Fun
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Nostalgic
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Of all the great things about television, the greatest is that it’s on every single day. TV history is being made, day in and day out, in ways big and small. In an effort to better appreciate this history, we’re taking a look back, every day, at one particular TV milestone.
IMPORTANT DATE IN TV HISTORY: February 19, 1995
PROGRAM ORIGINALLY AIRED ON THIS DATE: The Simpsons, “Homer at the Bat” (Season 3, Episode 17). [Watch on Simpsons World.]
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: In its third season, The Simpsons were still coming into their own as a destination for celebrity cameos. Hell, this was still the stage of the game where Dustin Hoffman and Michael Jackson were using pseudonyms when they made their guest appearances. “Homer at the Bat” was one of the first examples of The Simpsons using celebrities as themselves to tell a story that is still incredibly grounded in Springfield-iana.
The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant’s beer-league softball team gets a jolt when Homer and his homemade wonderbat start knocking balls out of the park on the regular. But when the team’s success inspires Mr. Burns to make a bet with a thinly-veiled Artistotle Onassis character, Burns is taking no chances, and he commissions Smithers to go out and acquire some ringers.
It’s an interesting mix of big-name ballplayers from a 2016 perspective. Players like Roger Clemens, Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly, and Ozzie Smith maintain their lustre. Folks like Jose Canseco and Daryl Strawberry have far more controversial legacies. Nobody really remembers Steve Sax anymore. For a lot of people, the participation of these players in “Homer at the Bat” IS their greatest achievement. It’s hard to argue when you see what a great episode it is.
[You can watch The Simpsons‘ “Homer at the Bat” on Simpsons World.]
