Homer Simpson was “inducted” into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York Saturday during a ceremony that celebrated the 25th anniversary of the classic The Simpsons episode “Homer at the Bat.”
The episode, which aired in February 1992, featured guest appearances by MLB all-stars like Ozzie Smith, Ken Griffey Jr., Wade Boggs, Don Mattingly and Jose Canseco; Now Hall of Famers in their own right, Boggs and Smith were on hand to welcome Simpson in the Hall.
In a prepared statement, Simpson said, “My record for eating hot dogs will never be broken. I’ve been a fan for 40 years, which is how long some games take. And I can’t wait for the ceremony in Canton, Ohio.” (Canton is the home of the Football Hall of Fame.)
Simpsons executive producer Al Jean previously spoke to the Baseball Hall of Fame about “Homer at the Bat,” which finished Number 15 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 150 Best Simpsons Episodes.
“It’s definitely one you hear about a lot,” Jean said. “There’s nostalgia because a lot of people were kids when it first aired. Looking at it again, as I did recently, it’s a real glimpse of ’90s era baseball. Baseball has changed since then – it’s a different kind of game.”