The Dropkick Murphys, a Boston institution in their own right, updated the song in 2004:
The song more closely associated with the Red Sox these days is "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. After the Boston Marathon bombing in April, the song was played and sung in baseball stadiums across America in tribute to the victims. Most notably, the song was played at Yankee Stadium, home to the Red Sox' hated arch-rivals. I really want the following video to be more than it is but it's the best recording I could find of that moment:
More satisfying is the following from the Salt Lake City Marathon:
Eyes still dry? This one might do the trick. Neil Diamond himself showed up at Fenway in Boston to show his support and lead the crowd in a rousing rendition:
The lesson is clear. Music can heal and small gestures are powerful. "Where it began, I can't begin to knowin'..."
My Baseball Fantasy
Vermont League: won, 6-2-2 (42-29-9 overall, 1st place out of 12 teams)
Maryland League: won, 4-3-3 (38-36-6, 4th of 10)
Public League: 84 Rotisserie points (2nd of 12)
My Player of the Week: Anibal Sanchez (Starting Pitcher, Tigers) with 1 win, 12 strikeouts, a 0.00 ERA and a 0.44 WHIP
Sanchez only had one start last week but it was a beauty: a one-hit, complete game shutout against the Twins. It wasn't even the best game of his career. He pitched a no-hitter in just his 13th Major League start on September 6, 2006. I've got him in both the Vermont and Maryland leagues.
Geez, I've been a New Englander since 1996, and I've never heard of "Tessie?" Shame on me!
ReplyDeleteI assumed that the "Sweet Caroline" thing originated with that Red Sox movie with Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore (the Farrelly brothers love to use classic 60s tunes), but it looks like it predated it by a few years. There's a Boston connection with the song for sure -- Neil Diamond wrote it with Caroline Kennedy in mind -- but I don't know what made it such a Fenway institution.
I'll confess. I didn't know about "Tessie" until I started this project - that's half the fun for me, of course.
DeleteDiamond is donating all royalties from "Sweet Caroline" since the bombing to One Fund Boston - well done, sir.
I always found it ironic that the Red Sox adopted a song written by a kid from Brooklyn. They started playing it during the 8th inning in 2002.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a good tradition. Everyone seems pretty good spirited about it.
The Brooklyn thing is funny. It is a nice tradition, also adopted by many minor league teams in New England, even those not affiliated with the Sox.
DeleteThis is a touching post, Squid.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
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