# "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 15, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667 "2003-10-15T23:27:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/1 "2003-10-15T23:27:16Z")
I’m not a huge baseball fan and neither is my roommate, but we have a dispute to settle. I won’t tell you which side I’m on, I’ll just let you assume that I’m on whichever side is right. Is it a regular thing at most baseball games to sing “Take Me Out To the Ballgame” in the 7th inning stretch? Or is that just a Cubs thing? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/2 "2003-10-16T00:13:14Z")
Other stadiums do have music prior to the bottom of the 7th, I believe the organist at Busch plays “The King of Beers”, but I doubt anything compares to what goes at Wrigley. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/3 "2003-10-16T00:52:45Z")
I haven’t been to an Astros game since they played in the 'Dome, but I’m pretty sure I recall singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the 7th inning stretch when I did go. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cheapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8e7dd6/32.png) [@El\_Cheapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cheapo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/4 "2003-10-16T01:03:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\*Other stadiums do have music prior to the bottom of the 7th, I believe the organist at Busch plays “The King of Beers”, but I doubt anything compares to what goes at Wrigley. \*\* Not anymore. A few years ago (after the brewery sold the team), TMOTTBG returned to its rightful place in the middle of the 7th. The Budweiser ad now comes in the 8th. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/5 "2003-10-16T02:08:58Z")
The Seattle Mariners have ferry boat races during the 7th inning stretch. ---
**Author:** ![Alereon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alereon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alereon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/6 "2003-10-16T02:34:40Z")
Hydroplanes, not ferry boats. A ferry boat race would be significantly less entertaining:) But TMOTTBG is still sung at some point. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/7 "2003-10-16T03:46:04Z")
It is sung in the middle of the 7th in every Major League ballpark, and probably every minor league, independent league and semi-pro game in the USA. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/8 "2003-10-16T04:49:38Z")
It’s always done at every game. The Cubs have their own special way though. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/9 "2003-10-16T05:07:52Z")
Can anyone give me the lyrics to the song it’s the chorus of? I think it’s old enough to be public domain now. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/10 "2003-10-16T06:44:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Derleth \* > \*\*Can anyone give me the lyrics to the song it’s the chorus of? I think it’s old enough to be public domain now. \*\* A Staff Report which has the lyrics: [Who wrote “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mballgame.html) ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/11 "2003-10-16T07:11:42Z")
If you get the soundtrack to Ken Burns’ “Baseball” you can hear two different versions of the song sung with the verses, one by Carly Simon. ---
**Author:** ![Mayor\_McJesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@Mayor\_McJesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayor_McJesus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/12 "2003-10-16T07:16:01Z")
Some teams have different seventh-inning stretch traditions. The Orioles, for example, play John Denver’s “Thank God I’m A Country Boy” for some stupid reason. And, late in the 2001 season, they all started playing “God Bless America.” Some still do. Most stick with the chorus of “Take Me Out…” And we can thank Bill Veeck for that. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/13 "2003-10-16T07:19:33Z")
And for what it’s worth, in the wake of 911 a lot of parks opted to sing “God Bless America” in lieu of TMOTTBP. It seems that both are being sung now, from time to time. I like to sing the former one word off in the lyrics. You have to get your jollies where you can… ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/14 "2003-10-16T14:58:12Z")
And for you audiophiles, here’s what is believed to be the earliest [recording](http://www.tinfoil.com/cm-9808.htm#e09926) of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, done in the year it was composed. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/15 "2003-10-16T15:05:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racer72 \* > \*\*The Seattle Mariners have ferry boat races during the 7th inning stretch. \*\* No, the hydroplane races are in the 6th inning, where they belong. The seventh inning stretch is TMOTTBG followed by Louie Louie. (occasionally, they’re preceeded by God Bless America, but always TMOTTBG and Louie Louie) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/16 "2003-10-16T15:57:15Z")
The Yankees, like many (all?) MLB teams, have added “God Bless America” to the Seventh Inning Stretch, but also continue to play the traditional “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” afterwards. For some reason I’ve never been able to fathom, they then play “Cotton-eyed Joe.” And the ground crew continues to perform “YMCA” when they groom the infield in the 5th, a tradition that started during the 1996 pennant run. Mercifully, they have abandoned the “Macarena.” ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/17 "2003-10-16T19:16:20Z")
“Throw me out as the game ball, knock me out of the park, I’ve lost my peanuts, I’m crackers, Jack: hit me so hard that I’ll never come back, 'cause I’m root toot toot Tooty-Fruity, It’s no joke, I’m insane. Yes, I’m one, two, three strikes short of a full ball game!” Trinopus (The first five lines were from Sternecky and Doyle’s “Walt Kelly’s Pogo,” and the last three lines are original.) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/18 "2003-10-16T19:35:59Z")
So _that’s_ what Ozzy was singing! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mayor\_McJesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@Mayor\_McJesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayor_McJesus)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/19 "2003-10-16T23:10:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\*So _that’s_ what Ozzy was singing! 😃 \*\* I doubt even Ozzy knows for sure. Listen to the MP3 [here (for PCs)](http://www.sacbee.com/static/live/sports/audio/pls/0817ozzy.pls) and [here (for Macs)](http://www.sacbee.com/static/live/sports/audio/m3u/0817ozzy.m3u) . “Let’s go out to the ballgame… Let’s go out tuurrda crooood… Take me in ugnninna…” Classic. If the Cubs had picked him over Billy Corgin last night, they’d be going to the Series. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667/20 "2003-10-16T23:50:51Z")
MP3? [WGN](http://wgntv.trb.com/) has a video clip (scroll down to WGN Feed Room). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-me-out-to-the-ballgame-question/207667.md?page=2)