The History of: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"

It's been said that it's the third most frequently sung song in America... I'm sure Happy Birthday and The Star-Spangled Banner win the gold and silver.

Every night, during the 7th inning stretch in every major and minor league baseball game, thousands upon thousands of people rise to their feet and sing the song as one.

We all know the chorus by heart... and we sing it loud and proud... it's almost un-American not to. It's as American as baseball... in fact it IS baseball. What would baseball be like without it?

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is celebrating it's 100th year as THE baseball song. The irony of the song is that the author had never been to a baseball game.

The story goes that Jack Norworth, a song writer and vaudeville performer, was inspired to write the song when he saw an sign promoting a game at the Polo Grounds, while riding a New York city subway. Norworth's inspiration began by writing a song about a girl named Katie Casey who's boyfriend called to see if she'd like to go to a show... but instead, Katie asked her boyfriend to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". And in knowing the lyric you can imagine a girl asking her boyfriend to "buy her some peanuts and cracker-jack".

The song was a huge hit... (yep, pun intended, but that was an easy one...) The song was a top 10 hit for three artists in 1908. And it wasn't until the 1934 World Series, when the song was performed at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis.

For the next several decades, baseball fans would spontaneously sing the song during ball games. Often times between innings or during pitching changes when the organist would play the tune.

What made the song even more popular was its inclusion in the 7th inning stretch of Chicago Cubs games. But this didn't happen until much later and really wasn't planned.

(See a history of the 7th inning stretch here...) Thanks to the robust President Taft, we have a 7th inning stretch...which also was not planned.

The story goes that legendary Cubs play-by-play announcer Harry Caray would privately sing the song during commercial breaks. (Back then he was broadcasting for the other Chicago baseball team...) In 1976, White Sox owner Bill Veeck, known for his wacky promotions and stunts, tricked Caray into leading the White Sox faithful in singing the song at Comiskey Park, by hiding a microphone in the broadcast booth, and allowing all the fans to hear him and sing along. The tradition was started...

Caray carried the tradition to the other side of Chicago when he became the Cubs' announcer in 1982. And because the Cubs were broadcast on Cable television, the entire country got to hear Caray's rendition, and other teams began adopting the tradition. And the rest, as they say... is history. Even after Caray's transition to baseball heaven in 1998 the Cubs continue the tradition by having celebrities sing the song during the 7th inning stretch.

But of course each team would substitute the lyrics to customize the song for their favorite team... in my case it goes "root, root, root for the Phillies..."

For more history of the song, and many other baseball songs you can read Baseball's Greatest Hit: The Story of Take Me Out to the Ball Game . The book comes with a CD of rare and classic recordings of the song including Harry Caray.

The Baseball-Almanac, which is an excellent site for baseball enthusiasts, has the complete version of both lyrics, as well as several you can listen to..
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/po_stmo.shtml

To celebrate the song's 100th anniversary Major League Baseball and Baby Ruth teamed up to create a contest where the winner would sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at this year's All-Star game... Here's the link: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/fan_forum/babyruth/ (Tab around this micro-site for more information about the song...)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1908 original version)
words by - Jack Norworth
music by - Albert VonTilzer

Katie Casey was baseball mad,
Had the fever and had it bad.
Just to root for the home town crew,
Ev'ry sou Katie blew.
On a Saturday her young beau
Called to see if she'd like to go
To see a show, but Miss Kate said
"No, I'll tell you what you can do:"

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:

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.

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