What other '90s stuff does Cody Bellinger not know about?

Sarah Wexler

What other '90s stuff does Cody Bellinger not know about? image

When Cody Bellinger confessed Friday that he doesn't know who Jerry Seinfeld is, it sent shockwaves through the baseball community and beyond.

ESPN's Scott Van Pelt couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Bellinger’s astounded teammates and fans gave him plenty of much-deserved grief on Twitter. How could Bellinger not be familiar with one of the most famous living comedians?
 
It also raises another question: What else does Cody Bellinger not know about? Here are some potential answers:

Other 1990s sitcoms

"Seinfeld" is arguably the best-known and best-enduring 1990s television comedy. If Cody doesn't know "Seinfeld," what are the odds he knows other popular ‘90s sitcoms, such as "Friends?" He must have seen an episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" at some point, right? (Hey, Cody: All 11 seasons of "Frasier" are on Netflix!)

And that’s not even touching on dramas such as "Twin Peaks" or "The X-Files" (though both have recently been revived, so that helps the odds that he’s heard of those).

MORE: The 15 best baseball moments on "Seinfeld"

1990s pop culture in general

In theory, Bellinger's lack of '90s pop culture knowledge should extend beyond television and include music and film. Has he heard Nirvana’s "Nevermind" or Lauryn Hill’s "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill?" Has he seen "Pulp Fiction?" "The Big Lebowski?"

Let’s not even begin to speculate on earlier decades.

Other comedy legends 

Between his eponymous TV show and his web series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," Jerry Seinfeld has been one of the most visible comedians of the past 25 years or so. If Bellinger doesn't know Seinfeld by name, it seems doubtful he’d be aware of many other greats of comedy. Does Bellinger know who George Carlin is? Has he ever heard Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner doing “The 2000 Year Old Man?" Quick, someone get him a copy of Richard Pryor’s "Live on the Sunset Strip."

Famous 'Seinfeld' terminology 

Because Bellinger's never watched "Seinfeld," there are many lines and phrases he just won’t get. “No soup for you!” and “Serenity now!” would, understandably, be completely meaningless to him. Chances are good he’s at least familiar with phrases that "Seinfeld" has contributed to the greater cultural lexicon, such as “yada yada yada” and “double-dipper” — although, like many other people, he would have no idea that they originated on that show.

MORE: A Q&A with "Seinfeld" Soup Nazi: On the Mets, cellphones and the show
 
This is all merely conjecture, of course. Only Bellinger can say for sure what he does or does not know.
 
This is also entirely in good fun. More than anything, it’s a sobering reminder of just how young much of MLB’s prime talent is, and of how it’s only going to get worse, and quickly — many of this year’s draft picks were born in 1999!
 
At the end of the day, as long as Bellinger keeps mashing dingers, he's earned the right to remain as oblivious about pop culture as he likes. Odds are he’s as good as he is because he was working so hard that he didn’t have time for "Seinfeld" reruns.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Sarah Wexler