Mets legend Keith Hernandez says he still gets 'close to $5,000' per year in 'Seinfeld' residuals

Hernandez was one of numerous New York baseball stars to appear on "Seinfeld," playing himself in three episodes. His most famous appearance, though, came in the two-part episode, "The Boyfriend," in 1992, when he becomes a love interest to Elaine despite Kramer's and Newman's grudge against him stemming from a spitting incident on June 14, 1987.

The episode prompted Hernandez's infamous line, "I'm Keith Hernandez." Two documentaries about him have even used the line for the title.

Due to the massive success of the episode, Hernandez still receives some nice residuals.

Former New York Yankees outfielder Paul O'Neill also appeared in a famous episode, "The Wink," in Season 7, where Kramer (played by Michael Richards) promises a boy in the hospital that he would get the right fielder to hit two home runs in a game in an effort to get back a birthday card for George Steinbrenner, signed by members of the Yankees, that he had sold.

O'Neill revealed in 2024 that he, too, still gets residuals, but they're not nearly on the same level as Hernandez's.

In addition to O'Neill, Yankees players Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams and Danny Tartabull and manager Buck Showalter also appeared on the series, while a stunt double was used for Steinbrenner, who was voiced by co-creator Larry David - the real Steinbrenner did film a scene that was never used.