How 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' seeded a music nonprofit supporting the songwriters of tomorrow
More than a century after Jack Norworth penned the lyrics, a nonprofit founded with the song's royalties is celebrating 50 years of supporting young musicians — including the talent behind some of today's most popular musicals. The ASCAP Foundation, the charitable arm for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, was established in 1975 after Norworth's estate left a bequest of the licensing payments for baseball's unofficial anthem and his other hits.
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Chicago Tribune
16 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Today in Chicago History: Ozzy Osbourne sings seventh inning stretch at Wrigley Field
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Aug. 17, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) Vintage Chicago Tribune: Our grand, old flag1915: Lucy Derwent of Rockford won a $25 prize (almost $800 in today's dollars) from the Daughters of the American Revolution for her design of a state flag for Illinois — a field of blue on which a circle of white bears the state's coat of arms. Derwent, who later lived in the Chicago area, presented her prize to the Rockford chapter of the D.A.R. 1970: 'Soul Train' premiered in Chicago on WCIU-TV with a budget so tight it couldn't afford color cameras or a dance floor bigger than a typical living room. But the show was an instant hit in Chicago, and it started consuming the after-school viewing time of a young, African American audience that other teen-oriented shows, including Dick Clark's 'American Bandstand,' largely ignored. 1984: One person died and 47 were injured when two Chicago Transit Authority rapid transit trains collided at Montrose Avenue station on the O'Hare Line. 2003: Ozzy Osbourne and wife Sharon Osbourne sang 'Take Me Out To The Ball Game' during the seventh inning stretch at Wrigley Field. Near the end of the broadcast, WGN-Ch. 9 showed a replay of legendary Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully giving the thumbs up after Osbourne's rendition. 'If you get the seal of approval from Hall of Famer Vin Scully, you know you're doing OK,' Cubs announcer Chip Caray said. 2010: After 14 days of deliberations, a six-man, six-woman jury convicted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich on just one of the 24 felony counts he faced — a charge that he had lied to FBI agents about his intense involvement in campaign fundraising. At his second trial, in 2011, Blagojevich was found guilty on the more widespread allegations, including the Senate seat charges, trying to shake down a children's hospital leader in exchange for sending money approved for pediatric services, and seeking a $100,000 contribution from a horse track owner in exchange for signing favorable legislation. In 2020, President Donald Trump, a Republican later convicted of felonies himself, commuted Blagojevich's 14-year sentence to about eight years served. How many presidential pardons or sentence commutations have been granted to people from Illinois?Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.
Boston Globe
03-08-2025
- Boston Globe
Play ball, take 2: Braves take MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol after rain suspension
Craig Marcum agreed. He and his family, with three children, were ready to see baseball even if Marcum is the Reds' fan surrounded by relatives rooting for the Braves. They had a good time seeing McGraw and country singer Jake Owen. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Sunday was dry at Bristol Motor Speedway with overcast skies. The sun actually broke through in the ninth inning on what wound up a perfect day for baseball. The Braves trailed 1-0 when the game resumed Sunday, and Eli White hit two home runs to power Atlanta over the Reds, 4-2. Advertisement Eli White takes his second lap around the bases! — MLB (@MLB) 'We're really glad that they played the game today instead of last night because we sat here a couple hours in the rain and everybody was saturated even with rain gear,' Marcum said. 'The kids are happy so we're happy.' Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said it was a shame the rain ruined a beautiful evening Saturday, though both teams came through Sunday with a good game and no complaints. Advertisement 'Kudos to all the fans who came back,' Snitker said. 'I mean after the weather and getting soaked and everything yesterday, it was great. I thought it was a great production. You look back, it's kind of cool to be a part of this.' Your — MLB (@MLB) Organizers also got to show off the fun planned during the game. Fans passed car cutouts of the Reds and Braves for a race through the stands. Two fans tried to hit balls from the apron over the track and fence, and two others had to put on NASCAR fire suits and race to four-wheelers for a race to the finish line. The grounds crew even wore uniforms looking like a NASCAR pit crew's fire suits. And something that never could've happened before at Bristol took part during the seventh-inning stretch: Fans sang 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.' When White became the first MLB player to hit a home run at the historic racetrack, that allowed Bristol's 'Home Run' car to take a lap in celebration. 