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{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox Simpsons episode {{Infobox Simpsons episode
| episode_name = Homer at the Bat | image =
| caption =
| image = ]
| episode_no = 52 | season = 3
| prod_code = 8F13 | episode = 17
| airdate = ], ] | director = ]
| show runner = ] & ] | writer = ]
| writer = ] | production = 8F13
| airdate = {{Start date|1992|2|20}}
| director = ]
| guests = * ] as ] {{small|''(scenes deleted)''}}
| blackboard = "I will not aim for the head."
* ] as himself
| couch_gag = Everyone but Maggie runs to the couch, and all bang their heads. Maggie gets to the couch successfully.
* ] as himself
| guest_star = ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] as themselves.
* ] as himself
| season = 3
* ] as himself
* ] as himself
* ] as himself
* ] as himself
* ] as himself
* ] as himself
* ] singing "]"
| blackboard = "I will not ]"{{sfn|Richmond & Coffman|1997|p=82}}
| couch_gag = The family runs to the couch and bangs their heads together, knocking them unconscious. ] gets to the couch successfully.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season3/page17.shtml |title=Homer at the Bat |access-date=2007-07-18 |last=Martyn |first=Warren |last2=Wood |first2=Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>
| commentary = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]
| prev = ]
| next = ]
}} }}
"'''Homer at the Bat'''" is the seventeenth episode of '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki> ]. The episode involves Homer's boss, ], trying to guarantee victory in a ] game between the ] and the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant by signing several ] players. Things do not go as planned. "'''Homer at the Bat'''" is the seventeenth episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']''. It originally aired on ] in the United States on February 20, 1992. The episode follows the ] ] team, led by ], having a winning season and making the championship game. ] makes a large bet that the team will win and brings in nine ringers from the "]" to ensure his success.
The episode was written by ] and directed by ]. ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] all guest starred as themselves, playing the ringers hired by Mr. Burns. ] sang "Talkin' Softball", a modified version of his song "]", over the end credits. "Homer at the Bat" underwent a lengthy production, as the guest stars were recorded over several months in accordance with their availability. Most of the players were accommodating except for Canseco, who demanded that his part be rewritten.


The episode is often named among the show's best, and was the first to beat '']'' in the ratings on its original airing.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Cavna |first=Michael |date=2022-02-19 |title='Homer at the Bat' at 30: The landmark 'Simpsons' episode that pushed the show's boundaries |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/02/19/homer-at-the-bat-simpsons-baseball/ |access-date=2022-02-21 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> In 2014, showrunner ] selected it as one of five essential episodes in the show's history.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/briefly/2014/08/20/5-things-essential-simpsons-episodes/|title=5 Things: Essential Simpsons Episodes|first=Mike|last=Ayers|newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=20 August 2014|access-date=4 April 2018}}</ref>
== Synopsis ==
{{spoiler}}
The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team has gone through their season undefeated, and in the championship game, they will face the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant. Homer is the team's leading hitter, thanks to his homemade bat (a takeoff of the plot of the film '']'').


==Plot==
Mr. Burns makes a million dollar bet with ], owner of the Shelbyville plant, that his team will win. To secure victory in the game, Mr. Burns wants to hire major league stars, but Smithers tells Mr. Burns that the players he picked are all dead (mostly from the 1920s-1930s). Thus Mr. Burns orders Smithers to find some current superstar players and hires several ] players to work at the plant (Clemens, Boggs, Griffey, Sax, Smith, Canseco, Mattingly, Strawberry and Scioscia) and to play on the team, much to the dismay of the plant workers who got the team to the championship game in the first place.
Workers at the ] are reluctant to join the plant's softball team due to previous unsuccessful years but eagerly do so when ] mentions he has a secret weapon, which turns out to be his "Wonder Bat," a lucky bat he made from a fallen tree branch struck by lightning. They enjoy an undefeated season and earn a spot in the championship game against the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant.


] makes a million-dollar bet with Aristotle Amadopolis, owner of the Shelbyville plant, that his team will win. To ensure victory, Burns attempts to hire nine ] all-stars for his team from the ] such as ] and ], but after ] informs him that they are all retired and dead, Burns orders him to find living players. Smithers recruits ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Mr. Burns gives them token jobs at the plant so they can play on the team, much to the dismay of the plant's players, and hires a hypnotist to boost his team's chances of winning. Homer is distraught when his Wonder Bat is destroyed by a pitch from Clemens during practice.
However, the night before the game, all the players but Strawberry have different incidents that don't allow them to play. Because of this, Mr. Burns must use actual employees, but keeps Homer on the bench because Strawberry plays his position. Homer does get in, though, with the score tied and bases loaded in the 9th inning, when Burns wants a ]. The very first pitch ] ], rendering him unconscious and forcing in the winning run. Homer is then paraded as a hero, still unconscious.


Before the game, seven of the nine all-star players suffer from bizarre mishaps that leave them unable to play: Sax is arrested by the Springfield police (who blame him for every unsolved crime in ]), Scioscia gets ] as a result of working in the nuclear plant's unsafe conditions, Griffey develops ] as a side effect of being addicted to a nerve tonic Burns gave the team, Canseco gets caught up rescuing a woman's possessions from her burning house, Boggs gets knocked unconscious by ] after the two men argue about who the greatest ] was (Barney says ], Boggs says ]), Smith disappears after visiting the Springfield Mystery Spot, and Clemens is hypnotized into acting like a chicken. Mattingly and Strawberry arrive at the baseball field shortly before the game starts, but Burns kicks Mattingly off the team for failing to shave off his (non-existent) sideburns. Burns is thus forced to use his team of regular employees alongside Strawberry; Homer is benched while Strawberry plays his position.
During the credits, ], who wrote the song "]", sings a take on his hit with "Talkin' Softball".


