15 Best The Simpsons Songs Ever

Though modern day Simpsons is often criticised for overloading episodes with pointless guest stars, Homer At The Bat way back in Season Three is an example of how to do it right. Mr Burns, wanting to win a bet with a rival power plant owner, loads his softball team with a bunch of ringers from Major League Baseball.

You don’t need to be a baseball fan to get the jokes, as there’s no real jabs at the players or their careers. Rather than some winking in-jokes that would exclude non-baseball fans and make the episode feel dated today, the laughs come from the off the wall misfortunes that befall the players. All of them except Homer’s rival for a starring berth in right field, Darryl Strawberry, that is.

Talkin’ Softball, a parody of the famous sports song Talkin’ Baseball, hilariously catalogues the eight misfortunes of Burns’ ringers. Playing over the end credits, it also serves as a mini-highlight reel of the episode and the Plant’s Championship winning season too.

Terry Cashman, singer of the original Talkin’ Baseball, even lends his voice for the occasion. Hearing the line ‘Ken Griffey’s grotesquely swollen jaw’ in his softly spoken tones is just brilliant.