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Thursday, December 15, 2022

The Oral History of the “Baseball Dreams Come True” ‘Saturday Night Live’ Sketch

Jefferies: During rehearsals it was easy, but then all of a sudden that red light comes on and it’s like, holy cow, it’s legit. In New York we would do commercials, so [I was] lucky with that. But that was the first time I did anything like that. When I first got to New York, I think I was 19, they wanted me to host Saturday Night Live. And I said, there’s no way. I turned that down. I was terrified with that.

...

Carlock: I have to imagine [Rolen] will mention us [in his Hall of Fame speech]. We kind of pushed him over the top.

Steve Parris, Je t'aime Posted: December 15, 2022 at 10:50 AM | 11 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
  Tags: cliff floyd, gregg jefferies, rondell white, scott rolen, tv

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   1. FernandoPoplar Posted: December 20, 2022 at 06:59 AM (#6110175)
You wrote an amazing post, it was so inspiring to read it. The Orioles have been relatively quiet this winter, with their biggest moves coming in the form of a trade for Adam Jones, and a two-year deal for Daniel Murphy and their you can check here for symbolism in The Yellow Wallpaper: Moonlight & The Paper & The Bed. But adding Frazier gives them added depth at both third base and in the outfield.
   2. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: December 20, 2022 at 01:23 PM (#6110199)
Even though we never watched SNL growing up, for some reason my younger brother and I watched it that night. We were big Mets fans, and we thought it was hilarious that they had Todd Hundley wearing the pirate hat for whatever reason.

I didn't read the whole thing so maybe I missed it, but I'm surprised the article doesn't address Wohlers' "Don't be a f*g" line. I was surprised to hear that on a sketch from 1997 (I wouldn't have been if it was '87) and also surprised that it wasn't noteworthy enough for me to remember. It clearly didn't strike me as that shocking at the time. You wouldn't hear that on SNL today (I think that's a good thing, to be clear).
   3. crict Posted: December 20, 2022 at 01:33 PM (#6110203)
[2] It is mentioned.
Carlock: I’m a bit aghast—I didn’t realize that what is currently the F-word is in there. I apologize to anyone who goes back and watches it. No one even batted an eye at the time. Of course it was trying to say, “Oh, these guys are being comic jerks, calling a kid who worships them that word.” No one questioned it. No one in standards questioned it. No one anywhere questioned it. It should be bleeped out now, I think. The other thing that’s shocking is the joke that Russia’s a democracy now doesn’t play quite the same way. We should just have a graphic that just flashes, “Different time.”
   4. base ball chick Posted: December 20, 2022 at 02:29 PM (#6110210)
hello boyz and bot

ballplayers in the sketch in mah opinyin are just doing jock stereotypes from 1997 - prolly still mostly true. including the 3 letter f-word. well, not non-drinkers carrying kegs. and only thing that keeps ballplayers on the straight (hahahahaha) and narrow is fear of social media. would not be even a little surprised if they chased hot moms

   5. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: December 20, 2022 at 05:58 PM (#6110239)

ballplayers in the sketch in mah opinyin are just doing jock stereotypes from 1997 - prolly still mostly true.

Sure, I agree. But you still wouldn't expect to hear it on SNL -- as that quote in #3 attests to.

My favorite part of the sketch is the randomness of the players involved. Even the big names (Rolen, Hundley certainly was big in NY at the time) weren't that big.
And David Howard? Russ Davis?
   6. Itchy Row Posted: December 20, 2022 at 06:29 PM (#6110249)
Gregg Jefferies: "When I first got to New York, I think I was 19, they wanted me to host Saturday Night Live."

I wonder who "they" is. Jefferies was supposed to be the next big thing, but I can't imagine Lorne Michaels asking a prospect to host. Maybe it was just something his agent told him.
   7. Steve Parris, Je t'aime Posted: December 20, 2022 at 06:44 PM (#6110254)
I wonder who "they" is. Jefferies was supposed to be the next big thing, but I can't imagine Lorne Michaels asking a prospect to host. Maybe it was just something his agent told him.

I can totally see Lorne reading the April 1989 Beckett and thinking "we gotta get this guy!"
   8. What did Billy Ripken have against ElRoy Face? Posted: December 20, 2022 at 06:58 PM (#6110256)
They did have a sports star host an episode in 1989 - some barely-known kid named Gretzky.
   9. a brief article regarding 57i66135 Posted: December 20, 2022 at 07:09 PM (#6110257)
i actually think the best anecdote from the article was this one:
Jefferies: I actually ad-libbed a few of those lines. I think when I said, “You little punk,” that wasn’t in [the script]. I think Scott Rolen had some ad-libs too. Pedro Borbón had a little trouble saying his lines in English. And I said, “Man, just say it in Spanish.” And I go, “Don’t tell anybody.” And if you watch Chris Kattan’s reaction when he said it in Spanish, it was hilarious, because nobody knew that he was going to say it in Spanish.

   10. Mike A Posted: December 20, 2022 at 08:02 PM (#6110259)
some barely-known kid named Gretzky.
At least that got us the brilliant 'Waikiki Hockey.'

There's been one baseball player to host SNL in nearly 50 years - some guy by the name of Jeter - so Jefferies being asked would be kinda weird. Unlike Jefferies, almost every athlete to host has been a household name (Jonny Moseley excepted). That said, both Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner once hosted, so I guess it's theoretically possible they might ask another New York guy.

(Former MLBer Bob Uecker also hosted, but 17 years after his playing career had ended as he was transitioning into his Mr. Belvedere/Brocktoon phase.)
   11. Itchy Row Posted: December 20, 2022 at 09:15 PM (#6110264)
A future White Sox minor leaguer did host in 1991.

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