With the score tied and bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Burns ] Homer for Strawberry, noting that fielding a ] will serve to the team's advantage. Distracted by Burns' strange signals, Homer is ] in the head by the first pitch, knocking him out and forcing in the winning run. The team wins the title, and Homer, still unconscious, is paraded as a hero. The episode ends with a picture of the team, including Smith (who is seen as a hovering spirit) and a visibly angry Strawberry.
== Trivia ==
* José Canseco was originally slated to wake up in bed with ] and miss the game, but Canseco's then-wife, Esther Haddad, objected.
** Because of the change, ] was listed in the credits, even though Mrs. Krabappel didn't appear at all in the episode.
* The players in this episode were an extremely talented group. They combined for 77 ] selections, 34 ]s, 7 ]s, and 4 league ] awards. They also won a combined 12 ].
* Smith and Boggs are the only members of the ] from this group
* In the DVD commentaries, Al Jean hints that 8 of the baseball players were really nice guys, except for one guy whose name rhymes with "Manseco". He later says that Canseco had a hard time saying his lines and was really difficult every time he was told to do a retake. As well, he insisted that his original part be rewritten, so he was written as a hero.
* As of December ], Ken Griffey, Jr. and Roger Clemens are the only remaining active players (Mike Scioscia manages the ], José Canseco plays for the ] in the ] ], and Don Mattingly serves as the New York Yankees bench coach).
* This episode marks the second time in the series that someone mentions the phrase "It's like there's a party in my mouth and everyone's invited!" Ken Griffey Jr. says it after trying Mr. Burns's nerve tonic. The first being ]'s exclamation upon sampling the episode's titular beverage in the season 3 episode "]". This line was parodied in "]", a season 3 episode of '']'', another cartoon created by ], when ] eats a very expired egg salad sandwich and exclaims "It's like there's a party in my mouth and everyone's throwing up!" Griffey had trouble performing the line, a number of outtakes of which are presented as a hidden feature on the ].
* At the time, only Steve Sax and Don Mattingly had played for the ]. Four of the other ringers would later play for the Yankees (Boggs, Clemens, Canseco, and Strawberry).
* Although the episode said the team was a softball team, it was actually a ] team as the pitcher pitched the ball overhand and the games were nine innings long (where as in softball, the ball is pitched underhand and in an arc and games are usually seven innings long). Also, Mr. Burns used ] players to play the games.
* Several of the players in this episode are purposely given distinctly different personalities than what they are known for. Darryl Strawberry, well known for being self-serving and hard to deal with is depicted as an ass kissing coaches dream. Jose Canseco, known for his self-promotion and grandiosity is shown as a hero who rescues everything a woman owns from a fire.


==Production==
==Cultural References==
"Homer at the Bat" was long in production.<ref name="Jean"/> It was written by ], who is a big baseball fan,<ref name="Martin"/> but was suggested by ], who wanted an episode filled with real Major League Baseball players.<ref name="Jean">{{cite video |people=Jean, Al |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Executive producers Al Jean and Mike Reiss doubted that they would be able to get nine players, thinking they would be able to get three at best. They succeeded, and the nine players who agreed to guest star were recorded over a period of six months,<ref name="Reiss">{{cite video |people=Reiss, Mike |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> whenever they were playing the ] or ].<ref name="Jean"/> Each player recorded their part in roughly five minutes and spent the next hour writing autographs for the staff.<ref name=paper>{{cite news |title=Hairy problem dogs mattingly Don gets a 'toon-up' on 'Simpsons' tonight |date=1992-02-20 |first=Tim |last=Kaiser |page=C2 |publisher=The Evansville Courier}}</ref> In several cases, the writers were unable to get the player who was their first choice.<ref name="Jean"/> ], ], ], and ] were among the players who turned down the chance to guest star.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theringer.com/simpsons-homer-at-the-bat-baseball-hall-of-fame-cooperstown-be0acb7666af|title=Homer at the Hall|date=30 May 2017 |access-date=4 April 2018}}</ref><ref name="paper"/>
* The episode makes several allusions to '']'', a movie starring ] and which is based upon ]'s book by the same name. Homer's secret weapon, his self-created "Wonderbat", is akin to Roy Hobbs's "Wonderboy". Both bats are eventually destroyed. The scene featuring the explosion of stadium lights as Homer circles the basepaths is taken directly from the film, as is the scene with the team and the ].
* The end song "Talkin' Softball" was actually re-written from an older song "Talkin' Baseball" by ], singer/writer of the song. Cashman has rewritten his lyrics several times for particular teams.
* The episode title is a play on the ] poem "]".


] disliked the original part written for him and asked for it to be rewritten.]]
== "Talkin' Softball" lyrics ==
Well, ] had done it</br>
The ] had won it</br>
With ] ] all the while</br>
]'s ] made us smile</br>
While ] lay unconscious on the ]</br>
We're talkin' ]</br>
From ] to ]</br>
Talkin' softball</br>
] and ]</br>
]'s grotesquely swollen jaw</br>
] and his run-in with the law</br>
We're talkin' ]...</br>
], and ]</br>
We're talkin' softball</br>
From Maine to San Diego</br>
Talkin' softball</br>
Mattingly and Canseco</br>
Ken Griffey's grotesquely swollen jaw</br>
Steve Sax and his run-in with the law</br>
We're talkin' Homer...</br>
Ozzie, and the Straw</br>


