“Homer at the Bat,” featuring Clemens, Canseco, Strawberry, Wade Boggs and others reportedly marked the first time that “The Simpsons” beat out “The Cosby Show” for No. 1 in its time slot.

Homer Simpson is the spiritual godfather of this archetype. He's been sleeping on the job since the Cold War, and the closest he's come to accountability is having his pay docked for eating ...