Although it may be a show about nothing,Seinfeldis also a show about baseball. From George Costanza’s tenure working for the New York Yankees to Kramer’s violent confrontations with baseball legends,Seinfeldhas repeatedly used baseball references and player cameos throughout its nine season run. This probably has a lot to do with the show’s co-creators,Larry DavidandJerry Seinfeld, both being dedicated New York baseball fans. David grew up a Yankees fan andfamously provided the rambling, scatter-brained voice of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in 13 of the show’s episodes. Seinfeld, raised on Long Island,is a life-long Mets fan who apparently couldn’t resist the opportunity to go on a fictional, televised “date” with Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez.
Seinfeld’s enduring popularity means that the baseball personalities who appeared on the show are still discussing and referencing their performances decades later. Mets manager Buck Showalter recently complained that he loses $19 every time his 1994 episode “The Comeback” airs, due to the cost of his Screen Actor’s Guild membership. Keith Hernandez borrowed a famous line from the show for the title of his 2018 memoir,I’m Keith Hernandez. Even the late George Steinbrenner, the famously fiery and temperamental Yankees owner, loved how he was portrayed on the show, calling it “spot on,” according to Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman.
After a long and bitter labor dispute between players and owners that resulted in a delayed start to the 2022 season, baseball fans are surely in need of both some humor and a reminder of why they adore America’s pastime. So fire up Netflix, grab yourself a Dinky donut, and relive these classicSeinfeldbaseball moments.
1. George Steinbrenner hires George Costanza
George Costanza’s journey with the Yankees organization begins in the Season 5 episode “The Opposite.” George has decided, given the abject failure that is his life, to do the exact opposite of what he would normally do, in all situations. So when he is summoned to Yankee Stadium for a job interview as the team’s Assistant to the Traveling Secretary, rather than politely flatter team owner George Steinbrenner, he decides to give him a piece of his mind. Costanza tells Steinbrenner, “We have watched you take our beloved Yankees and reduce them to a laughingstock, all for the glorification of your massive ego!” When George has concluded his rant, Steinbrenner simply exclaims, “Hire this man!”
Steinbrenner is seen here only as a silhouette, giving him a mysterious and threatening presence. ThroughoutSeinfeld’s run, the audience never sees Steinbrenner’s face. A cameo appearance from the real-life Steinbrenner was indeed shot, but never made it to air. Larry David called Steinbrenner’s performance in this cameo “awful.” The deleted scene survives on YouTube, where it has accumulated over 500,000 views, allowingSeinfeldfans to decide for themselves whether Steinbrenner really was an atrocious thespian.
Steinbrenner’s introduction to the series would provide another dozen scenes containing pure comedy gold. Steinbrenner’s monologues, which typically conclude with George slowly sauntering out of the boss’ office, could range from topics as diverse as Cuban cigars to eggplant calzones. These monologues would become a beloved staple of the show, thus solidifying this first entrant as essential viewing.
2. George Costanza teaches Derek Jeter how to swing
In the Season 8 episode “The Abstinence,” Assistant to the Traveling Secretary Costanza teaches Yankees sluggers Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams a thing or two about hitting a baseball. “It’s simple physics,” George declares before belting a few dingers in batting practice. Unbeknownst to Jeter and Williams, George is in the midst of a brief flirtation with abstinence and, as a result, his intellectual capabilities have suddenly skyrocketed. Did George Costanza, in a flash of brilliance, spark theMoneyballera? Williams was named an All-Star for five consecutive years following his appearance onSeinfeld, and Jeter similarly enjoyed a five season All-Star run two years after this episode aired. Coincidence or Costanza?
Jeter and Williams scheduled their cameos with perfect timing. Both the Yankees andSeinfeldwere about to become legendary fixtures of 90s culture. Just two years after “The Abstinence” aired, 40.5 million viewers would be watching the series finale ofSeinfeldand the Yankees would win the first of three consecutive World Series championships. There is noSeinfeldbaseball moment that better exemplifies the remarkable place the show had in American popular culture.
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3. Joe DiMaggio dunks at Dinky Donuts
In Season 3’s episode “The Note,” Kramer bursts into Jerry’s apartment and declares he saw Joe DiMaggio at Dinky Donuts (likely a fictional stand-in for Dunkin’). Jerry and George are skeptical of the claim, especially when Kramer asserts that he saw Joltin’ Joe dunk his Dinky donut into a cup of coffee. Later, Jerry and George watch in astonishment when they see DiMaggio dunking his donut at Monk’s Cafe. Kramer bangs the table and yelps to see if he can distract the Yankee Clipper. “No reaction!” Kramer says. “The guy is so focused, he can just black out anything going on around him. That’s how he played baseball. He dunks like he hits!”
DiMaggio was allegedly invited to make a cameo appearance onSeinfeldbut declined due to privacy concerns. It turns out Joe was indeed a real-life dunker and didn’t want to be bothered when dunking at his favorite coffee shops.
4. Keith Hernandez dates Elaine
“Who does this guy think he is?” wonders Elaine as Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez starts kissing her after their first date. “I’m Keith Hernadez,” Keith Hernandez thinks to himself. Thus was born a phrase that will stay with the Mets legend for the rest of his life.
In Season 3’s two-part episode “The Boy Friend,” Jerry becomes enamored with Hernandez after they meet in a gym locker room. Jerry gives Keith his number and they go on a man date, but then Jerry becomes jealous when his favorite ballplayer would rather go out with Elaine.
Hernandez has by far the juiciest role of any baseball player inSeinfeldhistory and does a surprisingly competent job with his scenes, despite a complete lack of acting experience. Hernandez, who says he’s only watched his episode twice, admitted he was “petrified” to perform on the show. These days, Keith is a broadcaster for the Mets and receives a nice annual residual check of around $3,000 thanks toSeinfeld.
5. Kramer punches Mickey Mantle
Cosmo Kramer seems to have a knack for running into Yankees legends. In the Season 4 episode “The Visa,” Kramer returns from baseball fantasy camp and reveals he was sent home early for punching Mickey Mantle in the mouth. According to Kramer, he initiated a brawl after intentionally hitting a batter and was grabbed by Mantle, who he then proceeded to “pop.” “I punched his lights out!” Kramer exclaims.
Although the action here takes place entirely off-screen, it’s a quintessential Kramer scene. Kramer bursting into Jerry’s apartment, distraught and bewildered, is one of the show’s most memorable recurring moments. Every time Kramer is introduced to a scene, he functions as an agent of chaos and can take the rest of the episode in any direction.
Mantle is mentioned in at least 3 otherSeinfeldepisodes, likely thanks to Larry David, who also memorably used an autographed Mickey Mantle ball to comedic effect in his seriesCurb Your Enthusiasm. David first became a Mantle fan in the 1950s and ranked The Mick as his favorite Yankee of all time in an interview withMLB.com.
