Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, "God Bless America" has become the seventh-inning stretch song of choice at many American ballparks, supplanting "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Tin Pan Alley legend Irving Berlin wrote the song in 1918 while serving in the Army. While the song does have a verse, most performers skip it and go straight to the chorus.
My Baseball Fantasy
Vermont League: tied, 5-5 (30-23-7 overall, 1st place out of 12 teams)
Maryland League: won, 6-3-1 (31-27-2, 4th of 10)
Public League: 85.5 Rotisserie points (3rd of 12)
My Player of the Week: Evan Longoria (Third Baseman, Rays) with 3 home runs, 11 RBI, 8 runs and a .464 batting average
Now I'm trying to remember what they were playing at Fenway during the few games I got to attend while I was living in the area...
ReplyDeleteI've actually been to very few Major League games in my life - just three, I think. However, I've been to dozens of minor league games in various towns.
DeleteI hope it's not too unpatriotic to say, but GBA never really did it for me. I'm certainly a sucker for unabashed American exceptionalism, so I don't know what it is about this song. Maybe I got introduced to Mark Twain's "The War Prayer" at too young an age, and this one seemed just a little too similar. Now, "America the Beautiful" -- that's one that uplifts. Give me thine alabaster cities any day.
ReplyDeleteOh, and go New Hampshire Fisher Cats! :-)
Not unpatriotic at all. In fact, I'd suggest that very few of what we think of as patriotic songs are actually particularly good songs - SSB included. To love one's country is not to love everything it produces without question.
DeleteI'm with you on "America the Beautiful," though. It's a lot easier to sing than SSB, too. There are plenty of other countries who have nicer anthems than ours. Russia's is the best. They hung on to the Soviet one because, well, it's beautiful. One need only watch Hunt for Red October to appreciate that one.
So, you're a New Hampshirite! Live free or die!
I didn't know they changed the seventh inning stretch tune. Then again, I haven't been to a ballgame in several years.
ReplyDeleteNot every stadium has made the change. Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium and Turner Field (Atlanta) are the only ones who have "God Bless America" at every game. Others trot it out for special occasions: Opening Day, playoff games and the like.
DeleteI love hearing God Bless America at a baseball game. Can't get more American than that. It's hard for me to say which would be my favorite song because I love anything that uplifts and encourages America.
ReplyDeleteI like "America the Beautiful" best.
DeleteDue West are good people.
ReplyDeleteSure can sing, too - tight, clean harmonies.
DeleteAh, there is just something special about all male a capella harmony, no matter what song they sing!
ReplyDeleteJust dropping by from the A to Z road trip. Congrats on finishing the challenge!
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Well, I certainly can't disagree with that. I've based major life decisions upon such sounds.
DeleteThanks for stopping by.