgasmic' comment
Gary · Amy: Gary's dad would 'rather me work here' — 'In catering?' / 'No, a baseball stadium.'
Gary Amy Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Amy · Gary: 'I meant for him.' — Amy's response after Gary says it must be tough that his dad doesn't respect him
Amy Gary Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Selina · Amy: Selina complaining about Ken the photographer's small, touchy hands and comparing him to Penthouse
Selina: 'Someone needs to tell him that he's working with the White House and not Penthouse.' — Selina about Ken the photographer's constant touching
Selina Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Amy: 'You stole a car?' — Amy's guess at what Selina's big confession is
Amy Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Selina: Selina's defense of her fertility: 'I could probably have unprotected sex with 30 men, one right after the other, and it would be totally fine.'
Selina Escalation Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Selina: 'I mean, no, it wouldn't be totally fine. I mean, that would be a horrible thing.'
Selina Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Amy: Amy: 'an unwed mother one aneurism away from the presidency? How do you think that plays?'
Amy Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Gary · Amy: Gary's bag has 'one big storage area and then 60 separate pockets' — the pocket quiz
Gary Amy Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Selina: 'Unless we go on some sort of special vacation to Mexico and... kill the doctor in the desert.'
Selina Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Amy · Selina: 'Father know? / What, are you kidding me? What am I, 15?'
Amy Selina Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Ken · Selina: Ken's aggressive 1D camera bragging: 'I have a 1D. It's more expensive, but it's a really nice camera.'
Dan: 'Business card bukkake'
Dan Wordplay/Pun Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Dan: 'Razor blades, a large amount of pain killers.' — Dan suggests Selina's stadium purchases
Dan Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Jonah: 'One day you're gonna wake up and you're gonna find your lungs have turned to pastry.'
Jonah Dark/Subversive Absurdist ★ Rewatch Mike: 'If it is, the best thing for her legacy is if she's assassinated before she starts showing.'
Mike Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Mike: 'Okay. I'll guess I'll just add this to the press release. People can start taking bets.'
Mike Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Amy: 'It's gonna knock the socks off of some seven-year-olds.' — Amy's sign-off after the pregnancy conversation
Amy Deadpan/Understatement Irony/Sarcasm Gary: Gary on the phone with his dad: 'Listen, the veep and I are gonna have our photo taken with the Orioles players... Shit, yeah. Shit, yeah.'
Gary Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Dan: 'Are you pregnant? Amy, come on, career-wise, that's like joining Scientology or getting a fucking neck tattoo.'
Dan Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Dan: 'Lion King DVD and two shots of ritalin.'
Dan Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Dan: 'I'd be the obvious choice for your replacement.' — Dan's first thought about Selina's pregnancy
Dan Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Dan: 'No. My first thought was, "there goes your figure," but I didn't say that because I thought it would be upsetting.'
Dan Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Amy: 'Thanks. You know, if it's a boy, maybe I'll name him after you. Call him fuck weasel.'
Amy Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Selina: 'Amy's practically having a baby about it.' — Selina's accidental pregnancy reference in front of officials
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Cringe/Discomfort Running Gag ★ Rewatch Dan · Child · Amy: Dan networking with an eight-year-old: 'My dad works in the state department. / Really? What position? / Trade policy executive. / So he knows Roger Aldrige? / Are you networking with an eight-year-old? / Yeah.'
Mike: Mike at the press briefing: 'I'd like to free that boy from the prison of obesity'
Mike Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Mike: The secret service agent fired for smiling — cologne excuse: 'It was Paco Rabanne. I mean, this is not the '80s anymore, right?'
Mike Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Mike: 'Nobody wears that stuff. Sean might. You'd probably rather drink it, though. Right, Sean?'
Mike Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Leon West: Okay, every which way but douche, I want you to answer my question now.
Leon: 'Okay, every which way but douche, I want you to answer my question now.'
Leon Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Mike: 'I believe, ahem, you asked a boring question, Leon, and I gave a boring answer. That's like carbon offsetting.'
Mike Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Mike: 'You're calling the vice president repugnant? That's a very emotive term, sir, and a little prissy, I might add.'
Mike Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Leon: 'I spent a night in jail when I was 19 once. That was more fun than this.'
Leon Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Selina: 'Well, if we get trapped here another minute, I'm gonna kill you and eat you, because I will not eat another fuckin' falafel.'
Selina Dark/Subversive Escalation ★ Rewatch Selina: 'Hey, Jimmy fuckin' Olsen, get lost before I shove that thing up your ass and give you another kind of red eye to worry about.'
Selina Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Selina: Hey, Jimmy fuckin' Olsen, get lost before I shove that thing up your ass and give you another kind of red eye to worry about.
Selina Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Selina · Gary: 'Could you lip-read earlier when I was talking about you to Amy? / No. / Oh, that's too bad. It was all good.'
Selina · Gary: Could you lip-read earlier when I was talking about you to Amy? / No. / Oh, that's too bad. It was all good.
Mike · Amy: Mike's pen cap — 'Can I get the pen cap, too? This came with a pen cap. / The pen cap. Where was the pen... in your mouth? Did you put it in your mouth?'
Mike Amy Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Selina: Selina trying not to move her lips while Amy relays pregnancy news: 'Ugh, I can't move my lips.'
Selina Physical/Slapstick Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Gary: Gary's baby fantasy: 'I can carry the baby around in a little sling or something like that.'
