Homer at the Bat/References

Trivia

 * Mr. Burns states that, although there is an outside change of seven misfortunes, nine misfortunes befalling his players is virtually impossible. Indeed, this proves accurate as nothing happens to either Darryl Strawberry or Don Mattingly. The latter only fails to play because of Burns misunderstanding of what sideburns are.
 * The players in this episode were an extremely talented group. They combined for 77 All Star selections, 34 Gold Gloves, 7 Cy Youngs, and 4 league MVP awards. They also won a combined 12 World Series. Smith and Boggs are presently the only members of the Baseball Hall of Fame from this group, although several players are not yet eligible for election. Following Ken Griffey, Jr's 2010 retirement, none of the episode's baseballers remain active players. As of December 2006, Mike Scioscia manages the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, José Canseco plays for the Long Beach Armada in the Independent Golden Baseball League, and Don Mattingly serves as the New York Yankees bench coach. At the time, only Steve Sax and Don Mattingly had played for the New York Yankees. Four of the other ringers would later play for the Yankees (Boggs, Clemens, Canseco, and Strawberry).
 * Mr. Burns' original choices were Mordecai "3 Finger" Brown - P, Gabby Street - C, Cap Anson - 1B, Napoleon Lajoie - 2B, Pie Traynor - 3B, Honus Wagner - SS, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson - LF, Harry Hooper - CF, and Jim Creighton - RF. Smithers remarks that Burns' right-fielder has been dead for 130 years, which is true. Jim Creighton was America's first baseball superstar, and died suddenly at the age of 21 in 1862: seven years before the beginning of professional baseball.
 * and rejected guest spots in the episode.
 * Don Mattingly being forced by Burns to cut is sideburns was, coincidentally, recorded a year before Mattingly was forced in real life to cut his long hair.
 * Lisa's explanation to Marge, that Homer getting hit by pitch counted as a hit, is incorrect. In baseball, when a batter gets hit by pitch, although he may advance to first base, he does not get credit for a hit.

Cultural references

 * The episode's title is a play on the Ernest Lawrence Thayer poem "Casey at the Bat".
 * The tale of Homer's homemade bat a takeoff of the plot of The Natural.