A Major League Umpire Was Secretly Wearing a Kramer Shirt During a Game
Major League Baseball umpires aren’t typically known for having great senses of humor. In fairness, being an ump requires intense concentration, even as tens of thousands of people are audibly cursing your lack of prescription eyewear. But this week, one umpire showed off their love for a beloved comedy during a game.
In a recent match-up between the Los Angeles Angels and the Atlanta How the Hell Are They Still Named the Braves, a dramatic call confirming that Atlanta’s Whit Merrifield narrowly hit a solo home run in the fifth inning was completely upended by the reveal that second base umpire James Hoye was wearing a Kramer shirt underneath his jacket — presumably because his “Balki from Perfect Strangers” shirt was in the wash.
Despite the fact that this was clearly an important moment in the game, Angels announcers Wayne Randazzo and Mark Gubicza were completely distracted by the sight of Jerry Seinfeld’s neighbor peeking out from beneath the standard issue league uniform, exclaiming, “That’s Kramer on his shirt! That’s Cosmo Kramer! That’s ridiculous.”
Don't Miss
Randazzo later called the moment “a top 3 highlight of my career.”
Roye wasn’t just wearing any old Kramer shirt, it clearly featured “The Kramer,” the borderline iconic portrait from Season Three’s “The Letter.” The painting, created by artist Larry Salk, has been a staple of Seinfeld merchandise for decades now, although it hasn’t appeared in many professional sporting events that we know of.
While it may seem a little unusual for an umpire to show off his sitcom fandom when calling a game (hence why Roye’s attire immediately went viral), Seinfeld did feature a lot of baseball-friendly content, from Jerry’s friendship with Keith Hernandez, to the time Kramer punched Mickey Mantle in the face, to George’s long-term gig working as the assistant to the traveling secretary for the New York Yankees.
And despite the fact that the show regularly portrayed the Yankees as a slipshod operation run by a motor-mouthed lunatic, MLB has really embraced its association with Seinfeld in recent years. The Yankees even gave out George Costanza bobbleheads on Seinfeld night. Sadly, the team didn’t fully commit to the bit by playing in cotton uniforms and/or refraining from masturbation for an extended period of time.
The ties between the show and professional baseball haven’t been strictly limited to the Yankees, either. Earlier this year, the Boston Red Sox also held a Seinfeld-themed night, giving out bobbleheads depicting pitcher Lucas Giolito catching a marble rye with a fishing rod, in true Costanza fashion.
Why? Well, Giolito’s late grandfather, Warren Frost, played Henry Ross, who would have become George’s father-in-law, if not for those pesky toxic envelopes.
So of all the sitcoms for an ump to inadvertently promote during a game, Seinfeld actually seems fairly on brand. Had he worn, say, a Frasier shirt, he may have been facing some sort of fine from the league right now.
You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time you’re reading this).
