M*A*S*Hish 11: Jamie Farr Bobbleheads (Toledo Mud Hens)

Corporal (later Sergent) Maxwell Q. Klinger is best known for wearing dresses at the 4077th in hopes of being discharged from the Army under Section 8. However, if you ask fans what else Klinger is known for, many fans would likely answer his love of his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. Like Klinger, Jamie Farr is from Toledo, and his ties to his hometown run deeper than just the character he played in M*A*S*H. In the series, Klinger often wore a hat and/or jersey for the minor league baseball team the Toledo Mud Hens. The team is still active today, and they regularly celebrate Farr with a series of promotions and items available in their online store. Over the years, the Mud Hens have given out Farr bobbleheads as souvenirs to game goers, and they did this as recently as July 1, 2024 for Farr’s 90th birthday. I have acquired several of these limited edition bobbleheads, so this week, let’s look at the bobbleheads and Farr’s connection with the Toledo Mudhens.

It is a tradition in baseball for there to be give-a-ways to fans who have purchased tickets. The promotional items can range from hats, shirts, baseballs cards, and even bobbleheads of popular players. The Toledo Mud Hens have celebrated their connection with M*A*S*H and Farr with a series of bobbleheads over the years. There was a bobblehead offered at a game in 2012 in which Farr is dressed as Klinger in his infamous Mud Hens gear and a skirt. The figure also included the M*A*S*H signpost. Then, in 2013, the Mud Hens offered a bobblehead of Farr in a black suit. A third bobblehead featuring Farr as Klinger in Army fatigues was also released, but I am not sure what year. I also have seen some examples of Klinger with the signpost that might have been from different years, so I am not sure how many different Farr bobbleheads the Mud Hens have produced.

Then in 2024, the Mud Hens celebrated Farr’s 90th birthday with a new bobblehead! At the game held on July 1, Farr’s actual birthday, the first 1,500 fans to enter the ballpark received a special Farr bobblehead. It features Farr in his Mud Hens jersey holding a cake with the number “90” on it. Toledo celebrated its native son’s birthday at the ballpark and on TV. WTOL, a local Toledo station, interviewed Farr for his 90th birthday, and he spoke about his career, his time in Toledo, and turning 90. The station also reported on the bobbleheads that were given away on July 1, and showed a life size Farr bobblehead that is on display at the ballpark (see the bottom of this post for an embedded video from the Mud Hen’s field the night of July 1).

Farr’s connection with Toledo became a staple on M*A*S*H. His Section 8 antics to go home were a centerpiece of the first seven seasons of the show. However, as Klinger transitioned into his role as company clerk, the dresses were put away, and his Toledo Mud Hens hat and jersey came out. Klinger wore both often, and when I visited the Smithsonian in 2023, I got to see the original Mud Hens jersey that Farr wore throughout the series. This jersey is perhaps just as famous as some of Klinger’s dresses, but it is Farr’s real-life connection to Toledo, the Mud Hens, and LPGA golf that endear him to his hometown.

As we round out July, I thought that celebrating Farr’s 90th birthday was appropriate. He has had a long, storied career in show business, as an author (he has written two books: Just Farr Fun and Hababy’s Christmas Eve), and supporting Toledo. While he now calls California home, his connections to Toledo remain strong, and the community clearly loves him too. The Mud Hens baseball team continues to thrive, and the attention brought to the team by Farr and M*A*S*H is something that they have leaned in to over the years. You can learn more about the Toledo Mud Hens on their website, and while they do not sell the bobbleheads in their store, they do have a “Klinger Collection” available that includes a replica of the hat and jersey that Farr wore in M*A*S*H as Klinger!