THAT'S NOT HIS MIDDLE NAME

The baseball season started this week, and if you're in the states you know what goes along with that. Warmer days, peanuts, hot dogs, smack talk, and for those who dare, baseball related music. Boy, oh boy, when it comes to baseball related sounds, it's a mine field. They're good, or they are atrocious, with very little in between. Naturally, I have to include a couple of the atrocious, primarily because I was unable to find many good ones. Before you run your mouth and say "What about the Baseball Project?", let's get something straight. Though that band does music primarily about baseball, and includes former Dream Syndicate member Steve Wynn, the truth is, they kinda blow. I don't care what the subject matter is, it's gotta have some oomph, and from what I've heard of the Baseball Project, there isn't much of it. (You can take a test run with the Steve Wynn cut below, and if you dig it, hobble over to Big Rock Candy Mountain for another). The Edward Meeker version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" below is certifiably old school, as in 1908. It was recorded on an Edison cylinder, before records as we know them existed. Mabel Scott's "Baseball Boogie" is the only good one I found that can really stand on it's own, and I'm sure it's because Scott loved her boogie. It seems like half of her output had was "[this or that] Boogie". After that, strap yourself in for Pamela Neal, a tepid disco/new wave singer and hands down queen of the atrocious baseball song. About Pete Rose. Yeah. The king's crown would have to go to Ozzy Osborne, who was the featured seventh inning stretcher at a Cubs game a few years ago, and makes absolute mincemeat out of baseball's simplest, most recognizable song. Really, he gives new meaning to the word "mangle". (Dig the absolute "WTF?" look on Kerry Woods face at :48).

For those of you who actually play the game, check out Ted Williams's instructional record "How to Become a Better Hitter", and pay attention. Considered by many the greatest hitter in the history of the game, and the last player to hit .400. He knows of what he speaks.  

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Edward Meeker - Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1908) mp3 at Folded Space
Mabel Scott - Baseball Boogie mp3 at Big Rock Candy Mountain
Steve Wynn - Ted Fucking Williams (live) mp3 at Archive.org
Pamela Neal - Charlie Hustle mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Five more baseball related songs at Big Rock Candy Mountain 
Spoken Word:
Ted Williams - How to Become a Better Hitter: Part 1 and Part2 mp3s at Beware of the Blog
Video:
Ozzy Osborne - Take Me Out to the Ball Game at YouTube