Homer at the Bat

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"Homer at the Bat"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 17
Directed byJim Reardon
Written byJohn Swartzwelder
Production code8F13
Original air dateFebruary 20, 1992 (1992-02-20)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Couch gag
The family runs to the couch and bangs their heads together, knocking them unconscious. Maggie gets to the couch successfully.[2]
CommentaryMatt Groening
Mike Reiss
Al Jean
Jeff Martin
Dan Castellaneta
Jim Reardon
Episode chronology
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"Bart the Lover"
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"Separate Vocations"
The Simpsons (season 3)
List of episodes

"Homer at the Bat" is the 17th episode of the

Mr. Burns makes a large bet that the team will win and brings in nine ringers from the "big leagues
" to ensure his success.

The episode was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Jim Reardon. Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Sax, Ozzie Smith, Jose Canseco, Don Mattingly, Darryl Strawberry, and Mike Scioscia all guest starred as themselves, playing the ringers hired by Mr. Burns. Terry Cashman sang "Talkin' Softball", a modified version of his song "Talkin' Baseball", over the end credits. "Homer at the Bat" underwent a lengthy production, as the guest stars were recorded over several months in accordance with their availability. Most of the players were accommodating except for Canseco, who demanded that his part be rewritten.

The episode is often named among the show's best, and was the first to beat The Cosby Show in the ratings on its original airing.[3] In 2014, showrunner Al Jean selected it as one of five essential episodes in the show's history.[4]

Plot

Workers at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant are reluctant to join the plant's softball team due to its previous unsuccessful year, but eagerly do so when Homer mentions he has a secret weapon, which turns out to be his "Wonder Bat", a lucky bat he made from a fallen tree branch struck by lightning. They enjoy an undefeated season and earn a spot in the championship game against the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant.

Mr. Burns makes a million-dollar bet with Aristotle Amadopolis, owner of the Shelbyville plant, that his team will win. To ensure victory, Burns attempts to hire nine Major League Baseball all-stars for his team from the dead-ball era such as Honus Wagner and Mordecai Brown, but after Waylon Smithers informs him that they are all retired and dead, Burns orders him to find living players. Smithers recruits Steve Sax, Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, Darryl Strawberry, Ken Griffey Jr., Jose Canseco and Mike Scioscia. Mr. Burns gives them token jobs at the plant so they can play on the team, much to the dismay of the plant's players, and hires a hypnotist to boost his team's chances of winning. Homer is distraught when his Wonder Bat is destroyed by a pitch from Clemens during practice.

Before the game, seven of the nine all-star players suffer from bizarre mishaps that leave them unable to play: Sax is arrested by the Springfield police (who blame him for every unsolved crime in

Pitt the Elder
), Smith disappears after visiting the Springfield Mystery Spot, and Clemens is hypnotized into acting like a chicken. Mattingly and Strawberry make it to the game, but Burns kicks Mattingly off the team for failing to shave off his non-existent sideburns. Burns is thus forced to use his team of regular employees alongside Strawberry; Homer is benched while Strawberry plays his position.

With the score tied and bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Burns pinch hits Homer for Strawberry, noting that fielding a right-handed hitter against a left-handed pitcher will serve to their advantage. Distracted by Burns' strange signals, Homer is hit in the head by the first pitch, knocking him out and forcing in the winning run. The team wins the title and Homer, still unconscious, is paraded as a hero. The episode ends on a picture of the team, including Smith (who is seen as a hovering spirit) and a visibly angry Strawberry.

Production

"Homer at the Bat" was long in production.

California Angels.[5] Each player recorded their part in roughly five minutes and spent the next hour writing autographs for the staff.[8] In several cases, the writers were unable to get the player who was their first choice.[5] Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson, Ryne Sandberg, and Carlton Fisk were among the players who turned down the chance to guest star.[9][8]

Jose Canseco disliked the original part written for him and asked for it to be rewritten.

All the players were cooperative except for Jose Canseco, whom Al Jean considered intimidating.

