For a small side job done more than 34 years ago, getting a yearly cheque for thousands of dollars is an incredible deal.
That’s how much former New York Mets star Keith Hernandez receives for his guest spot on Seinfeld back in 1992.
Hernandez appeared as a fictionalized version of himself in a now-iconic two-part episode which featured a “magic loogie.”
During an appearance this week on the SI Media Podcast, Hernandez told host Jimmy Traina that he still receives yearly cheques for thousands of dollars.
“It varies, but I can tell you that on an annual basis I’m getting close to US$5,000 still. It’s the gift that keeps giving,” Hernandez said with a laugh.
“Remember one thing: I was the guest star.”
Why was his Seinfeld appearance so iconic?
During the two-part episode titled ‘The Boyfriend,’ the former Mets star was thrust into the middle of an awkward situation between Jerry Seinfeld and Elaine Benes, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
While the episodes primarily focused on Seinfeld – a Mets superfan – and Benes fighting for the ball player’s attention, there also was a subplot involving a John F. Kennedy-style conspiracy theory.
Quirky characters Cosmo Kramer (played by Michael Richards) and Newman (Wayne Knight) claimed that Hernandez had hit both of them with a “loogie” after a June 14, 1987 game against the Phillies.
The episode features a JFK-style reenactment of the story by Seinfeld, who posits that it would’ve been impossible for Hernandez to hit both men unless it was some sort of “magic loogie.”
Later, it was revealed that the actual spitter was ex-Mets reliever and 14-year MLB veteran Roger McDowell and not Hernandez.
Hernandez’s time on the show ended with Benes breaking up with him for lighting a cigarette on a date, though he did make a brief appearance in the show’s series finale – along with many other guest stars – a few years later.
What is Keith Hernandez doing now?
Hernandez was a three-time NL all-star with the Mets and helped the team win the 1986 World Series over the Boston Red Sox. He began his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1974 and won the NL MVP in 1979 before being traded to the Mets in 1983. He retired from baseball after the 1990 season, which he spent with Cleveland.
Over 2,088 career games, he tallied 2,182 hits and 162 home runs while racking up 1,071 RBIs.
He reportedly earned roughly $17 million over the course of his 17-year MLB career.
In 1998, he joined the Mets announce team with SNY, calling games alongside Gary Cohen and Ron Darling. He recently signed a three-year extension with the network, keeping him on broadcasts through the 2029 season.