The Loop
There aren't enough "mind blown" gifs on earth for this Keith Hernandez ‘Seinfeld’ revelation
New York Daily News Archive
It’s February 12th, 1992—sweeps week. TV nuts all across America are sitting down to record their viewing habits. Channels, shows, start and stop times. They’re logging it all. For an unproven show with a small-but-dedicated following like ‘Seinfeld’—now nearing the end of its third season on NBC—it’s make or break. They have a supersized one-hour block to show audiences and execs alike what they can do. Flop and ‘Seinfeld’ probably becomes a footnote, relegated to cult status for future generations to dig up and retcon. Knock it out of the park, if you’ll excuse the euphemism, and who knows. Faced with arguably the most pivotal moment in their show's young history, Larry and Jerry called in the big gun:
Former World series-winning Mets first baseman, Keith Hernandez.
If you’re even a casual ‘Seinfeld’ fan, you know what comes next. “The Boyfriend” becomes an instant ‘Seinfeld’ classic, delivering not one but two iconic moments, with Kramer and Newman applying their forensic skills to Hernandez’s infamous “magic loogie” and George lying face down on Jerry’s apartment floor, pants around his ankles, screaming “Vandelay Industries! You’re supposed to say Vandelay Industries!”
But despite the timeless episode (it still holds up, as daytime TBS quarantine viewing has confirmed) and ensuing success, there is at least one person it didn’t convert:
Former World series-winning Mets first baseman, Keith Hernandez.
Joining Jimmy Traina’s Sports Illustrated Media Podcast on Wednesday, Hernandez discussed a variety of baseball topics, and when the conversation turned to ‘Seinfeld,’ he was more than happy to oblige. Hernandez talked about how Wayne Knight (Newman) was a veritable baseball historian while Michael Richards (Kramer) couldn’t tell a bat from a ball. He went into great detail about Larry David coaching him how to say his own name. But the biggest revelation came when Hernandez was asked if he had seen the show that’s whopping success he is partly responsible for from front to back. Here was his response.
“No, I’ve hardly seen—I’ve maybe seen a handful . . . I wasn’t a TV watcher!”
That’s right. Arguably the greatest guest star in ‘Seinfeld’ history has barely seen a lick of ‘Seinfeld.’ We weren’t aware it was even possible to become East Hampton citizen without reciting seasons three through six by heart, but you learn something new every day.
Hernandez also admitted that he has only ever seen his own episode two or three times, citing “embarrassment” despite being on TV for Mets broadcasts almost every night. We guess it’s true what they say: You can’t judge a book by it’s cover . . . especially if the title of that book is “Keith Hernandez: The ‘Seinfeld’ Guy.”