Seinfeld Baseball References

Introduction

Taking place in New York City, the 1980s television comedy Seinfeld contained many references to both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Its name comes from main author and star, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, and is famously referred to as "a show about nothing". It is one of the most influential comedy shows ever aired.

Many of the baseball references are based on actual events and George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees play an important role in many plots as character George Costanza works with the Yankees for several years. George Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner, is always shown from behind and is voiced by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David.

Entertaining the Astros front office

George has a meeting with the Houston Astros about the possibility of interleague play. The Astros officials always call everyone a "bastard" or "son of a bitch" (George finds out "that's how they talk in the major leagues"). Those terms get George and Jean-Paul in trouble: Jean-Paul gets kicked out of Elaine's apartment, where he had plans to stay before the New York Marathon, and Wilhelm (George's boss with the Yankees) catches George yelling into the phone while the Astros front office men are calling from their plane. From wikipedia:seinfeld characters and culture.

How could you trade Buhner?

George Costanza's father repeatedly berates George Steinbrenner for trading Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps.

Mets attempt to woo George

In a meeting, the Mets make an offer to George for a vacant front office position at Shea Stadium. But in order for the Mets to hire George, they tell him the catch: He has to get fired from the Yankees first. In the end, however, despite George's valiant attempts to make Steinbrenner fire him (The Boss eventually is ready to fire George, but just as he is about to do it Wilhelm walks in and tells Steinbrenner that he made George do those things. Wilhelm is trying to get fired to get the Mets job as well), Mr. Wilhelm gets hired by the Mets instead. From wikipedia:seinfeld characters and culture.

Keith Hernandez

Jerry and George met Mets player Keith Hernandez in the locker room of their health club. He is a big fan of Jerry's comedy and he becomes awkwardly entangled with Elaine and Jerry. Kramer and Newman hate him, though, and they accuse him of spitting on them after a game (Newman recalls that it was June 14, 1987, Mets/Phillies, in which the Mets blew a 9th-inning lead and caused the Phillies to rally for the win). They later find out that it was his teammate, relief pitcher Roger McDowell, who had spit on them instead. Kramer and Newman apologize to Hernandez, and they help him with his moving. ("The Boyfriend", two-part episode)

Note that the Mets actually played the Pittsburgh Pirates on that date, and beat them, 7-3

Can you hit two home runs mister?

Kramer tells Yankee star Paul O'Neill he has promised a sick boy that O'Neill will hit two home runs in that day's game. O'Neill gets one home run and a triple with an error, but Kramer insists, "Come on, Bobby, that's just as good!"

And that boys is how you do it

During his tenure as assistant to the Yankees' traveling secretary, George is temporarily brilliant from lack of sex and teaches Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter how to hit. George hits home run after home run in batting practice. ("The Abstinence")

The Pledge

George sidetracks Danny Tartabull's promised appearance on a public television fund raiser to chase down a driver that he (wrongly) thinks gave them the finger. ("The Pledge Drive")

Other References

• Joe DiMaggio the Yankee Clipper

• Two of the secondary characters on the show, besides Jerry Seinfeld are Newman (first name never mentioned) and Cosmo Kramer; Kevin Newman and Kevin Kramer were the two top picks of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2015 amateur draft and have been teammates (and good friends) in both the minors and majors, leading to many joking references to the show.

• On July 5, 2019, to mark the 30th anniversary of the show's first airing in 1989, the Mets invited Jerry Seinfeld to throw the ceremonial first pitch before a game. Not only did he throw it from the mound with a full wind-up, but he also threw it sidearm and it was a perfect strike!

Further Reading

• Brian Murphy: "Buck says he's still losing money off 'Seinfeld' cameo", mlb.com, March 20, 2022. [1]