🚨 HOME RUN CAR 🚨 — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) When one foul ball bounced off the track past the outfield wall in right, the man who failed to throw the ball over the fence to fans was booed. The track at Bristol is steeper than it looks 😭 — MLB (@MLB) This MLB Speedway Classic was first announced nearly a year ago as part of Commissioner Rob Manfred's push to take MLB to places where baseball isn't played every day live. MLB played a game at. the 'Field of Dreams' movie site in Iowa in both 2021 and 2022. Alabama and North Carolina, too. MLB didn't try to sell every ticket inside the speedway that drew 156,990 for the Battle of Bristol college football game in 2016 with a racing capacity of 146,000. The attendance was well above the previous paid attendance of 84,587 on Sept. 12, 1954, when Cleveland Stadium hosted the New York Yankees. Advertisement Simply canceling this game wasn't an option. The Reds are in the chase for a wild-card spot, and this is the last time these teams meet this season. Teams had police escorts to make sure they got back to Bristol on Sunday. For fans, the commute back to Bristol Motor Speedway, billed as 'The Last Great Colosseum' with its history as a half-mile bullring of a racetrack, was easier for some than others. Steven Long of Atlanta, Georgia, was on a party bus to his hotel in Knoxville with a bunch of distributors. He drove the 110 miles back to Bristol on Sunday by himself even though he had hoped to be driving home. He couldn't miss the first MLB game at a racetrack. 'I had to come back,' said Long, who wore his Braves jersey hoping for a win. MLB will be announcing an attendance figure later Sunday. Officials already knew this event would draw a record crowd with 85,000 tickets sold as of Monday. The big question Sunday was how many people would return for baseball itself after the big party that MLB and Bristol threw for fans Saturday. For Lowe and Jason Lawson, this is a moment they couldn't miss after buying tickets in May. The patriotic fan was one of many who returned to Bristol Motor Speedway Sunday to catch the resumption of the MLB Speedway Classic in Bristol, Tenn. George Walker IV/Associated Press 'The history, the nostalgia of Bristol Motor Speedway combined with Major League Baseball all in one I think,' Lowe said. Long was being joined by a couple of friends. He saw one benefit of returning even if others chose not to. Advertisement 'We'll have more space around us, so we won't be on top of each other,' Long said. Indeed. Fans had plenty of room to spread out, dance and enjoy the capping event of the MLB Speedway Classic.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Yahoo
9 worst 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' performances, ranked from Ozzy Osbourne to Jeff Gordon
Singing performances are part of the environment of an MLB game. From the national anthem before the matchup gets under way, to the seventh-inning stretch and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," fans can always expect to sing along to some well-known American songs. Every once in a while, though, performances at baseball games don't go so well, becoming well-known for the wrong reasons. Everybody remembers the ... interesting rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" that came from Ingrid Andress at the 2024 Home Run Derby. However, it's "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" that usually draws the more high-profile performers, whether they're singers or from other genres of entertainment. When a celebrity is in the building, chances are, they could get invited to perform during the seventh-inning stretch. Sometimes, those performances are oddly thrilling, like Bill Murray singing as Daffy Duck during the 2016 World Series. Other times, things go south for varying reasons, like the performer forgetting the words. Here are the nine worst performances of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at MLB stadiums — most of which are from Wrigley Field, a historic site for the seventh-inning stretch anthem. MORE: 16 NFL stars you didn't know were drafted by MLB teams 9. William Hung, Rogers Centre, May 2004 William Hung's fame spawned in 2004, when he auditioned for the third season of "American Idol" and drew heavy criticism from the judges. Still, he built a significant following and became somewhat of a celebrity despite not having the best singing skills. By May 2004, he had already appeared on everything from "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to "Dateline NBC," and he was even brought back for a special "American Idol" episode at the request of fans. In the prime of his brief music career, Hung took his talents to Toronto for an MLB game. Singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in front of Blue Jays fans, Hung didn't stumble ... for the most part. English was not Hung's first language, as he's from Hong Kong and moved to the U.S. when he was young. But he happened to mispronounce perhaps the most important word to get right in the traditional baseball song: Peanuts. You get the idea. Otherwise, Hung put on a nice show for the Canadian crowd, even throwing in a "it's time to" in front of "root, root, root." MORE:Complete list of every MLB All-Star Game MVP by year 8. Mr. T, Wrigley Field, May 2009 In May 2009, former actor and occasional pro wrestler Mr. T took the stage at Wrigley Field for the seventh-inning stretch. "Alright Cubs fans, let me hear it!" he said. Mr. T did not butcher any lyrics, so this one isn't too bad. In fact, the way he yells "One, two, three strike you out," was pretty funny. But he also didn't have much of a tune throughout the song, seeming to just scream his way through each word. MORE:What are the longest blasts in Home Run Derby history? 