The Simpsons' landmark, boundary-pushing "Homer at the Bat" episode turns 30

The Washington Post

"As Major League Baseball endures a lockout and faces a possible delay to this season, it’s an apt occasion to remember another time when ballplayers and management didn’t see eye to eye," says The Washington Post's Michael Cavna. "Enter Homer, Mr. Burns and the mighty lineup of imported pro ringers. 'Homer at the Bat,' which featured the voices of nine active major leaguers and made its debut Feb. 20, 1992, was more than a quirky one-off in celebrity stunt casting. The 17th episode of Season 3 emboldened the minds behind The Simpsons to push the boundaries of what an animated half-hour series could do and show. And from a ratings standpoint, it was a bellwether for the surging show: 'Homer at the Bat' marked the first time that a new Simpsons episode beat an original episode of The Cosby Show, long an NBC juggernaut; on that prime-time Thursday night, Simpsons softball also topped CBS’s Winter Olympics coverage from Albertville, France." As Simpsons showrunner Al Jean put it: “It was a huge deal. That was a changing of the guard in television.”