Baseball Songs (Redux)

Tonight my University of North Carolina Tar Heels will attempt to win another national championship in NCAA Division I men's basketball. Today is also the first full day of Major League Baseball. As sports days go, I can't think of too many better days.

Because the number of kids songs about college basketball is pretty short, however, I've provided this slightly updated list of baseball songs. (Read last year's list here.) Enjoy, and may all your teams have a great season. Except if you're in the National League West, because, you know, I'm a Diamondbacks fan.

If any of you have more suggestions, leave me a comment.

-- "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (well, duh) -- try Wiggleworms Love You, from the Old Town School of Folk Music (nicely bipartisan, cheering for both the Cubs and White Sox), or also the Hold Steady's version.
-- "Baseball Dreams" -- off At the Bottom of the Sea, by Ralph's World (Cubs all the way in this one)
-- "I'm Gonna Catch You" -- off Under a Shady Tree, by Laurie Berkner (it has one relevant line -- "So I jumped into Saturday / And I had a baseball batter-day" -- yeah, I'm really reachin' here)
-- "Pop Fly" -- off Justin Roberts' album by the same name, about a daydreaming boy playing the outfield...
-- "Centerfield" -- off Centerfield, by John Fogerty (not kids' music, but a great song anyway). See also Visqueen's rendition on the forthcoming Desoto Records kidscomp Play!
-- "Talkin' Baseball -- off countless albums by Steve Cashman, who just re-records and updates his song -- baseball history lesson in 3 minutes
-- "Big Train" -- off the RTT's Turn It Up Mommy!. About Walter "Big Train" Johnson. I'd probably disagree that he's the best pitcher ever, but that's another blog. Good song.
-- "Right Field" -- Peter, Paul and Mary.
-- "Cryin' in the Dugout" -- off Daddy-A-Go-Go's Eat Every Bean and Pea on Your Plate album. A humorous song -- "Baseball Dreams" played for laughs instead of nostalgia.
-- "The Greatest" -- Kenny Rogers.
-- "Roll Around" -- Peter Himmelman, off of his My Lemonade Stand CD. A fun, rollicking song about a baseball who retires, then comes back to his calling.
-- "Baseball Tips with Professor Buckley -- Peter Himmelman, My Green Kite, an amusing little spoken-word piece.
-- "Baseball" -- Milkshake, off Play!. Guest-starring Cal Ripkin, Jr.
-- "The Challenger Baseball Song" -- Ben Rudnick and Friends. All about the Challenger Division of Little League, for kids with mental and physical disabilities.
-- "Baseball, Baseball" -- Stephen Cohen, off Here Comes the Band.
-- "Hey! Batter!" -- Hank Cooper, from Playground Fortune Teller -- all about the language of baseball...
-- "High Five" -- They Might Be Giants (at least in part anyway, and the video features some baseball players)
-- "Bruce Springstone's" version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
-- Kathy Kallick's "brilliant refashioning" of Count Basie's "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball"
-- "Bring 'Em In" -- the Deedle Deedle Dees (off their forthcoming album)
-- "I Love Baseball" -- Jim Cosgrove (off Ooey Gooey, reworked for re-release this summer)

And finally, an artist reviewed here on this very site wrote me a while back to suggest four more songs, including at least one I'm miffed I forgot... the comments in quotes are the artist's, not mine.
-- "Catfish" -- off Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series. I am unfamiliar with this one. But it's Dylan.
-- "Joe DiMaggio’s Done it Again" -– Wilco and Billy Bragg, from their Mermaid Ave Vol. 2
-- "A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request" –- Steve Goodman – "Classic, and very funny." See "Talkin' Baseball," above.
-- "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" -- Brave Combo - "two very cool versions... wacky and fun." It's Brave Combo, how could it not be fun?

Comments

[Jeff]

Stefan, darn right this is a great day. It'll get even better if my Spartans knock off your Tar Heels tonight!

[Stefan]

Yeah, Jeff, I know you're a Spartan fan... It should be a really good game -- much, much closer than the early season matchup.

The Heels like playing the Big Ten in the Championship game, though (Michigan '93, Illinois '05). Clearly I'm hoping for the trifecta.

[Carl G]

Stephan, if one can stray into comedy it allows room for the classic Abbott and Costello "Who's On First?"

I've got a brand new Red Sox shirt for the season--the only thing else I could have asked for was that the very first game not get rained out! Oh well...we just have to play more!

[Clay Eals]

Great to see your list that includes Steve Goodman's "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request." Goodman often doesn't get his due. You might be interested in my 800-page biography, "Steve Goodman: Facing the Music." The book delves deeply into the genesis, context and effects of "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" and its semi-sequel, "Go, Cubs, Go."

I might suggest that you include in your list Goodman's version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," a duet with Jethro Burns. It's sprightly, reverential and funny ("if they don't win, what else is new").

You can find out more about Goodman's baseball devotion at my Internet site (below). Amazingly, the book's first printing sold out in just eight months, all 5,000 copies, and a second printing of 5,000 is available now. The second printing includes hundreds of little updates and additions, including 30 more photos for a total of 575. It won a 2008 IPPY (Independent Publishers Association) silver medal for biography.

To order a second-printing copy, see the "online store" page of my site. Just trying to spread word about the book. Feel free to do the same!

Clay Eals1728 California Ave. S.W. #301Seattle, WA 98116-1958

(206) 935-7515 home(206) 484-8008 cellceals@comcast.nethttp://www.clayeals.com

[GBK Gwyneth]

Not necessarily kids' music, but I heard some of it the other day and enjoyed it, even though I'm no baseball fan...

http://cdbaby.com/cd/jmccutcheon3

[GBK Gwyneth]

Here's some more for you Stefan -- many you do have listed, but some you don't.

http://kplfans.blogspot.com/2009/04/baseball-songs.html

And note that my web search pulled up Terry Cashman, not Steve Cashman.