San Jose Mercury News he responded, "that was 100 years ago," hung up the phone and did not answer any of the paper's subsequent calls.[10]

Ken Griffey Jr. became frustrated while recording his line "there's a party in my mouth and everyone's invited" because he had trouble understanding it. He was directed by Mike Reiss, and his father Ken Griffey Sr. was also present, trying to coach his son.[7] Roger Clemens, who made his own chicken noises, was directed by Jeff Martin, as was Wade Boggs.[6] Mike Reiss directed most of the other players.[7] Mike Scioscia accepted his guest spot in "half a second," while Ozzie Smith has said he would like to guest star again "so [he] can get out [of the Springfield Mystery spot]".[13] Don Mattingly, who was forced to shave off his "sideburns" by Mr. Burns during the episode, would later have an actual "haircut controversy" while he was playing for the New York Yankees. The coaching staff ordered him to cut his long hair, and he was briefly dropped from the team lineup for not doing so. As the episode continued to air in syndication, some people watching believed the joke in the episode to be a reference to the incident, but "Homer at the Bat" was recorded a year before the real-life benching happened.[11][13] Many of the guest stars, including Terry Cashman, Wade Boggs and Darryl Strawberry all admit they are more well known because of their appearance in the episode, especially outside the United States, Cashman having "Talkin' Softball" requested more often than "Talkin' Baseball".[13]

One of the hardest pieces of editing was the hypnotist segment, which featured several of the guest stars speaking in unison. It was difficult because the parts were recorded over a period of several months and thus it was hard to sync their voices.[7] Rich Moore was originally intended to direct the episode, but as he did not know anything about baseball he was switched with Jim Reardon, who was a baseball fan. Moore was given the episode "Lisa the Greek" instead.[14] Many of the player designs were difficult, because the animators had a hard time designing real-world people during the early seasons.[14]

Isotopes lineup

Mr. Burns' proposed team of ringers who, unbeknownst to him had all died, included right fielder Jim Creighton, who had been dead for 129 years.

Position MLB ringer Deceased player
2B Steve Sax Nap Lajoie
3B Wade Boggs Pie Traynor
RF Darryl Strawberry Jim Creighton
LF Jose Canseco Shoeless Joe
1B Don Mattingly Cap Anson
CF Ken Griffey Jr. Harry Hooper
C Mike Scioscia Gabby Street
SS Ozzie Smith Honus Wagner
P Roger Clemens
Three Finger Brown

Cultural references

The title is a reference to

Carl batting with a piano leg is a reference to Norm Cash of the Detroit Tigers, who once tried to bat with a table leg in a game where Nolan Ryan was extremely overpowering and threw a no-hitter.[5] The team name on Mr. Burns' jersey, the Zephyrs, is a reference to The Twilight Zone episode "The Mighty Casey", which features a team called the Hoboken Zephyrs. When Don Mattingly is forced off the team by Mr. Burns for "neglecting" to shave off his "sideburns," Mattingly privately states that he still preferred Burns to George Steinbrenner, the owner of the New York Yankees at the time. When Darryl Strawberry forces Homer to stay on the bench, Bart and Lisa jeer by repeatedly yelling "Darrrr-ull! Darrrr-ulll!, a taunt Strawberry was subjected to during the 1986 World Series
.

Reception

Ken Griffey Jr., the last active player to appear in the episode

During the previous season, Fox had put The Simpsons in a timeslot that meant it was in direct competition with The Cosby Show, which won the timeslot every time.[5] "Homer at the Bat" had a 15.9 rating and 23 share to win its timeslot while The Cosby Show had a 13.2 rating and 20 share. This was the first time a new Simpsons episode beat a new Cosby Show episode.[3][17] Former executive producer Sam Simon and current showrunner Al Jean named it as their favorite episode.[18][19] Regular cast members Harry Shearer and Julie Kavner disliked the episode because of its focus on the guest stars and its surreal tone.[7] They were particularly annoyed by the Mattingly sideburns joke.[6] Writer John Swartzwelder has mentioned "Homer at the Bat" amongst seven other favorite episodes The Simpsons he wrote (out of fifty-nine) that he "always enjoys watching."[20]

Roger Clemens, one of the nine players to guest star

Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, praised the episode, calling it "a great episode because the accidents that befall the pro players are so funny".[2] Chris Turner, the author of the book Planet Simpson, said the episode was the indication that "the Golden Age [of the show] had arrived".[21] Nate Meyers rated the episode a 4+12 (of 5), stating "the script makes great use of the baseball superstars, giving each of them a strong personality and plenty of pep (the highlight has to be Mattingly's clash with Mr. Burns)."[22] Colin Jacobson disliked the episode: "when ["Homer at the Bat"] originally aired, I didn't like it. While I've warmed up to the show slightly over the last decade, I still think it's generally weak, and I'd definitely pick it as Season Three's worst."[23]

Consequence of Sound ranked it number six on its list of top 30 Simpsons episodes.[30]

The Toronto Star named Homer's conversation with Darryl Strawberry as the "greatest conversation of all time, involving the word yes".[33]

sepia-toned, artificially aged footage of the show we just saw (a brilliant meditation on the nature of instant nostalgia that doubles as powerful instant nostalgia) is the icing on the cake, further proof that during its peak years the show went to insane lengths to get everything not just right but perfect."[34]