All the players were cooperative except for Jose Canseco, whom Al Jean considered intimidating.<ref name="Jean"/> He disliked his original part and insisted it be rewritten, and the writers grudgingly<ref name="Martin">{{cite video |people=Martin, Jeff |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> made him as heroic as possible.<ref name="Jean"/> He was originally slated to wake up in bed with ] and miss the game (in a parody of '']''), but Canseco's then-wife, Esther Haddad, objected.<ref name=sports>{{cite news |title=Eat My Sports: A Retrospective&nbsp;— Some Of The Sports World's Brightest Stars Knews They Hit It Big When They Guest-Starred On The Iconic Series |first=Daniel |last=Brown |date=2007-07-22 |work=] |page=1C}}</ref><ref name=truth/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/how-homer-at-the-bat-came-together/|title=How 'Homer at the Bat' came together - Sportsnet.ca|website=sportsnet.ca|access-date=2019-04-11}}</ref> He disliked his caricature, saying "the animation looked nothing like "<ref name=sports/> but said he found the acting was very easy.<ref name=other>{{cite news |title='Homer at the Bat' – Simpsons classic features all-star lineup |date=2007-07-27 |first=Daniel |last=Brown |page=B2 |work=]}}</ref> When asked in 2007 about his part by the '']'' he responded, "that was 100 years ago," hung up the phone and did not answer any of the paper's subsequent calls.<ref name=sports/>
== The team and why they didn't play ==
'''Batting order:'''


Ken Griffey Jr. became frustrated while recording his line "there's a party in my mouth and everyone's invited" because he had trouble understanding it. He was directed by ], and his father ] was also present, trying to coach his son.<ref name="Reiss"/> Roger Clemens, who made his own chicken noises, was directed by ], as was Wade Boggs.<ref name="Martin"/> Mike Reiss directed most of the other players.<ref name="Reiss"/> Mike Scioscia accepted his guest spot in "half a second," while Ozzie Smith has said he would like to guest star again "so can get out ".<ref name=other/> Don Mattingly, who was forced to shave off his "sideburns" by Mr. Burns during the episode, would later have an actual "haircut controversy" while he was playing for the New York Yankees. The coaching staff ordered him to cut his long hair, and he was briefly dropped from the team lineup for not doing so. As the episode continued to air in syndication, some people watching believed the joke in the episode to be a reference to the incident, but "Homer at the Bat" was recorded a year before the real-life benching happened.<ref name=truth>{{cite news |title=Truth Mirrors 'Simpsons' Fiction |date=1992-02-23 |publisher=] |page=3}}</ref><ref name=other/> Many of the guest stars, including Terry Cashman, Wade Boggs and Darryl Strawberry all admit they are more well known because of their appearance in the episode, especially outside the United States, Cashman having "Talkin' Softball" requested more often than "]".<ref name=other/>
* ]: ] (]): Arrested and sentenced to serve six consecutive lifetime in prison for every unsolved ] in ].
* ]: ] (]): Punched out in a bar fight by ] over ]'s greatest prime minister (] vs. ]).
* ]: ] (]): The only ringer who did play in the game, hitting nine ]; replaced by pinch-hitter Homer in the bottom of the last inning.
* ]: ] (]): Rescued a woman and her possessions from her burning house; after saving her child and her cat, the woman had Canseco save her various appliances.
* ]: ] (]): Kicked off the team by Mr. Burns for his "]" parodying a fight Mattingly had with Yankees owner ]. This is despite the fact that Mattingly never had sideburns and was still kicked off the team even though by then the entire middle third of Mattingly's head was shaved. Even so, Mattingly remarks that Burns was still better than Steinbrenner.
* ]: ] (]): Overdoses on nerve tonic, resulting in ].
* ]: ] (]): Suffered ] poisoning, leaving him unable to move or speak at normal rate.
* ]: ] (]): Lost in the Springfield ].
* ]: ] (]): Hypnotized into thinking he is a ].


One of the hardest pieces of editing was the hypnotist segment, which featured several of the guest stars speaking in unison. It was difficult because the parts were recorded over a period of several months and thus it was hard to sync their voices.<ref name="Reiss"/> ] was originally intended to direct the episode, but as he did not know anything about baseball he was switched with Jim Reardon, who was a baseball fan. Moore was given the episode "]" instead.<ref name="Reardon">{{cite video |people=Reardon, Jim |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Many of the player designs were difficult, because the animators had a hard time designing real-world people during the early seasons.<ref name="Reardon"/>
== Burns' first-choice team ==
When Burns gets the idea of acquiring ringers, he unveils a team of 19th century and ] players that he wants Smithers to sign. Smithers then has to tell Burns that all these players have retired and passed on, and that the right fielder (Jim Creighton) has been dead for 130 years.


==Cultural references==
*P: ]
*C: ]
*1B: ]
*2B: ]
*SS: ]
*3B: ]
*LF: ]
*CF: ]
*RF: ]


The title is a reference to ]'s 1888 baseball poem "]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://deadspin.com/5886723/the-making-of-homer-at-the-bat-the-episode-that-conquered-prime-time-20-years-ago-tonight |title=The Making Of "Homer At The Bat," The Episode That Conquered Prime Time 20 Years Ago Tonight |date=20 February 2012 |publisher=] |access-date=May 27, 2017}}</ref> The episode makes several allusions to '']'' (1984). Homer's secret weapon, his self-created "Wonderbat", is akin to ]'s "Wonderboy", and both bats are eventually destroyed. The scene featuring the explosion of stadium lights as Homer circles the basepaths is also taken directly from the film.{{sfn|Richmond & Coffman|1997|p=82}}<ref name="bbc"/> The end song "Talkin' Softball" is a parody of "]" by ]. Jeff Martin wrote the new version of the song, but Cashman was brought in to sing it.<ref name="Martin"/> The scenes of the Power Plant team traveling from city to city by train, overlaid with the pennant of the city they are going to, is a reference to '']'' (1942).<ref name="Castellaneta">{{cite video |people=Castellaneta, Dan |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> ] batting with a piano leg is a reference to ] of the ], who once tried to bat with a table leg in a game where Nolan Ryan was extremely overpowering and threw a ].<ref name="Jean"/> The team name on Mr. Burns' jersey, the Zephyrs, is a reference to '']'' episode "]", which features a team called the Hoboken Zephyrs. When ] is forced off the team by Mr. Burns for "neglecting" to shave off his "sideburns," Mattingly privately states that he still preferred Burns to ], the owner of the ] at the time. When ] forces Homer to stay on the bench, ] and ] jeer by repeatedly yelling "Darrrr-ull! Darrrr-ulll!", a taunt Strawberry was subjected to during the ].
It should be noted that although most of these players were contemporaries, Traynor (the youngest member of the team) was born more than half a century later than Creighton. In fact, seven of the players (Anson being the exception) weren't even born yet when Creighton died. Anson, too, is a lot older than the rest of the team. He was 44 years old and close to retirement by the time Lajoie and Wagner made their Major League debuts, and had retired before any of the other players reached the Majors. Furthermore, Traynor is significantly younger than the rest of the team, and when he made his Major League debut in 1920, only Hooper was still active.


