They did this in India with the two winning pitchers getting contracts from the Pirates out of the deal.

Also, Michael Irvin did this in football, which practically works much better for this kind of idea since football rosters are much larger and more specialized (special teams, practice squad, etc). I didn’t watch a single minute of that show however.

Some of your ideas seem they could mix well for a reality show though.

Have Pete Rose host and he can tell losers “I’m sorry, you’ve struck out.”

It does sound like a terrible idea. Love the Next Iron Chef, even though Appleman appeared to be the best and got booted. Now I have to root for Trevino or my girl Friday.

Troy O’Leary is all over this
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/articles/2009/05/10/dose_of_reality_from_oleary/?page=full

1. Irvin’s football show and the Indian baseball show both only earned the kids tryouts. The football one was a camp invite (like any of the local tryouts teams sometimes do) and the Indian kids merely got their trip to the states to try out for teams paid for. For some reason I think teams aren’t allowed to be paying these kids for the tryout time, but some tv rules require payment.

2. You could do this better I think with an international group. Grab a bunch of kids from English (cmon, its a tv show) speaking countries not covered by the draft and put an actual contract on the line. I gotta think a crappy team would donate a couple of coaches for that.

3. I would do it a different way. Grab a team full of “not quite good enoughs” and follow them for a month while they train with a couple retired coaches for an eventual game (or series) against a team of retired players.

if all you wrote about was baseball. Ever write anything else? This is piece is hilarious.

The NHL used your idea a few years ago. They called it Making the Cut and it lasted to seasons. The players included were fairly divers, both in age and origin. You had former failed draft picks who were in their 30’s and others who had never been drafted and who were looking for a shot.
Every week a player, or multiple, would be cut, until the final week where 12 players would be left, essentially two full lines and two goalies.
In the last week, 6 NHL teams who were willing to participate would draft one of these players. I have yet to see one of these players in the NHL, some have had decent runs in the AHL but nothing more.
I watched the show and enjoyed it, it showed how much drive some had and how whiny and immature others were.
I would enjoy the same concept with baseball but think it would be harder to pull off, “Making the Cut” always had two teams worth of players, those who were cut were still on the show, but had to wear black helmet indicating they were a cut player. Although they were cut, they still had the opportunity to get back in the competition with another good week, and regain a white helmet, meaning your back in the mix.
I think if you assemble two 30 man rosters, so 60 players, and used the same principle with colored hats, they would be able to pull it off. Also, your idea of managing a little league team would be a good watch.

The Pirates signed two Indian pitchers, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, winners of an Indian reality show called The Million Dollar Arm. The show was in search of an Indian who could throw a baseball accurately at 85 mph.

I don’t think that you could come up with enough money to get an MLB to give 10 starts to someone off the street - but I think you could get a partner in one of the Indy Leagues for sure. You offer a million dollars to the Pirates, as far down as they are in MLB revenues, $1M isn’t much of a help. But offer that same $1M to the Somerset Patriots (for example), and you’ve got a solid marketing partner.