The Scooby Doo franchise has plenty of great episodes centered around sports, of all the professions seen in the franchise sports is easily one of the popular and most revisited in the franchise. "Scooby's Pinch Hits" never stood out to me as much as other sport oriented Scooby Doo episodes do, but memories of it were pretty decent. "Scooby Doo and the Minotaur" was seen a lot later and wasn't a favourite as a child to be honest.
Both to me are enjoyable episodes, though neither are great. "Scooby Doo and the Minotaur" is one of the episodes of 'The New Scooby and Scrappy Doo Show' that has grown on me a lot overtime and less mundane than remembered. My memories of "Scooby's Pinch Hits" are pretty much the same and for the same reasons, nothing special plot wise but the villain does stand out. Of the double bills, this is one of the more consistent ones quality wise.
"Scooby Doo and the Minotaur" (7/10)- Did find quite a lot to like here and it is one of the better Greek-set Scooby Doo episodes. Loved the setting, which is suitably exotic and the insides of the ruins are suitably creepy. The humour amuses and the mystery is fun and pacy, easy to follow without being over simple. The minotaur is far better and more menacing than that in 'Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo's' "Lock the Door it's a Minotaur", due to minotaurs being scarier and easier to take seriously when they don't talk. The perpetrator was a surprise, seeing as the episode did a great job making one think it was another person, and the gang are all on good form.
It did feel too short, very like "Scooby Roo" for instance, and the ending is too hastily wrapped up. Scrappy also doesn't add an awful lot here.
"Scooby's Pinch Hits" (7/10)- Entertaining if unexceptional. Had no issues with the animation, music or voice acting, Shaggy and Scooby and their chemistry are delightful and Daphne's stronger personality continues to refresh. Actually have never minded Scrappy in this show and the same applies here. The baseball setting is cool, the humour made me smile and laugh (courtesy of Shaggy and Scooby as per usual) and the ghost is suitably creepy.
The story though is very derivative and drags later on the thinner the mystery gets. Nothing surprises as well, with an it could only have been one person perpetrator.
Overall, nice. 7/10.
