15 Worst Baseball Player Appearances on Prime-Time Sitcoms

Athlete cameos on sitcoms are nothing new. Unfortunately, along with the shock factor of seeing your favorite player on your favorite show comes the inevitable realization: "Wow, they should never act again..."

Seinfeld seems to be the most popular show to make appearances on, especially for Yankees. But you'll see people in this slideshow ranging from Magnum, P.I. to Hawaii 5-0.

Baseball players have been some of the most common offenders of the bad-acting cameo. Here's a list of the 15 worst. Read on!

Keith Hernandez on Seinfeld

I'm not the biggest Seinfeld fan to begin with (I know, I know...blasphemy, right?). But Keith Hernandez's appearance in this episode doesn't help matters. What kind of player throws his teammate under the bus like that?

But honestly, the lines are slowly spoken and carefully crafted to the point where you wonder if something is wrong with Keith. Other than that dirty 'stache, of course.

Joe Torre on Castle

Alright, I'm not going to lie. I haven't seen the actual episode, but based on reviews I've heard and Torre's very bland expressions in the dugout, I have to assume the acting was pretty boring. And if it means anything, "That was Joe freakin' Torre!" is pretty cheesy anyway.

Good ol' Joe has a great game face for baseball and was a brilliant, successful manager. But apparently, it didn't translate to the big screen.

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

And It's Always Sunny once again proves to be overrated. Yep. And Chase and Ryan don't help matters with two minutes of uninspired hand gestures and fake laughs.

Then, it went even more downhill when they did open their mouths. Overall, an awful job by both. By the way, is there some kind of curse associated with making cameos on that show? Both sluggers are now injured...

George Steinbrenner on Seinfeld

OK, so George could buy an all-star team for the Yankees and win a million World Series. But he definitely doesn't know how to play a role on Seinfeld. My head is spinning, waiting for Steinbrenner to stop talking so fast.

The scene where he exits is especially bad. Could he be any more awkward? Much like Torre, George knew his way around a baseball club, but that's about it, apparently.

Wade Boggs on Psych

I really like this episode, because the legend of Wade Boggs consuming 64 beers is actually confirmed by him and multiple teammates. That is epic. But the actual acting isn't so good.

Trying to one-up Danny Glover is nearly impossible, but Boggs went for it anyway. There is no need for the Hall of Famer to change his voice and try and sound mysterious and awesome like Glover.

Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams on Seinfeld

It's really strange to see the two Yankee legends looking so young, and funnier still to see them talk about how they "won a World Series." Little did they know that they'd win a lot more before either of their times ended.

But both are pretty awkward on camera. I'm not surprised, since Bernie and Derek have always been relatively quiet players, albeit great ones.

Paul O'Neill on Seinfeld

Out of all these bad performances, I'm most impressed with Paul. He actually pulled off a believable part, but his true character also showed through.

Paulie was always an angry player, mostly at himself when he failed. And the fact that he was supposed to be angry was perfect. He could still use some acting classes, though.

Ken Griffey, Jr. on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

If you're around my age, you know how awesome Fresh Prince is. And if you like baseball, you know how awesome Ken Griffey, Jr. is. He has a nice diss of Will Smith in there, but I have to wonder about his throwing arm.

I understand it was during the strike, but come on. He misses on all three throws? The lines weren't bad, but he did come off as a bit of a jerk. I guess that's what happens when you flirt with Hilary. See the clip HERE.

Nolan Ryan on Ryan's Hope

Hey, check out the young Nolan! Quite a strange sight for someone like me. Anyway, despite the dashing good looks and the fact that this isn't technically a sitcom, but a soap opera...Ryan wasn't a very good actor.

He just stood there and looked awkward while the other actors fawned over him. I could do that too, but I can't throw a no-hitter, so I guess he gets the nod for the role. Fair enough.

Nick Swisher on How I Met Your Mother

Swish is one of the more colorful characters in Major League Baseball, but his acting is atrocious. While his part in the legen...wait for it...dary episode known as "The Perfect Week" is good for a few laughs, he comes off as loud and arrogant.

And I'll be damned, I know it's in the script, but what kind of self-respecting baseball lover says hockey is better than America's pastime? Just to get in Robin's pants? Come on, Nick.

Shane Victorino on Hawaii 5-0

This was the most recent one on my list. I absolutely love this show, and I think Shane is a fantastic player. But he should definitely stick to the outfield.

I have no doubt that the Flyin' Hawaiian knows his way around Hawaii and knows how to build a team, but that doesn't mean he's good at pretending either. Yikes.

Alan Trammel and Lou Whitaker on Magnum, P.I.

Well, Tom Selleck definitely steals the show here. I guess that makes sense since he's the actual actor. And while Trammel and Whitaker looked nice and smug to be on TV, they didn't portray their roles very well.

Trammel has what many call "The Actor's Voice," where he emphasizes his speaking roles too much. And honestly, Whitaker's line was just horrendous. Good thing they could ball!

Mark McGwire on Mad About You

I never watched this show, so it's hard to tell exactly what happened in this episode. But, it seems like the leading man and McGwire switched places. Sure, McGwire hangs up the cleats for the show, but he DID score Helen Hunt.

Despite the big muscles, I'm sure Helen kicked his butt to the curb when she watched back the episode and saw that Big Mac had zero acting chops. I mean, this is just the worst.

Ryan Howard on Entourage

While Yahoo! Sports' original assertion that Howard "out-acted" everyone in said episode is a ridiculous claim, Ryan did go on the popular HBO series and get to drop a dirty word.

This is Howard's second appearance on this list. Not a good thing for a slugger who will need to turn to the movies sooner rather than later if he doesn't start avoiding the injury bug. Unfortunately, there is no video. Let me know if you find a link!

Sparky Anderson on WKRP in Cincinnati

Why is this a show? I have no idea. But Sparky might actually be the best actor I see in the clip HERE. He was a cool guy and seems to be having a good time on the show. But that doesn't mean he's dong a good job.

Anderson is way too nervous, talks too fast and uses extremely exaggerated hand motions. Sparky needs to stick to the diamond.