If you were old enough to be watching Saturday Night Live in the Seventies (like me), you might remember watching the eighth episode of the fourth season on December 9, 1978.
Monty Python star Eric idle was the host. The alluring Kate Bush was the musical guest. Dan Aykroyd did the insanely funny skit in which he plays a frantic Julia Child, who bleeds to death after cutting her finger. Don Novello showed up as Father Guido Sarducci.
That was also the night that SNL cast member Garrett Morris first appeared as the fictional former Mets baseball infielder, Chico Escuela — and said the almost immediately famous catchphrase: “Baseball been berry, berry good to me.”
Chico, who was supposed to be from the Dominican Republic, had a very thick Hispanic accent and spoke haltingly. And, if you weren’t hypersensitive about such politically incorrect things, it was berry, berry funny to listen to him.
Morris’ first appearance as Chico was on a Weekend Update segment with Bill Murray and Jane Curtin (who Chico called “Hane”).
Chico became a recurring character on Weekend Update and in other SNL sketches until 1980, when Morris left the show. In each appearance, he uttered his baseball catchphrase in slow, tortured English. And, invariably, for some reason, people like me would laugh when he said it.
OK, maybe I remember one of the reasons I laughed at it back then. But it’s still illegal and I don’t have a medical prescription for it, so nevermind.
Anyway, here, from the venerable Saturday Night Live Transcripts website, is the transcript of Chico Escuela’s debut on Saturday Night Live, on December 9, 1978.
JANE CURTIN: “Now, we’d like to welcome a new member to our Update team, the former All-Star second baseman for the New York Mets, Chico Escuela. Welcome, Chico. Chico will be covering the sports scene for Weekend Update.”
CHICO ESCUELA: “Thank you. Thank you, berry, berry much. Base-ball...been berry, berry good to me. Thank you, Hane.
[A photo of major league ballplayer Pete Rose shows behind Chico.]
Pete-ee Rose...Base-ball been berry, berry good to Pete Rose. Three-point-two-million-dollar para Pete Rose. Charlie Hustle, you bet. Thank you berry, berry much.
In foot-ball... I don’t know foot-ball. In Dominican Republic, foot-ball is — how you say, Hane? Um, Oh! Soccer! Your foot-ball... I don't know.
In National Hockey League... I don't know hockey.
In base-ball… Base-ball been berry, berry good to me! Thank you berry much. Thank you. Thank you berry much. Hane? Thank you, Hane.”
JANE CURTIN: “Great job, Chico. I'm glad that we haven’t hired just another stupid ex-jock sportscaster.”
Thank you, SNL casts, for all the funny memories.
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NOTE: You can watch this classic episode of Saturday Night Live as streaming video
.
