Back in February, it was announced that the Baseball Hall of Fame would pay tribute to “Homer at the Bat,” the classic Simpsons episode that aired 25 years ago and featured A-list MLB players like Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly, and Roger Clemens. On Saturday, The Simpsons got the ultimate honor when Homer Simpson was “inducted” into the Hall of Fame, which included his own plaque that referenced other baseball-related Simpsons episodes.
Homer Simpson gets inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame in honor of ‘Homer at the Bat’
Well, Mr. Burns had done it, the power plant had won it...
A notable missing reference is the season 11 episode “Brother’s Littler Helper,” where Bart is convinced MLB is spying on Springfield (it turns out they are, and Mark McGwire distracts them with a home run.) It’s probably a good idea the Hall of Fame didn’t mention that one.
Steve Sax, Wade Boggs and Ozzie Smith had a mini-reunion with Homer, and later that day, they played in the Legends Game:
If you happen to stop by Cooperstown, you’ll also find an exhibit for “Homer at the Bat,” complete with memorabilia and a TV playing the episode on a loop:
Ultimately, this is a celebration of a cartoon that wanted to show its appreciation for baseball, to invite the game’s stars to be as weird and funny as they could, and to poke fun at some of the storylines at the time, like Don Mattingly getting grief over his sideburns. Of all the Simpsons episodes in existence (and there are a ton of them), “Homer at the Bat” definitely deserves a celebration. Happy 25th anniversary.
