MAS*H is one of only a few shows that was able to generate such a devout following. Over its 251 episodes, a major variety of things happened, almost all of which the fans loved. The show was able to bring laughter and joy into a stressful world. Consequently, it was one of the most successful shows of its era.
Jamie Farr was an integral part of MAS*H. So, his character, Max Klinger, got to enjoy the creation of his backstory. The show decided that the character would be from Toledo, Ohio.
As fans of the show are well aware, the writers for MAS*H were incredible. They didn’t miss anything. A prime example of this was how the show displayed Max Klinger’s hometown. As Jamie Farr describes, he and one of the writers grew up following minor league baseball.
More importantly, the writers and Farr himself thought that the obscure name was perfect for Max Klinger. Consequently, MAS*H exposed millions of people to the Toledo Mud Hens baseball team. But, the show did so in a unique manner, having Klinger wear gear during the show.
Jamie Farr Got to Show Off Max Klinger’s Hometown, Toledo in a Unique Fashion on”M*A*S*H“
Not only did he and one of the writers grow up watching the minor leagues, but Farr was an avid Mud Hens fan. In an interview from 2015, Farr describes how he was able to bring his childhood baseball team to MAS*H.
The writers knew how important Farr was to M*A*S*H, so they let his character be a fan of the Mud Hens too. But, that only became a reality when Larry Gelbart joined the show as a writer.
In fact, it was Larry’s idea to have Klinger be a Mud Hens fan. It didn’t hurt that two other writers were also fans of minor league baseball – David Isaacs and Ken Levine. So, thanks to these three people, the Toldeo Mud Hens got their biggest fan of all time, Max Klinger.
As the M*A*S*H star describes, the writers thought this would be a touching tribute to his hometown. And it was incredibly fitting that the team name was so strange, to begin with. The writers took that and ran with it.
Because of the exposure that the show brought to the team, the Mud Hens general manager was ecstatic. Jamie Farr certainly had a way of making people love his character’s attributes.
