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Seinfeld and baseball go collectively like Junior Mints and an open physique cavity. From George’s long-standing job with the Yankees to Jerry’s friendship with Mets first baseman Keith Hernandez, the nationwide pastime all the time loomed within the background of the present. And for almost a decade now, the Brooklyn Cyclones have continued that custom.
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Since 2014, the Coney Island-based minor league baseball group has yearly hosted “Seinfeld Night time,” the place, in between innings, followers of the sitcom collect to play Seinfeld-themed video games and cosplay as their favourite Seinfeld character. There are additionally particular friends from the present — like John O’Hurley, who performed J. Peterman — and unique bobbleheads.
Once I arrived at this 12 months’s festivities, I instantly noticed a person with a large “Serenity Now” signal. On the sphere, choose followers have been collaborating in an “Assman Contest” — the place contestants pop balloons by sitting on them — and an eclair-eating competitors, the place individuals fish eclairs out of a trash can and cram them down their throats like George Costanza.
O’Hurley threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and extra fan video games have been held in between innings. Even Billy Harner, the assistant common supervisor of the Brooklyn Cyclones, admits, “No person cares what’s happening within the sport; individuals are simply having enjoyable collectively.”
Unsurprisingly, Seinfeld superfans from the Tri-State space have made this a practice of their very own as properly. “There’s a whole lot of electrical energy within the air, and lots of people are dressed up — I noticed one man who had all these Seinfeld candies taped to his shirt,” author Eric Dobin, who co-hosts a Seinfeld podcast named The Place to Be, tells me. “I’ve been to each one in all these, and it’s particularly enjoyable for me to assemble with so many individuals from the Seinfeld fan universe. Folks with totally different podcasts and meme pages and stuff like that. All of us come collectively and rejoice this one superior occasion.”
After getting a pretzel, I acquired in a protracted line to see O’Hurley. This was his second time on the occasion, which has boasted different particular friends similar to Larry Thomas (the Soup Nazi), Phil Morris (Jackie Chiles), Steve Hytner (Kenny Banya), Jeremiah Birkett (Jean-Paul), Tim DeKay (Bizarro Jerry), Matt McCoy (Lloyd Braun), Susan Walters (Mulva) and Angela Dohrmann (Donna Chang).
Explaining the origin of the occasion, Harner says, “Again in 2014, it was the twenty fifth anniversary of Seinfeld. I’m a giant Seinfeld man, and it’s additionally such a New York present that it appeared logical to attempt to pull one thing collectively. We reached out to Keith Hernandez, and he gave us permission to do a bobblehead along with his likeness. The occasion was so widespread with followers that the evening has change into an annual custom. Now, Opening Day and Seinfeld Day are the 2 first issues we focus on going into a brand new season.”
After the gamers left the sphere following an 8-7 victory, one other contest (no, not that sort) was quickly underway as three dozen individuals took half within the Elaine Dance Contest, the place about 5,000 followers decided who did their greatest imitation of Elaine’s “full physique dry heave.” It devolved into hilarious pandemonium virtually instantaneously. Males who had entered the competition have been routinely booed; the viewers even booed a small youngster who, apparently, didn’t get Elaine’s kicks good. “It’s just like the Roman Coliseum,” Harner jokes.
After 5 rounds, the dancers have been whittled right down to the highest six earlier than a winner was topped. Mary, the victor, actually unleashed a champion’s efficiency, full with an Elaine-style pantsuit and a dead-on imitation of the well-known jig. After the dance, she advised me her favourite Seinfeld episode was “The Marine Biologist” and gave an impassioned endorsement of Kramer’s “The Seashore” cologne. As for a way she ready for the dance-off, she says, “Rising up on Seinfeld — simply residing on Seinfeld.”
And Seinfeld, in fact, has all the time lived proper alongside baseball.
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