Last Night On
Fansided

Late night’s 7 best baseball sketches and interviews

By Matt Moore

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 08: Comedian and talk show host Stephen Colbert plays catch before a game between the New York Yankees and New York Mets at Citi Field on June 8, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 08: Comedian and talk show host Stephen Colbert plays catch before a game between the New York Yankees and New York Mets at Citi Field on June 8, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 7
Next

Conan goes back in time

It is perhaps the greatest sketch in Conan O’Brien’s 25-year career on television. It should be used as the standard by which all other late night remote pieces are measure. O’Brien himself has asked that it be shown at his funeral as an indication of who he is as a comedian. It is of course, Conan playing 1864 baseball.

If you are a die-hard Conan fan then you know why O’Brien points to this as his best comedic performance. The absurdity is right in Conan’s wheel-house and allows him to play the jack-ass he so frequently looks to become. The seriousness with which some take playing old fashioned baseball only makes O’Brien want to dive in more.

As with a lot of comedy, there is certainly some luck involved to go along with the talent of the performer. For O’Brien, the luck came in the form of Nell. She was taking things far more seriously than anyone playing the game, developing an entire character and backstory beyond what could be expected.

O’Brien himself had trouble staying focused and broke several times while trying to play along with Nell. She may have been using the chance to audition for her own acting career but regardless, it was impressive to hold things together with the way she did. Hopefully we get to see more like this from O’Brien when Conan returns from hiatus with a new format.

Conan O'Brien's 10 best remote pieces of all-time. light. Related Story

So there you have it. Some of the best baseball sketches and interviews that have appeared on late night television. Whether you’re rooting for the Red Sox or the Dodgers in the World Series, you can agree that the game has certainly provided plenty of comedy material. Let us know who you think will win it all and what sketches or clips we left out!

Home/Late Night Shows