Hardball

In the early 1990s, Malibu Comics introduced Hardball, a four-issue series written and co-illustrated by Chuck Austen with Mick Gray. The story follows a professional baseball player whose life takes a dark turn when he becomes entangled with organized crime, blending sports drama with gritty crime fiction. Though brief, the series stands out as an early showcase of Austen's storytelling, offering a unique twist on the superhero-adjacent genres Malibu was known for at the time.