Paul O’Neill knew nothing about Seinfeld before he made a cameo in the Season 7 episode “The Wink.” But even his ignorance of the hit sitcom has led to the former New York Yankees right fielder and current YES Network analyst still making residuals.
A TL;DR version of the episode is that Kramer (Michael Richards) sells a Yankees birthday card that George Costanza (Jason Alexander) needs for his boss and team owner George Steinbrenner (voiced by Larry David).
To win it back from a hospitalized fan named Bobby, Kramer convinces the boy he’ll get Paul O’Neill to hit two home runs.
The first time we see O’Neill in the episode is when Kramer barges into the Yankees clubhouse and corners the Yankees outfielder. He pleads with the All-Star to hit two home runs in the next game, all for Bobby. O’Neill, known for being more of a well-rounded offensive player than a pure power hitter, looks at Kramer incredulously and scoffs at the idea of guaranteeing two homers.
“I’m not calling (Babe Ruth) a liar, but he wasn’t stupid enough to promise two,” said O’Neil.
In the episode, O’Neill came just shy of hitting two home runs, as Kramer perceived an inside-the-park home run was ruled a triple because of a fielding error. That led Kramer to assure the hospitalized little boy named “Bobby” that O’Neill would pull off, catching a fly ball in his hands instead.
While O’Neill’s cameo wasn’t brought up on the Yankees broadcast per se, David Cone made a quip about him being on Seinfeld and being a “star.”
That’s when Cone asked O’Neill, whose number was retired by the Bronx Bombers last season if he still made residuals from the ’90s sitcom.
“Yeah, you know what they are? They’re like 57 bucks,” said O’Neill. “It’s not big time. It’s a good reminder, though, that you were on the show. It’s kinda cool.”
“Do you still get residual checks for being on [Seinfeld]?” – David Cone
“Yeah, you know what they are? They’re like 57 bucks. It’s not big time. It’s a good reminder, though, that you were on the show. It’s kinda cool.” – Paul O’Neill ⚾️📺🎙️💰 pic.twitter.com/mHPTKoAlll
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 9, 2024
It’s now hitting two home runs or catching a fly ball with your cap cool — but it’s still pretty neat.
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About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.