You Gotta Believe (In Moderation)

You Gotta Believe (In Moderation)
Air date	January 29, 2006
Written by	Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, and Kit Boss
Directed by	Yvette Kaplan
Episode guide
Previous	Orange You Sad I Did Say Banana?
Next	Business Is Picking Up

You Gotta Believe (In Moderation) is the one hundred-ninety-third episode of King of the Hill. It was aired first on January 29, 2006. The episode was written by Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, and Kit Boss, and directed by Yvette Kaplan.

Synopsis

Hank's softball team, the Zephyrs, wins their final game after Dale manages to get a hit, with Hank later remarking that Dale won the game because he believed in himself. This win also makes the Zephyrs the first undefeated season for any softball league in Heimlich County. Hank is invited to speak at Tom Landry Middle School, however when he wishes to share his story with the baseball team, Principal Moss shares with Hank that the team was dissolved due to lack of money. Hank gives the "believe to achieve" speech, but when one boy asks how that will get the baseball team back, Hank is perplexed.

While thinking of a way to raise money to save the team Peggy suggests inviting a famous baseball team, The Ace of Diamonds and his Jewels (consisting of only three players, first baseman, catcher and pitcher), a team that plays comically and mainly to entertain the audience, much like the Harlem Globetrotters. The Ace of Diamonds and his Jewels are undefeated as their opposing teams play more for entertainment rather than to win. The Ace also has a tradition of donating the money raised from the ticket sales to charity. At a barbecue to celebrate the Zephyrs' undefeated season, Hank announces they will be playing the Ace of Diamonds and his Jewels. Hank also says that the Zephyrs could win, arguing that former MLB players like the Ace must be sick of doing all those goofy stunts and are looking for a challenge. Hank advertises the upcoming game as "The Battle of the Undefeateds".

As news spreads that Arlen Zephyrs team is playing the Ace of Diamonds and his Jewels dozens of people buy tickets and the stands are packed. The Ace, the leader of the team, privately tells Hank a few routines they do to make it entertaining, but Hank completely ignores these routines and bunts. Confused by Hank's attempt to actually win, Hank easily scores. After Boomhauer bunts and makes it to base, the Ace and his Jewels realize that Hank and his team are not going along with the program, and they angrily begin playing seriously. The Ace, a skilled pitcher, strikes out every single hitter while his Jewels prove to be incredibly talented batters. The game ends with the Ace and his Jewels beating the Zephyrs 63-1. Meanwhile, most of the audience has left because, with the Ace playing seriously rather than comically, the game became incredibly boring. Hank tries to say while they had a debacle, at least the kids will get the check. However, to Principal Moss and Hank's shock, the Ace gruffly drives off in his RV, keeping the check for himself. He retorts to Hank that if the Tom Landry team plays anything like the Zephyrs, they are better off without financial support. 

The game becomes an embarassment for Arlen, as local radio says men took their wives and kids to see a fun game and all they saw was "the Ace taking batting practice and the Zephyrs bunting". Hank realizes this is all his fault and he must smooth things over with the Ace to get the check. Hank buys a baseball program of the Ace of Diamonds and his Jewels and the entire Zephyrs show up in another town. The Ace, who has just finished one of his usual "fun games" and is seducing a female stadium employee in his RV, is annoyed at seeing "the Bunt Brothers", as he refers to the team that ruined his Arlen game. Hank protests that Tom Landry Middle School needs the check, and why was the Ace being stubborn given his public reputation as a philanthropist? The Ace reveals his ulterior reasons for each game: the charity gets the check, he usually makes a few thousand dollars when the entertained crowd often buys trinkets from him, and he often scores a roll in the hay with a native girl. But due to the Zephyrs' boring stunt, the Ace went to bed by himself that night in Arlen and had his RV full of unsold merchandise. Despite Hank's pleas for another, "normal style" Ace game, the Ace declines and goes back to seducing the lady. Hank uses his earlier "believe in yourself" talk to get the entire Zephyr team to rock Ace's RV. The Ace tells them to cut it out, but Hank says they can keep doing this in every city the Ace of Diamonds & his Jewels plays, for he knows the game schedule as Ace's wife sold him the program. Enraged that she is with a married man, the paramour promptly leaves. Realizing Hank has ruined yet another adulterous fling, the Ace throws the team the giant check and tells them to leave him alone. The Zephyrs cheer as Hank's prediction ultimately came true: they, and not the Ace, were the ones handing over the giant check. 

Back in Arlen, the Zephyrs watch the opening day of Tom Landry Middle School's baseball season. One of the players bunts, and Hank remarks he is glad to see baseball as to how it was intended, simple and loyal to its fundamentals. 

Trivia

The fictional baseball team "The Ace of Diamonds and His Jewels" is based on an exhibition softball team lead by Eddie "The King" Feigner and his four-man team known as "The King and His Court."

The name of the episode is a pundit of Mets Closer Tug McGraw's "You gotta believe." phrase during the '73 season.