Stretch Time! - Chase Field

Another Sunday game means another round of singing "God Bless America." Instead of having a soloist perform like we saw at Oakland, the Diamondbacks' organist accompanied the fans as patriotic images flashed across the big screen. Then it was time again for "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," the sixteenth time we've sung it this trip. It was fun to see the organist interact with fans as he started up the familiar tune.

Today was the fourteenth birthday celebration of D. Baxter the Bobcat, which meant that all the mascots from other teams and colleges in the area were there to celebrate with him and the fans. After the first two songs of the stretch were over, the mascots led the crowd in the chicken dance, accompanied by a recording. Watching a giant gorilla, cardinal, sundevil, snake, and more was definitely a highlight of the non-baseball aspects of the experience at Chase Field.

Stretch Time! - AT&T Park, O.co Coliseum, and Dodger Stadium

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.

Stretch Time! - Coors Field

As a Colorado native and a die-hard Rockies fan, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect during the stretch at tonight's game. Halfway through the seventh inning, the announcer asked the all fans rise to sing baseball's unofficial anthem. While King Soopers sponsors the stretch at Coors Field, there was no spoken mention of that. Instead, the Kings logo formed the border for the jumbotron where the lyrics were displayed and plastered all over the LED boards all around the stadium. The organ outro after the singing seemed to be significantly longer at Coors than it had been at the other parks we have visited so far. The chorus of "Hey Baby" always follows "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at the Colorado baseball park. The chorus repeats several times, even modulating once right towards the end as the announcer brings the crowds' focus back towards the game.

For me, singing these two songs represents the pinnacle of many summer nights spent watch the Rockies. While the action of the game itself constantly changes from inning to inning and game to game, the seventh inning stretch is a staple throughout all of baseball today. No matter what other craziness occurs in an evening, fans can count on standing and singing after thirty-nine outs. Joining together in song with all the fans at Coors Field offers a magical sense of community that strengthens the bonds between myself and others watching the Rockies. It can be a highlight of any game, no matter what happens on the field.

Stretch Time! - Kauffman Stadium

Sponsored by Harrah's Casino at Kauffman Stadium means that the stretch is titled the "Lucky Seventh Inning Stretch." I hardly think that it's luck that allows the fans to stretch, and the break didn't unlock any magic for the Royals offense tonight, but this moniker certainly gets the casino noticed by all who attend this ballpark. As usual, we sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" karaoke style, with a ball bouncing across the lyrics on the bottom of the screen. The rest of the giant jumbotron was filled with larger-than-life versions of the girls dancing on the dugouts two decks below where we were sitting. I guess that kept people's attention focused up on the screen. The song concluded, and game plan began again with no extra frills. While living up to the tradition, Kauffman's version of the stretch fits right in with modern society, which is fraught with product placement and short attention spans.

Stretch Time! - Wrigley Field

Standing for the seventh inning stretch at Wrigley proved to be quite a feat as the cold had permeated the many layers I was wearing to stiffen and numb my joints. Before we sang, the announcer introduced Babe Ruth's daughter and grandson, Julia Ruth Stevens and Tom Stevens. They were at Wrigley as part of the celebration of the 1930s and Babe Ruth's called shot, which also included Julia Ruth Stevens throwing out the first pitch and free bobble heads for the fans! After the applause for the Bambino's family, the organist began to play "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." I found it interesting that the announcer sang along with the crowd over the speakers. The tempo of the song matched the dreary weather, as it was slightly slower than what we had heard the day before. Once the song was over, the crowd slowly sat back onto the cold metal of the bleachers to watch the last two and a half innings of the Cubs loss.

Stretch Time! - Miller Park

With the Brewers down 3-2, it was time for the seventh inning stretch. The organist played "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," and the whole crowd sang along. Then the organist transitioned smoothly into another song. Because of our seats on the lower deck at the first base line, I could not see the jumbotron with the lyrics for this new tune. Instead I just listened at those around us sang "Roll Out the Barrel," a Brewers tradition since the 1970s. Composed in 1927 by Czech musician Jaromír Vejvoda, this song became popular worldwide during World War II, where it was translated into many languages and enjoyed by soldiers on both sides of the war. An alternative title for this fun ditty is "Beer Barrel Polka." If you haven't heard this tune, you should definitely look it up! After singing, the crowd then settled back in to watch the Brewers win in dramatic fashion.

Stretch Time! - Target Field

The seventh-inning stretch is a practice that dates back to the very earliest days of baseball, though it did not receive it's "official" title until 1920. Taking place between the two halves of the seventh inning, the stretch allows fans to stand up, stretch, and maybe buy a few last minute snacks. "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is traditionally sung in this break, making it one of the few times in American culture where it is okay and even encouraged to spontaneously break into song. Many parks have other, unique rituals as well. I'm excited to see what happens during the stretch at each ballpark that we visit!

The first seventh inning stretch we experienced was at Target Field. True to MLB form, we sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." It was led by Christina Sparks and friends, who were there as part of the celebration for Mayo Clinic's 150th birthday. The organist played, and Christina sang into a microphone. She was quite deliberate with the tempo, which I suppose I should have expected after hearing her rendition of the Victory Song early that night. The live organist was able to follow Christina as she slowed down, though the fans through out the ballpark had a much harder time. The music major part of me didn't much care for this version of the song, but the baseball fan was just excited to experience it in a new ballpark.

After "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," the Twins played a video of some of their players wishing the Mayo Clinic a happy sesquicentennial. I think they had probably never heard that word pronounced before, as most of them stumbled over it quite a bit before switching to just saying one hundred fiftieth. Then the game resumed as the Red Sox soundly beat the Twins. What a great first game to see!