Gary Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Dan: 'Is Jonah the dad? Is that why you look like you wanna drink a bottle of Drano?'
Dan Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Dan: 'I don't blame you. That's gonna be a long labor. They're gonna be pulling that kid out of you in shifts.'
Dan Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Selina · Jonah: Selina's baseball ignorance — 'all three players are starting pitchers': 'You don't have multiple starting pitchers. There's one pitcher's mound. You see one mound or three mounds?'
Gary: Gary on the phone with his dad: 'I'm with the team... my playas. Boom shaka laka. That's how they talk.'
Gary Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Gary · Pharmacist: Gary buying all the pregnancy tests — pharmacy worker: 'I hope you get the result you're looking for.' / Gary: 'No, it's not for me. It's my sister.'
Pharmacist: Gary in the pharmacy: 'I'd hold off on the maternity underwear.'
Gary: Isn't this nice how the lettering works on these... on these tops?
Gary Cringe/Discomfort Reaction Beat Callback Selina: 'No, it's not impossible. I'm not that old. / All right, you over that bombshell? Because that bombshell just gave birth to a bigger bombshell.'
Selina Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Selina: 'You proposed by giving me some sort of a ring in a heart-shaped, fuckin' oyster thing or something.'
Selina Character Comedy Absurdist Selina: You proposed by giving me some sort of a ring in a heart-shaped, fuckin' oyster thing or something.
Selina Character Comedy Absurdist Selina: 'You know, the key is in the details, though, Ted.'
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Selina: 'I don't know how fucking big my finger is, Ted! Just be a man, stand up, get the fuckin' ring, all right?'
Selina Character Comedy Escalation Ken: Ken overhears the engagement and immediately offers congratulations: 'I just... you're getting married. I wanted to be the first one to offer my congratulations.'
Ken Cringe/Discomfort Running Gag ★ Rewatch Callback Selina: 'Read my lips... Don't read my lips.'
Selina Callback Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Callback Selina: Selina meets Jim Palmer (baseball legend): 'Oh, yes, that is a wonderful thing to be in... in the hall of fame, for sure.'
Selina Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Dan: 'My guitar is for seduction, not crowd control, all right? Granted, on a good night that's one and the same, but still.'
Dan Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Leon: Leon in the school: 'She's here yet? No. Of course not, because she hates punctuality almost as much as good governance.'
Leon Irony/Sarcasm Observational Dan: Dan playing 'Frère Jacques' on guitar for children while crisis unfolds around him
Dan Visual Gag Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Callback Selina · Sue: Sue and the fake engagement backstory: 'Children of Courage Awards — Would he have proposed then? / No, no, uh-uh. That's kids with alopecia, their mothers are on crack... that's a complete freak show.'
Selina Sue Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Selina · Sue: Ted proposed to me about six to eight weeks ago, okay? / Oh, congratulations, ma'am. / No, no, no, he didn't really. We're just gonna pretend that he did.
Dan: Dan's guitar lesson for kids: 'You'll figure that out when you get older.' — referring to the mood of minor seventh chords
Dan Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Child: Child's review of Dan's guitar performance: 'No.'
Child Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Dan: Dan's response to the child: 'Hear that? No fun. You are no fun.'
Dan Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Callback Selina: 'Leon West is here. Oh, great. Now all we need are my parents on Skype.'
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Amy: 'We're gonna have more tests than you have pee.'
Amy Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Selina · Amy: 'Oh, we're gonna have Gary do the tests. / How will that work? / No, not with his pee, Amy.'
Selina Amy Setup/Punchline Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Selina: 'Or a suicide. I haven't decided which.' — Selina on her options regarding the pregnancy
Selina Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Selina · School staff: Selina asking for water in a paper cup and getting a large plastic cup: 'This is... okay, it's in a plastic, clear... / It'll be fine. / It'll be fine.'
Sue: Sue: 'How should I know? / You think that as a woman I might sense some disturbance in the fuckin' "lady matrix"?'
Sue Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Ken: Ken asking to be Photoshopped into the Orioles photo: 'Ethically, no. I document. I don't invent. Do it yourself.'
Ken Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Callback Dan: 'The guy's like gay porn... He's everywhere.' — about Leon West
Dan Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Mike · Amy · Selina: The 'repugnant vs. pregnant' misunderstanding — 'I said she's repugnant. I said Selina's repugnant. / What? Why am I repugnant?'
Mike · Selina · Amy: Ma'am, if we just table this... I think we should just knock off the kid thing. / Lower that. / We need to get this over with.
Selina: So pleased to be shaking your hand right at this moment.
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Selina: Selina apologizing for being late to the children: 'I have never meant those words more.'
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Selina · Children: But I had to hang out with a bunch of boring grown-ups. / Boo! / Boo! / Boo!
Gary: Gary on the phone with dad while children sing: 'You're right, I do do a proper man's job.'
Gary Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Callback ★ Rewatch Callback Gary: Gary's call: 'You're right, I do do a proper man's job.' — closing his father's storyline while 'If You're Happy and You Know It' plays in the background
Gary Callback Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Callback Unidentified character: 'You're very, very pregnant.' — whispered during children's song
Selina: Selina's exit from the school: 'I wish I could be here all day.' — departing immediately after arriving
Selina Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Staffer: Staffer's closing observation: 'Waited all day for that.'
Staffer Deadpan/Understatement Reaction Beat