==Quotes== ==Reception==
], the last active player to appear in the episode]]


During ], Fox had put ''The Simpsons'' in a timeslot that meant it was in direct competition with ''The Cosby Show'', which won the timeslot every time.<ref name="Jean"/> "Homer at the Bat" had a 15.9 rating and 23 share to win its timeslot while ''The Cosby Show'' had a 13.2 rating and 20 share. This was the first time a new ''Simpsons'' episode beat a new ''Cosby Show'' episode.<ref name=":0"/><ref>{{cite news |title=As Bart Simpson might say, Emmy rules should get real |date=1992-02-24 |page=44 |publisher=] |first=Dusty |last=Saunders}}</ref> Former ] Sam Simon and current ] Al Jean named it as their favorite episode.<ref>{{cite news |title=Insiders name their favorite episodes |date=2007-05-20 |page=10F |first=Neal |last=Justin |publisher=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Fans' knowledge floors show's top executive |date=2001-05-29 |page=8D |first=Patrick |last=Kampert |publisher=]}}</ref> Regular cast members ] and ] disliked the episode because of its focus on the guest stars and its surreal tone.<ref name="Reiss"/> They were particularly annoyed by the Mattingly sideburns joke.<ref name="Martin"/> Writer John Swartzwelder has mentioned "Homer at the Bat" amongst seven other favorite episodes ''The Simpsons'' he wrote (out of fifty-nine) that he "always enjoys watching."<ref name="Swartzwelder">{{cite news |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/john-swartzwelder-sage-of-the-simpsons |title=John Swartzwelder, Sage of "The Simpsons" |date=2021-05-07 |first=Mike |last=Sacks |work=]}}</ref>
*'''Lenny''': Homer, last season we were 2 and 28! </br>'''Homer''': I know it wasn't our best season... </br> '''Lenny''': Actually, it was.


], one of the nine players to guest star]]
*'''Umpire''': Okay, let's go over the ground rules. You can't leave first until you chug a beer. Any man scoring has to chug a beer. You have to chug a beer at the top of all odd-numbered innings. Oh, and the fourth inning is the beer inning. </br>'''Chief Wiggum''': Hey, we know how to play softball.


Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', praised the episode, calling it "a great episode because the accidents that befall the pro players are so funny".<ref name=bbc/> ], the author of the book '']'', said the episode was the indication that "the Golden Age had arrived".{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=39}} Nate Meyers rated the episode a {{frac|4|1|2}} (of 5), stating "the script makes great use of the baseball superstars, giving each of them a strong personality and plenty of pep (the highlight has to be Mattingly's clash with Mr. Burns)."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=6129 |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season |access-date=2007-08-03 |first=Nate |last=Meyers |date=2004-06-23 |publisher=Digitally Obsessed}}</ref> Colin Jacobson disliked the episode: "when originally aired, I didn't like it. While I've warmed up to the show slightly over the last decade, I still think it's generally weak, and I'd definitely pick it as Season Three's worst."<ref>{{cite web |last=Jacobson |first=Colin |date=2003-08-21 |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season (1991) |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonthree.shtml |access-date=2007-08-03 |publisher=DVD Movie Guide}}</ref>
*'''Homer''': You're Darryl Strawberry.<br/>'''Darryl''': Yes?<br/>'''Homer''': You play right field.</br>'''Darryl''': Yes?</br>'''Homer''': I play right field, too.</br>'''Darryl''': So?</br>'''Homer''': Well, are you better than me?</br>'''Darryl''': Well, I never met you... but... Yes.


'']'' placed the episode sixteenth on their top 25 ''The Simpsons'' episodes list, noting it was "early proof that ''The Simpsons'' could juggle a squad of guest stars without giving the family short shrift."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ew.com/article/2003/02/02/best-simpsons-episodes-nos-11-15/|title=The best ''Simpsons'' episodes, Nos. 11-15|access-date=2022-01-15 |date=2003-01-29 |publisher=]}}</ref> It was placed third on AskMen.com's "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes" list, Rich Weir called it "one of the show's more memorable moments" and "effective as it combines a slew of guest stars with some hilarious material for Homer".<ref>{{cite web |last=Weir |first=Rich |title=Top 10: Simpsons Episodes |url=http://uk.askmen.com/toys/top_10_60/64c_top_10_list.html |access-date=2007-08-03 |publisher=Askmen.com}}</ref> The entire episode was placed first on ESPN.com's list of the "Top 100 Simpsons sport moments", released in 2004. Greg Collins, the author of the list, lavished praise on the episode. He said this is the "king of all sports episodes, and perhaps the greatest ''Simpsons'' episode ever". A friend of Collins later met guest star Mike Scioscia and told him he thought his guest spot was the best thing Scioscia had ever done, he responded "Thanks, I think".<ref>{{cite web |last=Collins |first=Greg |date=2004-01-23 |title=The Simpsons Got Game |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page3/story?page=simpsons/part4 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824185754/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page3/story?page=simpsons%2Fpart4 |archive-date=2007-08-24 |access-date=2007-03-29 |work=ESPN.com}}</ref> '']'' named it among the 10 greatest ''Simpsons'' episodes of all time.<ref name="EntIe">{{cite web |last=Molumby |first=Deidre |date=September 6, 2019 |title=The 10 greatest 'The Simpsons' episodes of all time |url=https://entertainment.ie/tv/tv-news/10-greatest-the-simpsons-episodes-of-all-time-418495/ |access-date=September 7, 2019 |publisher=]}}</ref> Eric Reinagel, Brian Moritz and John Hill of '']'' named the episode the fourth best in the show's history,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Reinagel |first=Eric |last2=Moritz |first2=Brian |last3=Hill |first3=John |date=2007-07-07 |title=WOO-HOO! A look at the 10 best 'Simpsons' episodes ever&nbsp;— just in time for the new movie |publisher=] |page=8E}}</ref> In 2019, '']'' ranked the episode fifth in its list of 10 best ''Simpsons'' episodes picked by ''Simpsons'' experts.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Bruner |first=Raisa |date=2019-12-10 |title=We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time |url=https://time.com/5743465/best-simpsons-episodes/ |access-date=2019-12-11 |magazine=]}}</ref> In 2019, '']'' ranked it number six on its list of top 30 ''Simpsons'' episodes.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Simpsons' Top 30 Episodes|url=https://consequence.net/2019/12/the-simpsons-top-30-episodes/|publisher=]|date=2019-12-17|access-date=2022-01-15}}</ref>
*'''Homer''': Where do you think you're going?</br>'''Lisa''': To the game.</br>'''Homer''': No no no. I don't want you to see me sit on my worthless butt.</br>'''Bart''': We've seen it, Dad.


