“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” (1927 version), by Jack Norworth
Posted: April 17, 2018 Filed under: 20th Century, Pop culture | Tags: Albert Von Tilzer, Baseball, history, Jack Norworth, music, sports, Take Me Out to the Ballgame Leave a commentThe original version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was released in 1908, written on a piece of scrap paper on a train ride into Manhattan. Because one version of the song just wasn’t enough, in 1927 Jack Norworth changed some of the lyrics of this classic, set again to the music composed by Albert Von Tilzer.
Nelly Kelly love baseball games,
Knew the players, knew all their names,
You could see her there ev’ry day,
Shout “Hurray,” when they’d play.
Her boy friend by the name of Joe
Said, “To Coney Isle, dear, let’s go,”
Then Nelly started to fret and pout,
And to him I heard her shout.
“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.”
Nelly Kelly was sure some fan,
She would root just like any man,
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along, good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Nelly Kelly 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.”
This day in baseball: Ruth’s NL debut
Posted: April 16, 2018 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Babe Ruth, Baseball, Boston Braves, Braves Field, Carl Hubbell, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, National League, New York Giants, sports Leave a commentBabe Ruth made his National League debut on April 16, 1935 at Braves Field in Boston. A band played “Jingle Bells” (I wonder whose idea that was?) as snow fell with near-freezing temperatures enveloping the field. Ruth hit a homer and a single off Giants’ legend Carl Hubbell as the Braves beat New York, 4-2.
nydailynews.com
Water baseball
Posted: April 13, 2018 Filed under: 20th Century | Tags: Baseball, history, Library of Congress, photographs, sports Leave a commentI found this photograph while browsing the Library of Congress catalog. Taken in July 1914, it depicts a group of men playing baseball in a large body of water off the beach. There’s no notation as far as an exact location, unfortunately. They appear to be playing ball in the ocean, but there are plenty of large lakes and other relatively-smaller bodies of water in existence large enough to not be able to see the shore on the other side. Regardless, the idea of playing baseball in the water, with other factors such as the tide, rocks, and seaweed, sounds like a fun and interesting twist on the game. Just keep your fingers crossed that your outfield doesn’t get eaten by sharks!
This day in baseball: First Fenway game
Posted: April 9, 2018 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Casey Hageman, Dana Wingate, Fenway Park, Harvard Crimson, Harvard University, history, Major League Baseball, MLB, sports Leave a commentThe first game ever played at Fenway Park took place on April 9, 1912. In an exhibition contest played in the cold and the snow, Crimson third baseman and captain Dana Wingate became the first batter in the Boston ballpark, being struck out on a fastball by Casey Hageman. 3,000 fans braved the wintery weather to watch the shortened contest.
supermetal.com
Infographic: Big Data & Baseball Statistics
Posted: April 5, 2018 Filed under: 19th Century, 20th Century, 21st Century | Tags: Allan Roth, Baltimore Orioles, Baseball, Bill James, Billy Beane, Boston Red Sox, Branch Rickey, Brooklyn Dodgers, Buffalo Bisons, Chicago White Sox, Earl Weaver, history, infographics, John Thorn, Major League Baseball, MLB, Oakland Athletics, Pete Palmer, quotes, SABR, Sean Smith, sports, statistics Leave a commentSomeone (unknown) once commented, “Baseball is an island of activity amidst a sea of statistics.” There’s no doubt statistics drive the game. Here’s a good general timeline on how that has played out over the years.
This day in baseball: Souki
Posted: April 4, 2018 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, history, Major League Baseball, mascots, MLB, Montreal Expos, Souki, sports 5 CommentsOn April 4, 1978, the Montreal Expos unveiled their new mascot. The mascot, named Souki, wore an Expos uniform below a giant baseball head with antennae. However, after just one season, the Souki’s rights would be sold for a mere $50.00, after proving unpopular with the fans due to his strange looks and quirky behavior.
sportsmascots.wikia.com
This day in baseball: Koufax and Drysdale sign
Posted: March 30, 2018 Filed under: 20th Century, This day in baseball | Tags: Baseball, Don Drysdale, history, Los Angeles Dodgers, Sandy Koufax, sports, Spring Training Leave a commentSandy Koufax and Don Drysdale signed for $130,000 and $105,000, respectively, on March 30, 1966 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The agreements ended a 32-day holdout in which the two pitchers had refused to report for Spring Training. Their actions would pave the way for other players to be more aggressive when negotiating with team owners.
Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale (LA Times)
