# Boston Red Sox and Sweet Caroline **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 13, 2016, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134 "2016-04-13T23:12:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/1 "2016-04-13T23:12:27Z")
Is there any information on how Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” became an anthem for Boston Red Sox fans? My own theory is that the phenomenon might have been influenced by the 1996 ensemble comedy-drama “Beautiful Girls,” which featured an emotionally climactic scene that features the main characters belting out the song together in a bar. This scene was prominently featured in the trailers advertising the movie. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DPQ47h-k-nw/maxresdefault.jpg "Sweet Caroline - Beautiful Girls (3/11) Movie CLIP (1996) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPQ47h-k-nw) Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/2 "2016-04-14T00:34:15Z")
Here’s what the [Boston Globe](http://archive.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/05/29/another_mystery_of_the_diamond_explained_at_last/) has to say: > [@](#): > > Amy Tobey knows the answer to the ''Sweet Caroline" question. > > Tobey began working for the Red Sox through her job at BCN Productions, a film and video communications company, having interned for the Boston Bruins. > > Her assignment was to decide what music would be played at the park from 1998 to 2004. > > She had noticed ''Sweet Caroline" was used at other sporting events, and she decided to send the sweetness over the Fenway speakers. > > The song was picked up by fans, and the more it caught on, the more superstitious Tobey became about playing it. > > Tobey would play the song somewhere between the seventh and ninth innings if the team was ahead, depending on whether she felt the team was going to win. > > She didn’t go by any specific margin of runs, but rather who the opponent was, and her gut instincts. > > ''I actually considered it like a good luck charm," Tobey says. ''Even if they were just one run [ahead], I might still do it. It was just a feel." > > In 2002, when new management took over at the park, they requested that Tobey play the song during the eighth inning of every game. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/3 "2016-04-14T01:00:56Z")
It’s sooooooooooo cheesy but man, when you’re there? It feels so good. (so good. so good.) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/4 "2016-04-14T01:01:58Z")
Yup, that is the generally accepted history, from the people who were there. [http://m.mlb.com/news/article/45075964/fenway-parks-anthem-started-innocuously](http://m.mlb.com/news/article/45075964/fenway-parks-anthem-started-innocuously) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/5 "2016-04-14T09:54:26Z")
I think the Caroline Kennedy\*/Massachusetts connection might have something to do with it as well. \*Caroline Kennedy was the inspiration for the song. mmm ETA: Upon further review it seems Neil Diamond has revoked his earlier statement of Miss Kennedy being the inspiration. Despite that, she is still associated with the song. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/6 "2016-04-14T12:13:58Z")
Whatever the reason, playing Neil Diamond at a ballpark is a major turnoff. Bring back Rock N’ Roll, Part II. Maybe Neil will do something really sleazy so that they have to stop playing “Sweet Caroline”. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/7 "2016-04-14T12:52:21Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Bring back Rock N’ Roll, Part II. No don’t. [This man](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31657929) will be paid royalties every time it’s played. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/8 "2016-04-14T15:41:00Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Maybe Neil will do something really sleazy so that they have to stop playing “Sweet Caroline”. Whoops, I missed that bit.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/9 "2016-04-14T17:00:58Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > \*t seems Neil Diamond has revoked his earlier statement of Miss Kennedy being the inspiration. I’m glad to hear that, as it would have been kinda creepy, given that she was all of eleven when the song was written. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/10 "2016-04-14T19:28:03Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > I’m glad to hear that, as it would have been kinda creepy, given that she was all of eleven when the song was written. Maybe she was also the inspiration for “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/11 "2016-04-15T02:00:54Z")
> [@Hoopy\_Frood](#): > > Maybe she was also the inspiration for “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” And then, after the trial, **Solitary Man**. mmm ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/12 "2016-04-15T12:55:51Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > ETA: Upon further review it seems Neil Diamond has revoked his earlier statement of Miss Kennedy being the inspiration. Despite that, she is still associated with the song. Diamond quite clearly doesn’t really remember whether she was the inspiration or not. In 2007 - this is four decades after he wrote it - he said it was. Later he said it wasn’t. Later he said it kind of was but kind of wasn’t. He’s old, and his memory at this point is probably a little foggy. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-red-sox-and-sweet-caroline/752134/13 "2016-04-15T14:14:19Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Whatever the reason, playing Neil Diamond at a ballpark is a major turnoff. > > Bring back Rock N’ Roll, Part II. Screw that, bring back “Tessie”.