'']'' ranked the baseballers' performances as the seventeenth best guest appearance in the show's history: "each of these appearances was hilarious, making this a classic episode".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Goldman |first=Eric |last2=Iverson |first2=Dan |last3=Zoromski |first3=Brian |date=4 January 2010 |title=Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/04/top-25-simpsons-guest-appearances |access-date=2022-01-15 |publisher=IGN}}</ref> The Phoenix.com praised the performances of each of the guest stars, but Darryl Strawberry, whom they put in the fifth position, was the only one to make their "Top 20 guest stars" list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thephoenix.com/Article.aspx?id=7123&page=2 |title=The Simpsons 20 best guest voices of all time |date=2006-03-29 |access-date=2007-08-03 |publisher=ThePhoenix.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116052623/http://thephoenix.com/Article.aspx?id=7123&page=2 |archive-date=2006-11-16 }}</ref> '']'' named Homer's conversation with Darryl Strawberry as the "greatest conversation of all time, involving the word yes".<ref>{{cite news |title=The greatest conversation of all time, involving the word 'yes' |date=2006-02-28 |page=D02 |publisher=]}}</ref>
*'''Burns''': Smithers, I've been thinking. Is it wrong to cheat in order to win a million-dollar bet?<br>'''Smithers''': Yes, sir.<br>'''Burns''': Let me rephrase that. Is it wrong if I cheat in order to win a million-dollar bet?<br>'''Smithers''': No, sir. Who would you like killed?


] writes that the episode is about guest stars "but it's also about expanding the show's universe into strange, surreal directions", noting the bizarre misfortunes that befall the players. "The baseball setting gives writers like John Swartzwelder free reign to indulge their love of baseball history at its most arcane, whether that means referencing 'Three Finger' Brown or having Mr. Burns give his team Brain & Nerve tonic instead of tedious old beer or Gatorade. 'Homer At The Bat' is an episode with a deep, irreverent love of baseball history. At this point, it's also part of baseball history: It's an unforgettable snapshot of what baseball royalty looked like circa 1992...the parody of 'Talkin' Baseball' that runs over the end credits has supplanted the original in my mind, perhaps because the original contains not a single reference to Ken Griffey's jaw being horrifically swollen. That it runs alongside ]-toned, artificially aged footage of the show we just saw (a brilliant meditation on the nature of instant nostalgia that doubles as powerful instant nostalgia) is the icing on the cake, further proof that during its peak years the show went to insane lengths to get everything not just right but perfect."<ref>{{cite news| last=Rabin| first=Nathan|title=The Simpsons (Classic): "Homer at the Bat"|work=The A.V. Club|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-homer-at-the-bat-1798168932}}</ref>
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{snpp capsule|8F13}}


==Legacy==
]
The episode has been credited with helping to save at least two lives. During the scene in which Homer chokes on a donut, a poster explaining the ] is on the wall behind him. In May 1992, Chris Bencze was able to save his brother's life by performing the Heimlich Maneuver on him, having seen it in the episode,<ref>{{cite news |title=Mom says 'Simpsons' saved her son's life |date=1992-05-22 |page=C2 |publisher=] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> and in December 2007, Aiden Bateman was able to save his friend Alex Hardy's life by recalling the same.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jeeves |first=Paul |date=2007-12-15 |title=The Express: Boy saves pal's life{{nbsp}}... by listening to Homer |publisher=]}}</ref>

On October 22, 2017, ''Springfield of Dreams: The Legend of Homer Simpson'', an hour-long ] about the episode in the style of ]' '']'', aired on Fox to commemorate the 25th anniversary of this episode as well as Homer's induction into the ]. Among those interviewed were every player who appeared in the episode except Strawberry.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/takeaways-springfield-dreams-legend-homer-simpson/|title=Takeaways from Springfield of Dreams: The Legend of Homer Simpson|last=Zarum|first=Dave|date=October 22, 2017|publisher=Sportsnet|access-date=June 5, 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
'''Bibliography'''
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=] |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}}}}
*{{cite book |last=Turner |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Turner (author) |title=] |others=Foreword by ]. |edition=1st |year=2004 |location=Toronto |publisher=] |oclc=55682258 |isbn=978-0-679-31318-2}}
{{refend}}
'''Further reading'''
{{refbegin}}
*Marlborough, Patrick (2017-02-24). "". '']''. Vice Media. Accessed 2022-01-15.
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_3#Homer_at_the_Bat|"Homer at the Bat"}}
{{portal|The Simpsons}}
*{{snpp capsule|8F13}}
*{{IMDb episode|0701114}}

