My Baseball Playlist

            I have a baseball playlist on my iPod.  I love it.  It started off as songs that I already had on my iPod that I grouped together to listen to as I patiently waited on Spring Training games to start.  I also thought it would be fun to listen to on the way to games.  Now I listen to it fairly often; waiting on Spring Training, en route to games and anytime I need something fun and nostalgic.  I know seek out songs just for it and it has grown quite a bit.  Here is what I have so far:

“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” – Carly Simon – The full song.  In case you didn’t know, what we sing during the seventh inning stretch is just the chorus.

Milo Hamilton’s radio call of Hank Aaron’s 715^th home run

“Willie, Mickey & “The Duke” (Talkin’ Baseball)” – Terry Cashman

“Centerfield” – John Fogerty

“Glory Days” – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

“This Town” – O.A.R.

Jack Buck’s radio call of Ozzie Smith’s walk-off home run in the 1985 National League Championship Series – “Go crazy folks!  Go crazy!"

“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” – Billy Joel; live at Shea Stadium – Billy Joel plays the intro to “Piano Man”, but then goes into “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”; this version has a fun, carnival like sound.

“Right Field” – Peter, Paul & Mary – The cutest baseball song ever.

“Mrs. Robinson” – Simon & Garfunkle – “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.”  That statement is as true now as it was in 1968 when the song was released.

“Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio” – Les Brown and His Orchestra

“I Love Mickey” – Teresa Brewer

“Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?” -  Count Basie and His Orchestra

“Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)” – The Treniers

“Who’s on First?” – Bud Abbot & Lou Costello

“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” – Jimmy Buffett; live at Fenway Park

“Dirty Water” – The Standells

“Tessie” – Dropkick Murphys

“Sweet Caroline” – Neil Diamond – The last three songs are about Boston and the Red Sox or commonly played at Fenway Park.  I am not a Red Sox fan, but I do love the movie “Fever Pitch”, which also features these songs.

“Take Me Out to the Ballgame” – Carly Simon – This version is a little less upbeat and has a soulful piano solo.

“I Love LA” – Randy Newman - “We love it!”

“Dodger Blue” – Dave Frishberg

Jack Buck’s radio call of Kirk Gibson’s walk-off home run in game one of the 1988 World Series

“Don’t Stop Believin’” – Journey – No self-respecting playlist about sports is without this one.

            I have rearranged the playlist several times, trying to come up with just the right order.  You cannot listen to it on shuffle because inevitably “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” will come on three times in a row.  I would LOVE to find more radio calls, but there just are not that many in iTunes.  In particular, I would love to have the following:

- Sid Bream’s slide that won the 1992 National League pennant for the Braves

- Vin Scully’s call of Kirk Gibson’s walk-off home run in game one of the 1988 World Series; “In the year of the improbable, the impossible has happened!”

- Tom Cheek’s call of Joe Carter’s 1993 World Series winning walk-off home run; “Touch ‘em all Joe! You’ll never hit a bigger home run!”

I guess I’ll keep looking.

Let me know if I’m missing anything crucial.