MLB All-Star Game: Why we sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ and other traditions

With the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, we look at the history of one of America’s most sung songs.

Baseball has inspired a lot of music. There have been pop songs and polkas, quicksteps and two-steps, mambos and marches and even operas have been written in celebration of America’s favorite pastime.

Here are some song titles from over the years:

“Don’t Kill the Umpire Until the Last Man is Out” (1963), “The Umpire’s Revenge” (1888), “I Can’t Get to First Base with You” (1935) and “Home Run Polka” (1867).

But “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” written in 1908 is the most-heard song of them all.

The song was written by Jack Norworth and the music was created by Albert Von Tilzer, two Tin Pan Alley and vaudeville stars. Tin Pan Alley was a collection of music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated popular music in the nation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

 

Instant success

Norworth’s “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was his longest-lasting hit. It wasn’t until 1940 that he witnessed a major league game.

Von Tilzer was a top tune writer, producing numerous popular music compositions from 1900 continuing through the early 1950s. Some of his other songs are:“Oh How She Could Yacki-Hacki, Wicki-Wacki, Woo” and “I Used to Love You But It’s All Over Now.”

According to the National Archives, it took Norworth about 15 minutes to write “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” which is told from the perspective of a young woman. The song, recorded by Edward Meeker, became an instant hit and was a No. 1 record for seven weeks. It was the most popular song of 1908.

Seventh-inning stretch

It was first performed at a baseball game in 1934 and then again later that year at a Major League Baseball game. The tradition of singing this baseball anthem in the seventh inning first took place in 1946. The band struck up the song during a game while fans stood for the seventh-inning stretch.

Announcer Harry Caray occasionally sang the tune in the seventh inning at White Sox games. On opening day in 1976, team owner Bill Veeck noticed fans singing along with Caray, so a secret microphone was placed in the broadcast booth the next day. Caray started singing the song over the microphone, and the tradition took off. Fans now sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in the seventh inning at virtually every game in America.

Southern California connection

Von Tilzer resided in Beverly Hills. He died in Los Angeles on Oct. 1, 1956, at age 78.Norworth died of a heart attack in Laguna Beach on Sept. 1, 1959, at the age of 80.

The lyrics of the 1908 version:

Katie Casey was baseball mad,Had the fever and had it bad.Just to root for the home town crew,Ev’ry souKatie blew.On a Saturday her young beauCalled to see if she’d like to goTo see a show, but Miss Kate said “No,I’ll tell you what you can do:”

Chorus

Take me out to the ball game,Take me out with the crowd;Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,I don’t care if I never get back.Let me root, root, root for the home team,If they don’t win, it’s a shame.For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,At the old ball game.

Katie Casey saw all the games,Knew the players by their first names.Told the umpire he was wrong,All along,Good and strong.When the score was just two to two,Katie Casey knew what to do,Just to cheer up the boys she knew,She made the gang sing this song:

 

Attempted steal

With fancy cover art and an avalanche of advertising, George M. Cohan, William Jerome and Jean Schwartz composed “Take Your Girl to the Ball Game,” a copycat song, a few days after Norworth’s was a flop.

ChorusTake your girl to the ball game, Any old afternoonThat’s the place to propose to Mame, The spot for a sun shiny spoonMake a fan of your steady girl, If you lose her I’ll take the blameIn the stand it’s just grand, as she squeezes your handAt the baseball game

The first pitch

The practice of having ceremonial first pitches dates back to at least 1890. Originally, the guest threw a ball from their seat in the grandstand to the pitcher or catcher of the home team.

In 1984, the ritual changed after President Ronald Reagan threw the first pitch on the field at an unscheduled appearance at a Baltimore Orioles game. Since Reagan’s pitch, most first pitches are thrown from on, or in front of, the pitcher‘s mound.

The tradition of presidential first pitches began in 1910 when President William Howard Taft threw the ceremonial first pitch from the stands at the Washington Senators’ Opening Day.

Every president since has thrown an Opening Day first pitch with the exception of Jimmy Carter, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Bobbleheads

According to the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame, in 1960, the first paper-mâché and ceramic generic and player-specific bobbleheads were made. Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Willie Mays were the first non-mascot bobbleheads created. The uniforms were different but all shared the same face.

In 1990, a new manufacturing processes allowed bobbleheads to be made from plastic instead of ceramic, dramatically reducing the expense and difficulty of creating quality bobbleheads.

In May 1999, bobbleheads seemed to be a 20th century relic until a promotion by the San Francisco Giants brought the bobblehead back to the public eye. The Giants offered a Willie Mays bobblehead to the first 20,000 visitors on May 9 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Candlestick Park.

Bobblehead giveaways are common for every team now.

Greatest game?

The 1971 All Star game is considered to have had the most star power of any game. Eventually, 22 players and managers from that game would make it to Cooperstown, 17 would win an MVP and seven would earn a Cy Young.

No other All-Star Game has featured 20 Hall of Fame players. Here’s the list: Rod Carew, Brooks Robinson, Luis Aparicio, Frank Robinson, Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Jackson, Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew, Jim Palmer, Johnny Bench, Willie McCovey, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Willie Stargell, Lou Brock, Ron Santo, Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, Ferguson Jenkins, Juan Marichal and Roberto Clemente. The managers, the Orioles’ Earl Weaver and the Reds’ Sparky Anderson, are also in the Hall of Fame.

Most All-Star Game appearances*Hall of Famer

• Henry Aaron* 21
• Willie Mays* 20
• Stan Musial* 20
• Cal Ripken Jr.* 19
• Rod Carew* 18
• Carl Yastrzemski* 18
• Ted Williams* 17
• Pete Rose 17
• Mickey Mantle* 16
• Yogi Berra* 15
• Al Kaline* 15
• Brooks Robinson* 15
• Tony Gwynn* 15
• Ozzie Smith* 15
• Warren Spahn* 14
• Johnny Bench* 14
• Barry Bonds 14
• Reggie Jackson* 14
• Derek Jeter* 14
• Alex Rodriguez 14
• Ivan Rodriguez* 14

 

Sources: Library of Congress, National Archives, Baseball Reference, MLB, National Bobblehead Hall of Fame, The Associated Press, Register research

 

Source: Orange County Register