{{The Simpsons episodes|3}}
{{Good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Homer At The Bat}}
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Latest revision as of 15:09, 15 December 2024

17th episode of the 3rd season of The Simpsons
"Homer at the Bat"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 17
Directed byJim Reardon
Written byJohn Swartzwelder
Production code8F13
Original air dateFebruary 20, 1992 (1992-02-20)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Chalkboard gag"I will not aim for the head"
Couch gagThe family runs to the couch and bangs their heads together, knocking them unconscious. Maggie gets to the couch successfully.
CommentaryMatt Groening
Mike Reiss
Al Jean
Jeff Martin
Dan Castellaneta
Jim Reardon
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Bart the Lover" 		Next →
"Separate Vocations"
The Simpsons season 3
List of episodes

"Homer at the Bat" is the seventeenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 20, 1992. The episode follows the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team, led by Homer, having a winning season and making the championship game. Mr. Burns makes a large bet that the team will win and brings in nine ringers from the "big leagues" to ensure his success.

The episode was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Jim Reardon. Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Sax, Ozzie Smith, Jose Canseco, Don Mattingly, Darryl Strawberry, and Mike Scioscia all guest starred as themselves, playing the ringers hired by Mr. Burns. Terry Cashman sang "Talkin' Softball", a modified version of his song "Talkin' Baseball", over the end credits. "Homer at the Bat" underwent a lengthy production, as the guest stars were recorded over several months in accordance with their availability. Most of the players were accommodating except for Canseco, who demanded that his part be rewritten.

The episode is often named among the show's best, and was the first to beat The Cosby Show in the ratings on its original airing. In 2014, showrunner Al Jean selected it as one of five essential episodes in the show's history.

Plot

Workers at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant are reluctant to join the plant's softball team due to previous unsuccessful years but eagerly do so when Homer mentions he has a secret weapon, which turns out to be his "Wonder Bat," a lucky bat he made from a fallen tree branch struck by lightning. They enjoy an undefeated season and earn a spot in the championship game against the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant.

Mr. Burns makes a million-dollar bet with Aristotle Amadopolis, owner of the Shelbyville plant, that his team will win. To ensure victory, Burns attempts to hire nine Major League Baseball all-stars for his team from the dead-ball era such as Honus Wagner and Mordecai Brown, but after Waylon Smithers informs him that they are all retired and dead, Burns orders him to find living players. Smithers recruits Jose Canseco, Mike Scioscia, Ozzie Smith, Don Mattingly, Steve Sax, Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey Jr., and Darryl Strawberry. Mr. Burns gives them token jobs at the plant so they can play on the team, much to the dismay of the plant's players, and hires a hypnotist to boost his team's chances of winning. Homer is distraught when his Wonder Bat is destroyed by a pitch from Clemens during practice.

Before the game, seven of the nine all-star players suffer from bizarre mishaps that leave them unable to play: Sax is arrested by the Springfield police (who blame him for every unsolved crime in New York City), Scioscia gets radiation poisoning as a result of working in the nuclear plant's unsafe conditions, Griffey develops gigantism as a side effect of being addicted to a nerve tonic Burns gave the team, Canseco gets caught up rescuing a woman's possessions from her burning house, Boggs gets knocked unconscious by Barney Gumble after the two men argue about who the greatest English prime minister was (Barney says Lord Palmerston, Boggs says Pitt the Elder), Smith disappears after visiting the Springfield Mystery Spot, and Clemens is hypnotized into acting like a chicken. Mattingly and Strawberry arrive at the baseball field shortly before the game starts, but Burns kicks Mattingly off the team for failing to shave off his (non-existent) sideburns. Burns is thus forced to use his team of regular employees alongside Strawberry; Homer is benched while Strawberry plays his position.

With the score tied and bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Burns pinch hits Homer for Strawberry, noting that fielding a right-handed hitter against a left-handed pitcher will serve to the team's advantage. Distracted by Burns' strange signals, Homer is hit in the head by the first pitch, knocking him out and forcing in the winning run. The team wins the title, and Homer, still unconscious, is paraded as a hero. The episode ends with a picture of the team, including Smith (who is seen as a hovering spirit) and a visibly angry Strawberry.

Production

"Homer at the Bat" was long in production. It was written by John Swartzwelder, who is a big baseball fan, but was suggested by Sam Simon, who wanted an episode filled with real Major League Baseball players. Executive producers Al Jean and Mike Reiss doubted that they would be able to get nine players, thinking they would be able to get three at best. They succeeded, and the nine players who agreed to guest star were recorded over a period of six months, whenever they were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers or California Angels. Each player recorded their part in roughly five minutes and spent the next hour writing autographs for the staff. In several cases, the writers were unable to get the player who was their first choice. Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson, Ryne Sandberg, and Carlton Fisk were among the players who turned down the chance to guest star.

Jose Canseco disliked the original part written for him and asked for it to be rewritten.

All the players were cooperative except for Jose Canseco, whom Al Jean considered intimidating. He disliked his original part and insisted it be rewritten, and the writers grudgingly made him as heroic as possible. He was originally slated to wake up in bed with Edna Krabappel and miss the game (in a parody of Bull Durham), but Canseco's then-wife, Esther Haddad, objected. He disliked his caricature, saying "the animation looked nothing like " but said he found the acting was very easy. When asked in 2007 about his part by the San Jose Mercury News he responded, "that was 100 years ago," hung up the phone and did not answer any of the paper's subsequent calls.

