It’s been 30 years since The Simpsons brought some of Major League Baseball’s biggest stars to Springfield for the classic episode “Homer At The Bat,” but not every player the show approached was game to appear in the outing. Even among the world of sitcoms, The Simpsons is famous for mocking its own guest stars. The Conners can poke fun at Aaron Rodgers all they like, but Springfield’s first family set the gold standard when it came to shows bringing celebrities on, only to roast them mercilessly for the sake of a gag.
Credit where it is due, many of these guest stars proved surprisingly game when it came to the iconic series poking fun at them. Early on the show, The Simpsons often featured guest stars playing original characters, as was the case in Dustin Hoffman and Michael Jackson’s cameo appearances. However, as the show entered its so-called Golden Age in season 3, The Simpsons made a habit of getting celebrities to play goofy parodies of themselves—a trend epitomized in one classic episode.
In “Homer At The Bat” (season 3, episode 16), Homer’s incredible winning streak sees the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant’s baseball team defy expectation and end up in a championship face-off against Shelbyville. Legendary Simpsons writer John Swartzwelder’s script for the episode soon jeopardizes this hot run, though, as the power-hungry Mr. Burns hires some of Major League Baseball’s biggest stars to “work” at the plant solely so he can use them on his team. The elaborate scheme backfires as a series of increasingly absurd coincidences result in the original team being reinstated as unfortunate fates befall all of the plant’s new acquisitions. The inspired episode managed to net a few major sports stars to play ill-fated versions of themselves, although a handful of players also turned down the chance to appear in the acclaimed outing.
Daryll Strawberry
While a lot of celebrities have played themselves on The Simpsons, few have been as open to mockery as Daryll Strawberry. Before appearing on the series, Strawberry was instrumental in the New York Mets 1986 World Championship win, while after his cameo the player racked up three World Championship wins for the Yankees during the ‘90s. He was no slouch in the comedy department either, with Strawberry playing a smug, sycophantic parody of himself on The Simpsons and nailing the tricky role. As Homer’s replacement on the plant’s team, Strawberry is a uniquely unlikable suck-up and the athlete plays the part to perfection, making it all the more hilarious when one of Burns’ delusional decisions results in him being benched and replaced by Homer at the last second.
Don Mattingly
A six-time American League All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger, Don Mattingly isn’t short in impressive achievements in baseball. However, The Simpsons’ mockery of the guest star is arguably as impressive as any of his legendary achievements thanks to a bizarre prediction. When the episode saw Mr. Burns demand that a beleaguered Mattingly “trim those sideburns,” the writers couldn’t have possibly known that they were setting in motion a decades-long theory that The Simpsons can predict the future. Sure enough, only a year later, Mattingly was benched by Yankees manager Stump Merrill on game day for refusing to get his hair cut at the last minute.
Jose Canseco
1986’s Rookie of the Year and 1988’s MVP, Jose Canseco is also a six-time All-Star and, as such, has earned his place in baseball history. However, to viewers of The Simpsons, he is just as well known as one of many guest stars who made life difficult for the show’s creators. Originally, Canseco’s self-parody was slated to sleep with one of few characters killed off by The Simpsons, Mrs. Krabappel, causing him to miss the all-important game. However, his then-wife objected and Canseco wanted to be portrayed in a more heroic light, forcing the writer’s room to alter his storyline.
Ken Griffey Jr
A thirteen-time All-Star, the great Ken Griffey Jr was also the last active player to appear in “Homer at the Bat.” However, despite his impressive sporting acumen, the athlete struggled when it came to the challenges of acting. Specifically, Griffey Jr had trouble with his now-iconic line “it’s like there’s a party in my mouth—and everyone’s invited!” although the quote ended up being one of the episode’s most memorable moments. Luckily, his father, fellow MLB star Ken Griffey Sr, was able to coach his son through the recording, resulting in a memorably hilarious cameo.
Wade Boggs
While The Simpsons’ Barney Gumble may have a pretty sad story when it comes to the series as a whole, Homer’s troubled barfly pal has a few moments he can be proud of. He successfully sobered up, won the Springfield Film Festival despite tough competition from Mr. Burns, and even knocked out baseball star Wade Boggs in an argument about British political figures. That’s no small feat, with Boggs being a twelve-time All-Star elected into both the Red Sox Hall of Fame and the Baseball Hall of Fame, none of which matters when he is left unconscious on Moe’s barroom tile.
Steve Sax
A five-time All-Star, Steve Sax can also boast of being named 1982’s Rookie of the Year and 1986’s Silver Slugger. Alas, none of this could stop The Simpsons’ Police Chief Wiggum from imprisoning him indefinitely on charges that were unclear at best. Arrested for every unsolved crime in New York history, San might have earned the additional accolade of being the episode’s most unfortunate guest star when he is informed that he clearly “watches too many movies” in response to his request to contact a lawyer.
Baseball Stars Who Turned The Simpsons Down
Perhaps understandably, given the fates that befell the characters who did appear on the series, some Major League Baseball stars turned down the chance to appear on The Simpsons. Ricky Henderson, Carlton Fisk, Ryne Sandberg, and eight-time All-Star Nolan Ryan all opted not to appear in “Homer at the Bat,” joining the long list of celebrities who turned down The Simpsons in the show’s prime. While it is tough to question the above quartet’s sporting acumen, it is also hard to deny that the group missed out on being a part of television history by rejecting the episode as proven by the enduring popularity of “Homer at the Bat” even decades after The Simpsons episode originally aired.
About The Author