7. Conor McGregor, Wrigley Field, September 2021 Even non-UFC fans are familiar with Conor McGregor's loud, outgoing personality. He's hard to ignore. In 2021, "The Notorious" took a trip to Wrigley Field, throwing out a first pitch and stepping up to the mic for the seventh-inning stretch. "What's up, Chicago?" McGregor began. "Let's go Chicago Cubs." The Irishman didn't have a terrible start to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," but the more time that passed, the more out-of-tune he got. It sounded like Conor never heard the rhythm of the song before he decided to sing it in front of thousands of people. MORE:Ranking the 13 greatest Home Run Derby performances of all time 6. Scottie Pippen, Wrigley Field, October 2016 Scottie Pippen is a Chicago sports legend. You would think that at least once or twice throughout his Hall of Fame basketball career, he stopped over at Wrigley Field for a Cubs game. But when he began to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the 2016 NLCS, poor Scottie sounded like he was a newbie to the song. Pippen kept a smile on the whole time he sang during the Cubs playoff game, but when he got to the second line, it went south. "Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the ball game," Pippen repeated. "I don't care if I never ..." The Bulls Hall of Famer took a few lines off from there, although Pippen did get back into the song and went mistake-free the rest of the way, to his credit. MORE:Who are the oldest players to see action in an MLB game? 5. Alex Cooper, Wrigley Field, July 2025 Alex Cooper, the host of the popular podcast "Call Her Daddy," also took the mic at Wrigley Field for "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." And to be fair, she at least put some effort into trying to have a good performance. With two of her friends acting as "background dancers" while she was on the camera, all wearing sunglasses, Cooper initially sang the tune in a deep voice, laughing along the way. The crowd's reaction to her performance was pretty bad, though. Boos rang through Wrigley Field so loud that it was hard to hear Cooper sing. No, Cooper didn't mess up the words, and she also incorporated more choreography than most performers. But getting the crowd to sing along is part of the fun of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," and Cooper certainly did not do that. MORE:Ranking the 11 most memorable Subway Series moments of all time 4. Jeff Gordon, Wrigley Field, May 2005 Jeff Gordon is one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, but nobody should credit him as a great performer when it comes to singing. In 2005, Gordon appeared at a Cubs game, asking the crowd, "You guys ready to do this?" before his rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Maybe he's not completely to blame for this, but Gordon could barely get through the first line before he was no longer lined up with the organ player. By the time he was at "buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks," the crowd was singing a completely different part of the song than Gordon. Eventually, he got booed as he stopped for bits of the song. MORE:Ranking the 15 best and worst racing movies of all time 3. Warren G, Wrigley Field, April 2016 Warren G is a producer and music artist. So you'd think he knows the basic lyrics to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," right? Wrong. "Cubbie fans!" he said to the crowd, then began singing. "Take me to the ballgame." No, he didn't say "out" at the beginning, removing one of the main words in the title of the song. That turned the crowd off from the start, and Warren G got a few boos in Chicago. MORE:Complete list of every pitcher in the 3,000 strikeout club 2. Mike Ditka, Wrigley Field, July 1998 Chicago fans certainly enjoy Mike Ditka, a longtime Bear and NFL champion with the team in 1963, prior to the Super Bowl era, also bringing the team a title in 1986's Super Bowl XX as a head coach. But on July 5, 1998, the fans in Chicago had a legitimate reason to boo Ditka. He was tabbed to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," and not only was Ditka late to the mic, causing fans to wait impatiently as he eventually scrambled into the booth, but his performance was sub-par. The former football player and coach sped through the song at a rapid pace, so much so that the organ player couldn't keep up with the song. Maybe he just wanted to get out of Wrigley Field, but Ditka barely made the song last longer than 20 seconds as he yelled. MORE:Ranking the 18 greatest Dallas Cowboys players of all time 1. Ozzy Ozbourne, Wrigley Field, August 2003 Ozzy Osbourne was a rock legend, but he was also quite the character. One of the all-time moments from Ozzy came in August 2003, when he sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in front of Cubs fans. He knew how to put on a show, at least. "I want to hear a real crazy crowd, start singing with me. Are you ready?" Ozzy asked thousands at Wrigley Field. With Sharon Osbourne by his side, Ozzy then proceeded to mumble his way through the entire middle portion of the song. He got out, "Take me out to the ball game" and "Two, three strikes you're out at the old ball game," but that was about it. To give him some credit, Ozzy got the whole tune right, but it was almost all gibberish. MORE:Is there a Home Run Derby curse that really ruins swings?
