Brandon McCarthy made five starts in spring training (1-2, 6.62) and four starts in the regular season (3-0, 5.87). (Associated Press photo)
This is Part 33 of a series in which every member of the 2015 Dodgers has his season juxtaposed with an episode of the greatest sitcom of all-time. Don’t take it too seriously.
Brandon McCarthy, RHP
Key stats: 4 games (4 starts), 3-0, 5.87 ERA.
Seinfeld episode: “The Hamptons” (Season 5, Episode 21)
Key quote: “I was in the pool! I was in the pool!”
Quick, what is Brandon McCarthy’s uniform number? No googling.
If you’re struggling, don’t feel bad. McCarthy made four appearances in a Dodgers uniform during the regular season, then tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Tommy John surgery followed on April 30, ending his season.
It was a shame, too, because McCarthy had dialed up his fastball to another level, racking up strikeouts at the rate of Clayton Kershaw. Too bad his elbow wasn’t up for it. At least number 38 — extra points if you remembered that McCarthy is the fourth Dodger to wear the number since Eric Gagne left town — has three years left on his contract to deliver on that potential.
After his surgery, McCarthy wasn’t done entertaining.
my penis looks ridiculous when i take a bath
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) May 4, 2015
“The Hamptons” is the episode in which George finds himself a victim of shrinkage, much like McCarthy seemed to be back in May. (McCarthy is a Seinfeld fan, so maybe he had poor George in mind.)
Seinfeld made its mark on television by exploiting the various ways its characters flaunted social norms. In “The Hamptons,” Kramer hijacks a commercial lobster trap from a beach and George’s girlfriend sunbathes topless in mixed company. After his bathtub tweet, McCarthy offered his own commentary on things like the St. Louis Cardinals espionage controversy and Tom Brady’s four-game Deflategate suspension, all through the magic of Twitter.
Those were among his most memorable contributions to the season, unfortunately, because he only pitched four games. McCarthy, who began playing catch again in October, is seen as a possibility to return in the second half of 2016.
