The San Francisco's AT&T Park is the first ballpark that we have visited where the seventh inning stretch was remarkably different in each of the two games we saw there. The first game there, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was lead, a cappella, by a fan. She started with an introductory verse that I had never heard before leading the crowd in the well known chorus. After the singing, there was the Dignity Health Stretch Cam, which panned around the park showing shots of fans engaged in loosening tight muscles before settling back in for the final two innings.
The stretch the next day took on a completely different character, partially due to the fact that it was a day game and a Sunday. Before the official announcement of the stretch, we were asked to stand for the singing of "God Bless America," a tradition that started in Major League baseball after the September 11 attacks in 2001. The came the official stretch and song. This game, the tune was led by the Giants' organist, who was shown on screen throughout the duration of the song, with the words scrolling along the bottom. Follow that up with the Beatles "Twist n Shout" for the Stretch Cam, and the fans are ready to watch baseball again.
The next day, Memorial Day, we headed south to see the Oakland A's in play at O.co Coliseum. Due to the patriotic nature of this holiday, it was another day game again with "God Bless America" performed before the usual proceedings. Master Gunnery Sergeant Peter Wilson, who had played the National Anthem before the game, performed this song for the audience as well. A violinist with "The President's Own" United States Marine Chamber Orchestra for the last twenty-four years, Wilson offered a wonderful rendition of both songs, each filled with amazing runs and countless double stops. It was breath taking to listen too.
Then it was time for the interactive part of the break. The Coliseum is home of the Oakland Raiders football team as well as the A's, so the scoreboards are set up over the corners of the left and right field, more for football than for baseball. Each board is split into two sections, so the words were displayed on the right half of the boards, while the left was devoted to images of the fans dancing and singing along. It was followed by another popular song. This part of the stretch remained the same at the second Oakland game we saw.
Continuing farther south, we got to our third and final California ballpark, Dodger Stadium. The Coco Cola sponsorship was prevalent with the red and white advertisement splashing across both jumbotrons and around all the side boards as the announcer asked fans to rise while Nancy Bea, the Dodgers' organist, played the tune. The right field board started with a shot of Nancy Bea and then panned around the stadium, even for one moment lighting on a fan wearing a "I heart Nancy Bea" t-shirt. I was glad to see that she was getting recognized for her fine work at the organ.
The words were displayed on the lower board on left field side of the stadium, which was fine for most of the ballpark. The second night in LA we sat directly underneath the left side board, and I discovered that the words are not displayed anywhere else in the park. Only seasoned baseball fans should sit there, as uninformed participants around us were dismayed to discover that they had no idea what everyone else was singing.
Dodgers Stadium was also different because after the verse ended, Nancy Bea modulated up a step and the whole crowd sang the chorus again. Two times through in one night? How exciting! After that, Nancy Bea continued elevating the festive mood with more organ music until it was time to settle in for the rest of the game.
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