Did 'The Simpsons' predict Ian Happ’s catch in the ivy? Exploring the connection between Cubs CF's hilarious bush dive and the viral cartoon GIF
Cubs left fielder and lead-off hitter Ian Happ took a catch in the ivy in the series finale against the Yankees at Wrigley Field on Sunday. This catch reminisced about the hilarious Simpsons episode 'Homer Loves Flanders' (Season 5 Episode 16) aired on March 17, 1994.
One of the scenes from the episode became an Internet meme in 2010 where Homer is observed sneakily backing up into Ned Flander's hedges. This made many baseball fans ponder whether the Simpsons correctly predicted Happ's catch.
The particular Simpsons episode did not correctly predict the catch in the Wrigley Field, as the context of both situations was vastly different. Homer was trying to get a football game ticket and, in doing so, befriended Ned Flanders, whom he hated at first, and then went on to irritate the Flanders family with his omnipresence.
Homer keeps an eye on Ned's family from the hedges in the garden in one of the scenes. When he fears getting caught, he hilariously, in one smooth motion, moves back into the hedges. Happ's catch in the Ivy was different and out of context to draw any parallels. However, one can understand why one would think they are alike.
'Homer at Bat' is one of the most famous Simpsons episodes, featuring legendary ballplayers
In this famous Simpsons episode that aired on Feb. 20, 1992, Mr. Burns, a recurring character on the show, who owns the Springfield nuclear power plant, plans to hire nine major league ballplayers.
He does this to win the $1 million bet he wagers with Mr. Aristotle Amadopolis, owner of Shelbyville Plant and their namesake baseball team.
These nine ballplayers were: Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey Jr., Darryl Strawberry, Jose Canseco, Mike Scioscia, Ozzie Smith, Don Mattingly, Steve Sax, and Roger Clemens.
Homer Simpson injures himself by a Clemens fastball during a practice session, and somehow most of the star players get sidelined one by one ahead of the game day for weird and strange reasons.
Ultimately, out of the nine, Mattingly and Strawberry make it to the game, but Mr. Burns benches the Yankees superstar for failing to shave off his sideburns. While the Springfield nuclear power plant team wins uncharacteristically, an instance similar to Don getting sidelined happened in real life in 1991, one year before the episode was aired.
During one of the games in the 1991 MLB season, Mattingly was sidelined for violating Geroge Steinbrenner's policy against facial hair for the Yankees roster.