Throughout the nine-season run, Seinfeld skillfully integrated numerous Yankee player cameos into its storyline, which showcased the New York baseball culture with the comedic brilliance of the beloved show. The incorporation of multiple baseball themes in Seinfeld had a lot to do with the co-writers Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld's love for the sport, as Larry is a Yankee fan, while Jerry is a devoted Met supporter. The Yankees had a significant storyline on the show, as George Costanza started working for the team as a Traveling Secretary in season 5 and continued until he was fired in season 8.
While George worked for the Yankees, Seinfeld included many cameos that showcased players, coaches, and in one edit the owner, which contributed to the baseball culture of Seinfeld. These cameos not only added an extra layer of humor to George's interaction with the organization but also served to add to the dynamics of the show as a whole. Each cameo integrated into the storyline allowed George's incompetence as an employee to show as he had to navigate the real people who represented the Yankees.
6 Buck Showalter
New York Yankees' coach Buck Showalter joined Seinfeld in season 6 in the episode titled "The Chaperone," which was the first full episode where George worked for the Yankees. In this memorable scene with Showalter, George pointed out to the Yankee's head coach that the players were feeling hot in the polyester uniforms, to which Showalter said he might be on to something. Once the team switched to the cotton uniforms there was an improvement in how the team performed and the players expressed their gratitude for the uniforms in the paper. This resulted in George's first win as the new Assistant to the Traveling Secretary for the New York Yankees.
Since his appearance in the Seinfeld episode, Showalter has since expressed his annoyance with his cameo. Presently serving as the manager of the Mets, Showalter said he did not know that the show was that popular when he agreed to appear and only did because of his children's encouragement. His current frustrations with his appearance on Seinfeld are due to the mere 89 cents in residuals he gets for being on the show and the fact that he has to pay $19 in union dues because of the residuals. This means his appearance on the show is a yearly financial loss for him.
5 Danny Tartabull
Showalter was not the only Yankee to appear in the Seinfeld "The Chaperone" episode, as Danny Tartabull can be seen in the opening scene of the episode. In this opening scene, George is eager to lend a helping hand to assist Tartabull with his baseball swing. Tartabull expressed his discomfort as he was sweating in the uniform, which hindered his ability to perform at his peak. This led to George inspecting the tag of his uniform, where he discovered it was polyester and that it would never breathe as well as cotton. This ignited George to enact a change in the team uniforms.
This moment with Tartabull integrated into the story seamlessly, as it served as a catalyst for George to prove himself in his new position on the Yankees staff. The addition of the actual coach and player in the episode added a layer of authenticity and depth to the show, which made it feel like these characters truly existed inside the real world as they interacted with the baseball team. These cameos also provided a layer of enjoyment for the Yankees fans, who relished the opportunity to see members of their beloved team on Seinfeld.
4 Danny Tartabull Again
In addition to his appearance in "The Chaperone," Danny Tartabull made another cameo in the Seinfeld episode "The Pledge Drive." In this episode Jerry asked George to get a Yankee player to help with the pledge drive he was working on. George proposed this to Yankee management but was met with opposition as they said they already give to channel 11, which was the real-life broadcaster for the Yankee games at the time. George then insisted that PBS was classier than channel 11, so he was able to secure Danny Tartabull for the pledge drive.
While driving Tartabull to the event, George saw a man who he thought gave him the finger, which resulted in him pursuing him. The punchline unfolded when it turned out that the man's hand was in a cast that had his middle finger sticking up at all times. The cameo with Tartabull showcased once again how neurotic George can be, and because of this pursuit, Tartabull missed the pledge drive. This moment with the renowned baseball player added a touch of realism to the charity drive and added a bit of fun for the viewers.
3 Paul O'Neill
Paul O'Neill made his Seinfeld appearance in season 7 in the episode titled "The Wink." The episode began with George collecting the signatures of all the Yankee players on a card for the owner of the Yankee's birthday. Kramer asked George if he could sell the card, and after he refused Kramer sold it anyway, where it ended up going to a kid in a hospital. The kid said he would give the card back if O'Neill would hit two home runs in the next game. Kramer then went to O'Neil in the locker room and told him he must hit two home runs in the next game, so he can get the card back.
O'Neill told Kramer that it was hard to hit a home run and let alone two, which left Kramer hoping he would get the result he needed to get the card back. Seinfeld said that O'Neill had the best acting chops out of the baseball players who appeared on the show as he delivered his lines well and had good reactions to his scene partner. O'Neill said, "These things only happen when you're part of the New York Yankees." It only took him a few takes to complete the scene, as his time on set was brief because O'Neill had to rush off for the Yankees' game against the California Angels that same night.
2 Derek Jeter & Bernie Williams
Two iconic Yankees, Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams, appeared together in Seinfeld season 8, "The Abstinence." In this scene, George decided once again to be the self-appointed instructor of the Yankees and taught them how to hit the ball properly. He stated all they had to do was use "simple physics" to get more home runs. To prove his point, he hit a home run and followed it by saying, "It's not complicated." to which Jeter replied, "Now, who are you again?" The players learn that George is the one who booked their hotels and complained about some of the places that they had been put up in over the season.
Notably, after the episode aired, Williams went on to have a five-year consecutive All-Star run, and Jeter followed suit two years after the episode aired with his five-season All-Star run. William's appeared on the podcast Flipping Bats where he said the appearance was a blast and that it was an honor to be a part of the great show. Two years after the episode aired the Yankees won their first of three consecutive World Series Championships, which left one to wonder if it could have resulted from the teachings of George Costanza on simple physics.
1 George Steinbrenner
The season 7 finale of Seinfeld, titled "The Invitation," was going to have the real George Steinbrenner appear. Throughout George’s employment on the team, Steinbrenner was only shown from the back, as he was voiced by the Yankee fan and creator Larry David. With his face never shown on screen and Larry David voicing the Seinfeld role, it allowed for the character to become a recurring role on the show and added comedic value, particularly in George's hilarious interactions in his office. The real Steinbrenner shot a cameo role in which he offered to be Elaine's date at George and Susan's wedding.
However, the footage for this scene can only be found online as the show cut George Steinbrenner's cameo. David said, "It was much funnier just to see him from the back with my voice than to see him act, but I had to be the one to tell him that." David felt that it was not as effective to see Steinbrenner and would take away from the tone of the character that had been set up over the seasons. While the footage of Steinbrenner's cameo may only be found online, the impact of his character remains an integral part of Seinfeld and its lasting comedic legacy.