Ken Griffey Jr. became frustrated while recording his line "there's a party in my mouth and everyone's invited" because he had trouble understanding it. He was directed by Mike Reiss, and his father Ken Griffey Sr. was also present, trying to coach his son. Roger Clemens, who made his own chicken noises, was directed by Jeff Martin, as was Wade Boggs. Mike Reiss directed most of the other players. Mike Scioscia accepted his guest spot in "half a second," while Ozzie Smith has said he would like to guest star again "so can get out ". Don Mattingly, who was forced to shave off his "sideburns" by Mr. Burns during the episode, would later have an actual "haircut controversy" while he was playing for the New York Yankees. The coaching staff ordered him to cut his long hair, and he was briefly dropped from the team lineup for not doing so. As the episode continued to air in syndication, some people watching believed the joke in the episode to be a reference to the incident, but "Homer at the Bat" was recorded a year before the real-life benching happened. Many of the guest stars, including Terry Cashman, Wade Boggs and Darryl Strawberry all admit they are more well known because of their appearance in the episode, especially outside the United States, Cashman having "Talkin' Softball" requested more often than "Talkin' Baseball".

One of the hardest pieces of editing was the hypnotist segment, which featured several of the guest stars speaking in unison. It was difficult because the parts were recorded over a period of several months and thus it was hard to sync their voices. Rich Moore was originally intended to direct the episode, but as he did not know anything about baseball he was switched with Jim Reardon, who was a baseball fan. Moore was given the episode "Lisa the Greek" instead. Many of the player designs were difficult, because the animators had a hard time designing real-world people during the early seasons.

Cultural references

The title is a reference to Ernest Thayer's 1888 baseball poem "Casey at the Bat". The episode makes several allusions to The Natural (1984). Homer's secret weapon, his self-created "Wonderbat", is akin to Roy Hobbs's "Wonderboy", and both bats are eventually destroyed. The scene featuring the explosion of stadium lights as Homer circles the basepaths is also taken directly from the film. The end song "Talkin' Softball" is a parody of "Talkin' Baseball" by Terry Cashman. Jeff Martin wrote the new version of the song, but Cashman was brought in to sing it. The scenes of the Power Plant team traveling from city to city by train, overlaid with the pennant of the city they are going to, is a reference to The Pride of the Yankees (1942). Carl batting with a piano leg is a reference to Norm Cash of the Detroit Tigers, who once tried to bat with a table leg in a game where Nolan Ryan was extremely overpowering and threw a no-hitter. The team name on Mr. Burns' jersey, the Zephyrs, is a reference to The Twilight Zone episode "The Mighty Casey", which features a team called the Hoboken Zephyrs. When Don Mattingly is forced off the team by Mr. Burns for "neglecting" to shave off his "sideburns," Mattingly privately states that he still preferred Burns to George Steinbrenner, the owner of the New York Yankees at the time. When Darryl Strawberry forces Homer to stay on the bench, Bart and Lisa jeer by repeatedly yelling "Darrrr-ull! Darrrr-ulll!", a taunt Strawberry was subjected to during the 1986 World Series.

Reception

Ken Griffey Jr., the last active player to appear in the episode

During the previous season, Fox had put The Simpsons in a timeslot that meant it was in direct competition with The Cosby Show, which won the timeslot every time. "Homer at the Bat" had a 15.9 rating and 23 share to win its timeslot while The Cosby Show had a 13.2 rating and 20 share. This was the first time a new Simpsons episode beat a new Cosby Show episode. Former executive producer Sam Simon and current showrunner Al Jean named it as their favorite episode. Regular cast members Harry Shearer and Julie Kavner disliked the episode because of its focus on the guest stars and its surreal tone. They were particularly annoyed by the Mattingly sideburns joke. Writer John Swartzwelder has mentioned "Homer at the Bat" amongst seven other favorite episodes The Simpsons he wrote (out of fifty-nine) that he "always enjoys watching."

Roger Clemens, one of the nine players to guest star

Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, praised the episode, calling it "a great episode because the accidents that befall the pro players are so funny". Chris Turner, the author of the book Planet Simpson, said the episode was the indication that "the Golden Age had arrived". Nate Meyers rated the episode a 4+1⁄2 (of 5), stating "the script makes great use of the baseball superstars, giving each of them a strong personality and plenty of pep (the highlight has to be Mattingly's clash with Mr. Burns)." Colin Jacobson disliked the episode: "when originally aired, I didn't like it. While I've warmed up to the show slightly over the last decade, I still think it's generally weak, and I'd definitely pick it as Season Three's worst."

Entertainment Weekly placed the episode sixteenth on their top 25 The Simpsons episodes list, noting it was "early proof that The Simpsons could juggle a squad of guest stars without giving the family short shrift." It was placed third on AskMen.com's "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes" list, Rich Weir called it "one of the show's more memorable moments" and "effective as it combines a slew of guest stars with some hilarious material for Homer". The entire episode was placed first on ESPN.com's list of the "Top 100 Simpsons sport moments", released in 2004. Greg Collins, the author of the list, lavished praise on the episode. He said this is the "king of all sports episodes, and perhaps the greatest Simpsons episode ever". A friend of Collins later met guest star Mike Scioscia and told him he thought his guest spot was the best thing Scioscia had ever done, he responded "Thanks, I think". Entertainment.ie named it among the 10 greatest Simpsons episodes of all time. Eric Reinagel, Brian Moritz and John Hill of Press & Sun-Bulletin named the episode the fourth best in the show's history, In 2019, Time ranked the episode fifth in its list of 10 best Simpsons episodes picked by Simpsons experts. In 2019, Consequence of Sound ranked it number six on its list of top 30 Simpsons episodes.

IGN ranked the baseballers' performances as the seventeenth best guest appearance in the show's history: "each of these appearances was hilarious, making this a classic episode". The Phoenix.com praised the performances of each of the guest stars, but Darryl Strawberry, whom they put in the fifth position, was the only one to make their "Top 20 guest stars" list. The Toronto Star named Homer's conversation with Darryl Strawberry as the "greatest conversation of all time, involving the word yes".

