behind the dugout

There have been many references to baseball during the Simpsons long run on the FOX network. The most famous though has to be the 1992 episode named ‘Homer at the bat’ an obvious reference to the iconic baseball poem ‘Casey at the bat’.

The episode also featured references to ‘Pride of the Yankees’ as the team traveled from city to city via a trade, with pennants of the cities being visited. Homer also points to the outfield prior to hitting a homer ala Babe Ruth’s alledged (and disproven) 1932 blast in the World Series against the Chicago Cubs.

At first Mr. Burns wanted to field a team of Honus Wager, Three Finger Brown and Cap Anson, all who have passed on. Smithers eventually fields a team of current big leaguers. The epsidoe also featured a rib on the movie ‘The Natural’ as Homers bat Wonderbat is a spoff on Wonderboy used by Roy Hobbs.

In total there were 9 real life player voices and likenesses used. I’m going to take a look at what happened to these players in the episode as well as their remaining career.

Wade Boggs - gets punched out by Barney in the episode
Boggs had spent over 10 years as a member of the Boston Red Sox by this point. The following season he joined the New York Yankees at the age of 35. With the Yankees Boggs got his only World Series ring in 1996 and collected his 3000th hit on a homer (only player ever to do so) in 1999 while with the Tampa Bay Devilrays. Inducted into Hall of fame in 2005.

Jose Canseco - saving burning house
Word is the writers originally wanted Canseco to have an affair with Edna but his wife at the time said no. Canseco’s career took wild turns after this. He bounced a ball off his head in the outfield, blew out his arm pitching and spent the next 10 years with 7 different organizations. He only reached 100 RBI or more then 31 homers one more time in his career. (1998) He was out of baseball following a part time gig with the White Sox in 2001. He wrote a book that got the whole steroid ball rolling.

Roger Clemens - thinks he’s a chicken
Clemens was in the mist of a great rn in which he won 136 ames over the course of 7 seasons. He made 6 all-star teams and 4 of his major league leading 7 Cy Young awards following his apperance. Clemens is a sure hall of famer.

Ken Griffey Jr. -overdose of nerve tonic
Was just 22 at the time of the episode. Griffey 9 30-plus homer seasons in the next 14 years. While he never broke Roger Maris’ single season home run record he was a ten time All-Star and 1997 AL MVP. After 19 seasons of action in the majors he has 593 home runs and is a sure bet for Cooperstown.

Don Mattingly - kicked off team for not cutting sideburns
Mattingly, nicknamed Donnie Baseball, played only 3 more seasons due to pback problems. By the time of this episode his power stroke had disappeared and was no longer much of an RBI threat. Retiring after 1995 Mattingly never got a World Series ring as a player and due to the missed years his shot at the hall was gone as well. In his 14 years the Yankees only made the playoffs once, his last season 1995. Oddly, the Yankees did win four of the next five World Series without Mattingly.

Steve Sax - six life sentenses
A five time all star before the episode Sax played just 2 more seasons. Considering that in 1994 he played only 7 games it’s more like one. Sax could no longer hit and saw his average, OBP and SLG completely fall off the map. Sax now sells insurance.

Mike Scioscia - radiation overdose
Oddly 1992 was the end of the road for Scioscia. Never was particualy good hitter though he was a two-time all star. (1989, 1990) Scioscia began managing the Anaheim Angels in 2000 and guided the team to a World Series in 2002 after a 99 win season. The team has won the AL West three times under his command. (2004, 2005, 2007) Scioscia is regarded as one of the best managers in the game and was manager of the year in 2002 following a 24 game improvement from the year before and of course a World Series.

Ozzie Smith - lost in mystery spot
Smith played four more years. Never much of a threat for extra base hits and frankly his OBP was pretty poor, Smith is regarded as the best defensive shortstop in history. A 15 time All-Star including three seasons after this epsidoe. Smith retired after 1996 and thanks to a few backflips and a bunch of community service awards and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

Darryl Strawberry - only player to make it to the game, pinch hit for
Despite a muti-homer day Strawberry was pinch hit for by Homer. A move Mr. Burns called “playing the percentages” resulted in Homer getting hit by a pitch that scores the winning run. Strawberry never had 300 at-bats following the 1991 season. His cocaine and other run in with the law are widely know. His 24 homers in 1998 were the most he achieved after 1991 and only the second time he reached double digits after the episode. (1996) Strawberry won three World Series with the Yankees from 1996-1999.

External Link

http://www.snpp.com/episodes/8F13.html - fully details the episode