Jamie Lee Curtis recently announced to Deadline‘s Hero Nation podcast that she and Ryan Murphy are teaming up for a Netflix limited series titled Outfielder. This will be the pair’s second project, as they previously worked together on 2015’s Scream Queens.
Outfielder will tell the story of Glenn Burke, a Major League Baseball Player who appeared to have invented the first-ever recorded high five in 1977.
During that time, a 19-year-old Burke played for the Los Angeles Dodgers when he raised his hand in the air in celebration of his teammate Dusty Baker scoring a home run in a game between the Dodgers and Houston Astros. Baker, confusingly in return, slapped Burke’s hand, which formed the infamous gesture. Baker’s home run was monumental because it marked the player’s 30th home run of the season. The record ultimately landed him in a group with other Dodger players who also hit 30 home runs.
Curtis, who will star in the series, told the podcast, “Ryan is producing a project I’ve been trying to get made as a producer for over ten years. I’ve had the rights to a project of the life of the man who invented the High Five.”
Following the iconic moment, Burke, who was openly gay, went on to play for Dodgers and Oakland Athletics from 1976 to 1979 before participating in the 1982 Gay Olympics in track. He also took part in the 1986 event for basketball. A few short years later, in 1995, Burke tragically passed away from AIDs.
In 2013, he was inducted into the National Gay and Lesbian Sports Hall of Fame. The following year, Burke’s high-five event eventually became an ESPN’s 30 for 30 special.
No additional details regarding the show have been released.
Published: Oct 19, 2021 10:11 am