Nathan Rabin writes that the episode is about guest stars "but it's also about expanding the show's universe into strange, surreal directions", noting the bizarre misfortunes that befall the players. "The baseball setting gives writers like John Swartzwelder free reign to indulge their love of baseball history at its most arcane, whether that means referencing 'Three Finger' Brown or having Mr. Burns give his team Brain & Nerve tonic instead of tedious old beer or Gatorade. 'Homer At The Bat' is an episode with a deep, irreverent love of baseball history. At this point, it's also part of baseball history: It's an unforgettable snapshot of what baseball royalty looked like circa 1992...the parody of 'Talkin' Baseball' that runs over the end credits has supplanted the original in my mind, perhaps because the original contains not a single reference to Ken Griffey's jaw being horrifically swollen. That it runs alongside sepia-toned, artificially aged footage of the show we just saw (a brilliant meditation on the nature of instant nostalgia that doubles as powerful instant nostalgia) is the icing on the cake, further proof that during its peak years the show went to insane lengths to get everything not just right but perfect."

Legacy

The episode has been credited with helping to save at least two lives. During the scene in which Homer chokes on a donut, a poster explaining the Heimlich maneuver is on the wall behind him. In May 1992, Chris Bencze was able to save his brother's life by performing the Heimlich Maneuver on him, having seen it in the episode, and in December 2007, Aiden Bateman was able to save his friend Alex Hardy's life by recalling the same.

On October 22, 2017, Springfield of Dreams: The Legend of Homer Simpson, an hour-long mockumentary about the episode in the style of Ken Burns' Baseball, aired on Fox to commemorate the 25th anniversary of this episode as well as Homer's induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Among those interviewed were every player who appeared in the episode except Strawberry.

References

  1. ^ Richmond & Coffman 1997, p. 82.
  2. ^ Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Homer at the Bat". BBC. Retrieved July 18, 2007.
  3. ^ Cavna, Michael (February 19, 2022). "'Homer at the Bat' at 30: The landmark 'Simpsons' episode that pushed the show's boundaries". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  4. Ayers, Mike (August 20, 2014). "5 Things: Essential Simpsons Episodes". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  5. ^ Jean, Al (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ^ Martin, Jeff (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. ^ Reiss, Mike (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  8. ^ Kaiser, Tim (February 20, 1992). "Hairy problem dogs mattingly Don gets a 'toon-up' on 'Simpsons' tonight". The Evansville Courier. p. C2.
  9. "Homer at the Hall". May 30, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  10. ^ Brown, Daniel (July 22, 2007). "Eat My Sports: A Retrospective — Some Of The Sports World's Brightest Stars Knews They Hit It Big When They Guest-Starred On The Iconic Series". San Jose Mercury News. p. 1C.
  11. ^ "Truth Mirrors 'Simpsons' Fiction". Chicago Tribune. February 23, 1992. p. 3.
  12. "How 'Homer at the Bat' came together - Sportsnet.ca". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  13. ^ Brown, Daniel (July 27, 2007). "'Homer at the Bat' – Simpsons classic features all-star lineup". San Jose Mercury News. p. B2.
  14. ^ Reardon, Jim (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  15. "The Making Of "Homer At The Bat," The Episode That Conquered Prime Time 20 Years Ago Tonight". Deadspin. February 20, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  16. Castellaneta, Dan (2003). The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "Homer at the Bat" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  17. Saunders, Dusty (February 24, 1992). "As Bart Simpson might say, Emmy rules should get real". Rocky Mountain News. p. 44.
  18. Justin, Neal (May 20, 2007). "Insiders name their favorite episodes". Star Tribune. p. 10F.
  19. Kampert, Patrick (May 29, 2001). "Fans' knowledge floors show's top executive". Sun-Sentinel. p. 8D.
  20. Sacks, Mike (May 7, 2021). "John Swartzwelder, Sage of "The Simpsons"". The New Yorker.
  21. Turner 2004, p. 39.
  22. Meyers, Nate (June 23, 2004). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season". Digitally Obsessed. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  23. Jacobson, Colin (August 21, 2003). "The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season (1991)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  24. "The best Simpsons episodes, Nos. 11-15". Entertainment Weekly. January 29, 2003. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  25. Weir, Rich. "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes". Askmen.com. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  26. Collins, Greg (January 23, 2004). "The Simpsons Got Game". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2007.
  27. Molumby, Deidre (September 6, 2019). "The 10 greatest 'The Simpsons' episodes of all time". Entertainment.ie. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  28. Reinagel, Eric; Moritz, Brian; Hill, John (July 7, 2007). "WOO-HOO! A look at the 10 best 'Simpsons' episodes ever — just in time for the new movie". Press & Sun-Bulletin. p. 8E.
  29. Bruner, Raisa (December 10, 2019). "We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time". Time. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  30. "The Simpsons' Top 30 Episodes". Consequence. December 17, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  31. Goldman, Eric; Iverson, Dan; Zoromski, Brian (January 4, 2010). "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances". IGN. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  32. "The Simpsons 20 best guest voices of all time". ThePhoenix.com. March 29, 2006. Archived from the original on November 16, 2006. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  33. "The greatest conversation of all time, involving the word 'yes'". The Toronto Star. February 28, 2006. p. D02.
  34. Rabin, Nathan. "The Simpsons (Classic): "Homer at the Bat"". The A.V. Club.
  35. "Mom says 'Simpsons' saved her son's life". The Pantagraph. Associated Press. May 22, 1992. p. C2.
  36. Jeeves, Paul (December 15, 2007). "The Express: Boy saves pal's life ... by listening to Homer". The Express.
  37. Zarum, Dave (October 22, 2017). "Takeaways from Springfield of Dreams: The Legend of Homer Simpson". Sportsnet. Retrieved June 5, 2021.

Bibliography

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