"Isotopes" Creator Ken Levine to Throw Out Ceremonial First Pitch

Ken Levine, the man who coined the name "Isotopes" on the "Dancin' Homer" episode of The Simpsons in 1990, is scheduled to be in attendance at Isotopes Park this weekend. Levine will be available to the media Friday afternoon at 3:30 pm and will throw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to Saturday's game.

When Levine wrote The Simpsons episode, he was also working as a play-by-play announcer in the Triple-A International League and befriended Norfolk Tides General Manager Dave Rosenfield during his three years in the International League. The "Dancin' Homer" episode featured Homer working as the mascot for the Springfield Isotopes, the local minor league team. Homer was promoted to the fictitious Capital City Capitals but was ultimately fired by the Capitals' owner. On the show, the owner's name was "Dave Rosenfield" in respect to the longtime General Manager of the Norfolk/Tidewater Tides. The Tides are owned by Isotopes president Ken Young.

Levine is an Emmy award-winning writer, director and producer in the television and film industry. He has worked on a number of television series, including M*A*S*H, Cheers, Frasier, The Simpsons, Wings, Everybody Loves Raymond, Becker and Dharma and Greg. He has also been a radio and TV play-by-play voice for the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres. From 2008-2010, he co-hosted, along with Isotopes play-by-play announcer Josh Suchon, the Dodger Talk post-game radio show on KABC in Los Angeles.

Ken will be available to the media for interviews and photo opportunities this Friday July 26 at approximately 3:30 p.m. adjacent to the Homer statue on the Isotopes Park concourse. The Topes return to Albuquerque for a four-game set against the New Orleans Zephyrs beginning Friday, July 26 at 7:05 PM.