Jerry Seinfeld looks back at Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First?" with Bob Costas on MLB Network on Thursday July 12

Secaucus, NJ, July 10, 2012 – Comedian, actor, writer and longtime New York Mets fan Jerry Seinfeld recently spoke with MLB Network’s Bob Costas for a special interview to air during MLB’s 2012 All-Star break this Thursday, July 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET commemorating the 60^th anniversary of comedy duo Bud Abbott & Lou Costello’s first televised performance of the legendary routine “Who’s on First?.”

Filmed at New York City’s Soho House, Costas & Seinfeld: Who’s on First? features extensive footage of the routine that TIME Magazine named as the best comedy sketch of the 20^th century, interspersed with comments from Seinfeld on his favorite moments and how “Who’s on First?” influenced him as a comedian, writer and baseball fan. Speaking about why baseball lends itself to comedy, Seinfeld says, “Baseball has a heart of gold. It has a humanity that other sports, they just don’t have, for whatever reason, and humanity is funnier.”

Throughout the 30-minute interview, Seinfeld also reveals details of how “The Abbott & Costello Show” impacted the creation of and characters in the Emmy Award-winning sitcom Seinfeld. Seinfeld tells Costas, “I really wanted to imitate this show in my TV series in a couple of ways. … Even [with] Abbott and Costello and me and George, there’s a physical similarity there.” Seinfeld confirms that even the full character name of “George Louis Costanza” was influenced by the show, saying, “We named him after Lou Costello. We were all fans of Abbott and Costello on the show.”

            A preview of Costas & Seinfeld: Who’s on First? can be viewed here.  The interview will air on MLB Network prior to MLB Network Countdown: Subway Fresh Faces at 7:30 p.m. ET, ranking the top ten players to have debuted since Opening Day 2011, and the midseason recap show Plays of the First Half at 8:00 p.m. ET.

MLB Network is the ultimate television destination for baseball fans, featuring the Emmy Award-winning MLB Tonight, live games, original programming, highlights, and insights and analysis from the best in the business, including Bob Costas, Peter Gammons, Jim Kaat, Al Leiter and Harold Reynolds. MLB Network debuted on January 1, 2009 as the largest launch in cable television history and is currently distributed in approximately 70 million homes throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. For more information and to find MLB Network in your area, go to www.mlbnetwork.com.