“George is getting upset.”
Not Costanza. Steinbrenner.
Sunday on SNY, New York Mets manager Buck Showalter conducted an in-game interview with Matt Gelb, who noted both the skipper and broadcaster Keith Hernandez made cameo appearances on “Seinfeld.”
Hernandez had multiple appearances, but Showalter was one-and-done. And now we know why.
Gelb: “Real quick, who had the better ‘Seinfeld’ cameo, you or Keith?”
Showalter: “That’s right, Keith had one. He probably had more than me. I don’t know about him. I’m still getting taxed on that. That cost, my wife said, about $19. ... That’s not good. Which one was Keith in? You’ll notice I didn’t do a second appearance because Mr. Steinbrenner found out they were making fun of him. ... He embraced it later.”
Gelb: “Keith, do you still get taxed on that?”
Hernandez: “I certainly do.”
MLB.com reports Hernandez and Showalter had to join the Screen Actors Guild in order to make their appearances on “Seinfeld.” As a result, they get taxed $19 every time one of their episodes airs on TV.
As for Steinbrenner, he was a frequent target for “Seinfeld” writers, with a body double filling in as the New York Yankees owner and Larry David providing the voiceover. Steinbrenner himself never appeared on the show (although he did tape a scene which landed on the cutting room floor).
Showalter’s appearance came in the season six episode titled “The Chaperone.” That’s the one in which Yankees assistant to the traveling secretary George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander) talked to outfielder Danny Tartabull about the club’s polyester uniforms. That led Costanza to chat with Showalter and convince the skipper to change to cotton uniforms, because as Costanza noted, “it breathes.”
The new uniforms worked well for the Yankees the first night they wore them, but the plan backfired when they shrank after being washed.
Gelb was prodded by the guys in the broadcast booth into asking Showalter about that on Sunday.
Gelb: “They wanted me to ask you about the cotton uniforms.”
Showalter: “I’ll tell you what. If we don’t get off to a good start, you’ll see cotton in New York.”
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.
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