Legacy

The episode has been credited with helping to save at least two lives. During the scene in which Homer chokes on a donut, a poster explaining the Heimlich maneuver is on the wall behind him. In May 1992, Chris Bencze was able to save his brother's life by performing the Heimlich Maneuver on him, having seen it in the episode,[35] and in December 2007, Aiden Bateman was able to save his friend Alex Hardy's life by recalling the same.[36]

On October 22, 2017, Springfield of Dreams: The Legend of Homer Simpson, an hour-long mockumentary about the episode in the style of Ken Burns' Baseball, aired on Fox to commemorate the 25th anniversary of this episode as well as Homer's induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Among those interviewed were every player who appeared in the episode except Strawberry.[37]

References

  1. ^ a b Richmond & Coffman 1997, p. 82.
  2. ^ a b c Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Homer at the Bat". BBC. Retrieved July 18, 2007.
  3. ^
    ISSN 0190-8286
    . Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  4. ^ Ayers, Mike (August 20, 2014). "5 Things: Essential Simpsons Episodes". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Jean, Al (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ^ a b c d e Martin, Jeff (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. ^ a b c d e Reiss, Mike (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  8. ^ a b Kaiser, Tim (February 20, 1992). "Hairy problem dogs mattingly Don gets a 'toon-up' on 'Simpsons' tonight". The Evansville Courier. p. C2.
  9. ^ "Homer at the Hall". May 30, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  10. ^
    San Jose Mercury News
    . p. 1C.
  11. ^ a b "Truth Mirrors 'Simpsons' Fiction". Chicago Tribune. February 23, 1992. p. 3.
  12. ^ "How 'Homer at the Bat' came together - Sportsnet.ca". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  13. ^
    San Jose Mercury News
    . p. B2.
  14. ^ a b Reardon, Jim (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  15. ^ "The Making Of "Homer At The Bat," The Episode That Conquered Prime Time 20 Years Ago Tonight". Deadspin. February 20, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  16. ^ Castellaneta, Dan (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  17. ^ Saunders, Dusty (February 24, 1992). "As Bart Simpson might say, Emmy rules should get real". Rocky Mountain News. p. 44.
  18. ^ Justin, Neal (May 20, 2007). "Insiders name their favorite episodes". Star Tribune. p. 10F.
  19. Sun-Sentinel
    . p. 8D.
  20. ^ Sacks, Mike (May 7, 2021). "John Swartzwelder, Sage of "The Simpsons"". The New Yorker.
  21. ^ Turner 2004, p. 39.
  22. ^ Meyers, Nate (June 23, 2004). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season". Digitally Obsessed. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  23. ^ Jacobson, Colin (August 21, 2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season (1991)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  24. ^ "The best Simpsons episodes, Nos. 11-15". Entertainment Weekly. January 29, 2003. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  25. ^ Weir, Rich. "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes". Askmen.com. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  26. ^ Collins, Greg (January 23, 2004). "The Simpsons Got Game". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2007.
  27. ^ Molumby, Deidre (September 6, 2019). "The 10 greatest 'The Simpsons' episodes of all time". Entertainment.ie. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  28. ^ Reinagel, Eric; Moritz, Brian; Hill, John (July 7, 2007). "WOO-HOO! A look at the 10 best 'Simpsons' episodes ever — just in time for the new movie". Press & Sun-Bulletin. p. 8E.
  29. ^ Bruner, Raisa (December 10, 2019). "We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time". Time. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  30. ^ "The Simpsons' Top 30 Episodes". Consequence. December 17, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  31. ^ Goldman, Eric; Iverson, Dan; Zoromski, Brian (January 4, 2010). "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances". IGN. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  32. ^ "The Simpsons 20 best guest voices of all time". ThePhoenix.com. March 29, 2006. Archived from the original on November 16, 2006. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  33. The Toronto Star
    . February 28, 2006. p. D02.
  34. ^ Rabin, Nathan. "The Simpsons (Classic): "Homer at the Bat"". The A.V. Club.
  35. ^ "Mom says 'Simpsons' saved her son's life". The Pantagraph. Associated Press. May 22, 1992. p. C2.
  36. ^ Jeeves, Paul (December 15, 2007). "The Express: Boy saves pal's life ... by listening to Homer". The Express.
  37. ^ Zarum, Dave (October 22, 2017). "Takeaways from Springfield of Dreams: The Legend of Homer Simpson". Sportsnet. Retrieved June 5, 2021.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links