Remembering Mets History (1992) Keith Hernandez Stars on Television's Seinfeld Sitcom

February 12th, 1992: In the two part Seinfeld episode "The Boyfriend" former Mets star Keith Hernandez, two years into his retirement stars in a classic performance which gave him television sit-com fame. 

Hernandez had never seen the show before & had never acted before. He thought he was getting minimal lines but saw thee script & panicked. He called his friend the actress Marsha Mason to give him some advice & she instructed him to memorize lines.

The shows star Jerry Steinfeld, a real life Mets fan, spots Keith in a locker room where Keith notices who Jerry telling him he enjoys his comedy. 

The two exchange phone numbers then later in Keith's car, Jerry contemplates shaking Hernandez's hand which he does saying to himself "I've been on the tonight show". 

Keith then asks Jerry if he's seen the film JFK & asks for his friend Elaine's phone number. Jerry takes out Elaine canceling the movie outing with Jerry which makes him jealous. 

In Keith's car  Keith & Elaine eventually kiss as Keith says to himself "I won the MVP in'79 I can
do whatever I want to". Elaine says to her self "who does this guy think he is" & Keith replies in his mind "I'm Keith Hernandez."

Trivia: Keith always says he botched the scene on purpose & had to redo the kiss eight times.

In conversations between Jerry & Elaine she mentions that Mookie was there & he got that hit in which Jerry replies strongly he knows. In real life actress Louise Dreyfus as at Shea Stadium for Game Six of the 1986 World Series.

Later, Jerry agrees to help Keith move but second guesses it when Hernandez gives the details of his furniture. While in Jerry's apartment, Kramer & Newman enter the room. In seeing Hernandez they confront him, claiming back on June 14th, 1987, Hernandez made a costly error in a loss to the Phillies, then after the game when Newman called him "pretty boy" he allegedly spit on the two men. 

In a flashback scene reminiscent of the film JFK, where the theory of a second shooter comes into play in the John F. Kennedy assassination, Hernandez remembers that former Mets relief pitcher Roger McDowell was in the background & did the spitting. The two men then admit harassing McDowell & pouring a beer on his head as they sat behind the bullpen explaining why he may have retaliated.

Trivia: In real life, On June 14th, 1987 the Mets beat the Pirates 7-3 in Pittsburgh, with
Hernandez making no errors, hitting a HR going 2-4. 

Trivia: The show was originally going to use Darryl Strawberry as the second spitter but Straw was having his own issues at the time & the writers did not want to give him any more bad coverage even if it wasn't real. It was Keith's decision to use Roger McDowell the teams practical joker. At the time McDowell as now pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Jerry Seinfeld has said this was his favorite episode of all. Keith Hernandez was amazed how popular his appearance became.