My collection of early baseball sheet music is probably one of my most treasured. It combines my two passions - baseball and music.
First batter up is from 1928. Locals will note that this was written and published in Olneyville, Rhode Island!
First batter up is from 1928. Locals will note that this was written and published in Olneyville, Rhode Island!
So grab your ukulele and let's sing:
"Babe Ruth! Babe Ruth! That's the guy we Mean
Babe Ruth! Babe Ruth! He Cleans the bases clean
Up in the stands out of the lot
big Bambino packs an awful sock
and ev'ry time he comes up as a batter,
the fans all rave and all the fielders scatter.
There's other famous guys in this country too;
but our Babe Ruth! Babe Ruth!
We know What he can do. We know What he can do"
This "Home Run Hit" is from 1908 and tells the story of a dude who called in sick from work and then bumps into his boss at the game:
"Why is it little Johnny tells his boss that he is sick Base - ball
And asks if he will let him off to see a doctor quick Base - ball
He's seated in the bleachers and by chance he looks across,
the batter hits the the ball a crack in the crowd it's lost,
Johnny makes a run for it, and bumps in to the boss
The both of them ran after the Base - ball
Rah Rah Ziz Boom Bah"
Published in 1907 during the Jim Crow Era, and before "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" this song
recounts the story of a church deacon with a leaky roof and a baseball game with Biblical figures:
"That Eve stole first and Adam second St. Peter umpired the game
Rebecca went to the well with a pitcher And Ruth in the field won fame,
Goliath struck out by David base hit on A-bel by Cain,
The Prodigal son made one home run Noah gave out checks for rain"
From 1912, this one comes with additional verses on the back written for different teams and references actual players. The Red Sox lyrics are particularly interesting as they would go on to win the championship that year.
My man George M. Cohan, Mr. Yankee Doodle Dandy himself and another Rhode Island connection. I always get a kick out of telling folks that I'm in the RI Music HOF along with Mr. Cohen. Ha! This one was published in 1908:
"Take your girl to the ball game, Any old afternoon.
That's the place to pro-pose to Mame,
The spot for a sun-shiny spoon"
Hey! Down in front! Who would wear a hat like that to a baseball game?
Last up this inning is a 1925 march written by Lt. Commander John Philip Sousa "The American March King."
Interesting that he dedicated it to Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis who served as Baseball Commissioner from 1920 to 1940 and cleaned up baseball after the infamous Black Sox Scandal.
No lyrics (it's a march remember) but you can hear a rendition here:
https://sousamusic.com/work/the-national-game/
