The seventh-inning stretch is a tradition in baseball that takes place between the halves of the seventh inning of any game – in the middle of the seventh inning. Fans generally stand up and stretch out their arms and legs and sometimes walk around. It is a popular time to get a late-game snack as well; many vendors end alcohol sales at this point. The stretch also serves as a short break for the players. If a game goes into a fifth extra inning, a similar "fourteenth-inning stretch" is celebrated (as well as a possible “twenty-first inning stretch” or “twenty-eighth inning stretch”). In softball games, amateur games scheduled for only seven innings, or in doubleheaders (except for Major League Baseball, both ends are nine innings each per regulation), a "fifth-inning stretch" may be substituted.
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The origin of the seventh-inning stretch is much disputed, and it is difficult to certify any purported history.
One claimant is Brother Jasper of Mary, F.S.C., the man credited with bringing baseball to Manhattan College in the late 19th century. Being the Prefect of Discipline as well as the coach of the team, it fell to Brother Jasper to supervise the student fans at every home game. On one particularly hot and muggy day in 1882, during the seventh inning against a semi-pro team called the Metropolitans, the Prefect noticed his charges becoming restless. To break the tension, he called a time-out in the game and instructed everyone in the bleachers to stand up and unwind. It worked so well he began calling for a seventh-inning rest period at every game. The Manhattan College custom spread to the major leagues after the New York Giants were charmed by it at an exhibition game.[1]
However, a letter written by Harry Wright of the Cincinnati Red Stockings dated 1869 – 13 years earlier than Brother Jasper's inspired time-out — documented something very similar to a seventh-inning stretch. In the letter, he makes the following observation about the fans' ballpark behavior: "The spectators all arise between halves of the seventh inning, extend their legs and arms and sometimes walk about. In so doing they enjoy the relief afforded by relaxation from a long posture upon hard benches." Another tale holds that the stretch was invented by a manager stalling for time to warm up a relief pitcher.[2]
A popular story for the origins of the stretch is that President William Howard Taft at a Washington Senators game in 1910 felt sore in his backside and decided to stand up and stretch. Upon seeing the chief executive stand, the rest of the spectators in attendance felt obligated to join the president in his gestures. This story is set at a far later date than the others, however.
As to the name of the practice, there appears to be no record of the phrase "seventh-inning stretch" from before 1920. By that time the practice was already at least 50 years old.[2]
In modern baseball, standing up and singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch is a strong tradition. The 1908 Tin Pan Alley standard was written by vaudeville star Jack Norworth, who had ironically never attended an actual baseball game prior to writing the song.[3]
There is no certain date when the tradition began, but the practice gained exceptional notoriety from broadcaster Harry Caray. Caray would sing the song to himself in the broadcast booth during the stretch while a play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox. After hearing him sing one day, White Sox owner Bill Veeck Jr., the famed baseball promoter, had Caray's microphone turned on so that the ballpark could hear him sing. When Caray moved into the Chicago Cubs broadcast booth, he continued the practice, sparking what has become a Cubs tradition by regularly leading the crowd in singing the song in every seventh-inning stretch. Since his death, the Cubs have invited various celebrities to lead the crowd during the stretch, including James Belushi, John Cusack, Mike Ditka, Michael J. Fox, Bill Murray, Ozzy Osbourne, Eddie Vedder, Mr. T and Billy Corgan. When Nelly sang the song, he famously shouted "let's get some lunch!" at the conclusion (he'd misunderstood the popular cheer of "let's get some runs!" which the celebrity singer often uses to end the song).
Many teams will also play a local traditional song either before or after "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Since the 1970s, the Baltimore Orioles have often played the raucous John Denver song "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" at the conclusion of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." During the bridge of the song, in which Denver holds a long note, fans yell "Ooooooooh!" (since the name Orioles is often shortened to "O's".) The Atlanta Braves also sing this song after "Take Me Out To The Ball Game."
After the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' 1998 home opener, they played the popular Jimmy Buffett song "Fins" during the 7th inning stretch. The men sent to rake the clay on the field during the seven inning stretch wear tropical clothing, and everyone in the park forms their arms into fins for the "Fins to the left, fins to the right" portions of the song. This tradition was dropped in the first decade of the 21st century.
At Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, the seventh inning stretch is traditionally followed with "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles after "Take me out to the ballgame".
The Milwaukee Brewers, in reference to their city's beermaking heritage, play "The Beer Barrel Polka" after the conclusion of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
When the St. Louis Cardinals were owned by Anheuser-Busch, Busch Memorial Stadium organist Ernie Hays played "Here Comes the King", a commonly recognized jingle for Budweiser beer, during the stretch. On Opening Day, during playoff games and on "big nights" such as games against the Chicago Cubs, a team of Budweiser's mascot Clydesdale horses would also make a circuit of the warning track. Since Anheuser-Busch's sale of the Cardinals in 1996, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" has been played in the middle of 7th inning, with "Here Comes The King" at the top of the 8th. Often, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is followed by an instrumental rendition of "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis." The Clydesdales still appear on Opening Day and during the playoffs.
Jane Jarvis, the organist at the New York Mets' home Shea Stadium from 1964 to 1979, played the "Mexican Hat Dance" during the stretch. After the Mets switched to recorded music, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" became standard. In recent decades, the Lou Monte tune "Lazy Mary" has followed it.
The Toronto Blue Jays take the term "seventh-inning stretch" literally, as Health Canada officials lead fans at Rogers Centre in stretching exercises while the club's song "OK Blue Jays" plays before "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".[4]
The Florida Marlins, attempting to mimic the Blue Jays' exercising song in their inaugural year of 1993, created a group of dancers, some former University of Miami Sunsations or Miami Heat dancers, and called the group "The Seventh Inning Stretchers." At the first game this group came onto the field at the top of the 7th, and the crowd was encouraged to stand and stretch, and do a choreographed dance to Gloria Estefan's song "Get On Your Feet". The crowd, thinking it was the actual 7th inning stretch, booed loudly. The group appeared at the 2nd game the following evening, but was booed again and was never seen following that game.
In Texas, the Houston Astros follow "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" with "Deep in the Heart of Texas," while the Texas Rangers play "Cotton-Eyed Joe."
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim play "Build Me Up Buttercup" following "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
At Safeco Field, the Seattle Mariners always follow "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" with "Louie, Louie" by The Kingsmen.
Colorado Rockies fans sing a cover version of "Hey! Baby" after "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", complete with "Oooh! Ah!" after each time "Hey Baby!" is sung.
The Washington Nationals play "Shout" followed by "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". When "God Bless America" is sung, it precedes these two songs.
While all thirty Major League franchises currently sing the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in the seventh inning, several other teams will sing their local favorite between the top and bottom of the eighth inning. Boston Red Sox fans at Fenway Park, for example, sing along to Neil Diamond's recording of "Sweet Caroline." The Washington Nationals have also adopted this tradition, as had the New York Mets before they recently dropped "Sweet Caroline" and replaced it with "Meet the Mets" (though this tradition was started by fans of the New York Jets and New York Rangers. Similarly, starting in 2008, the Kansas City Royals began to play "Friends in Low Places" by celebrity supporter and one-time spring training invitee Garth Brooks during the middle of the 8th.
The Los Angeles Dodgers also hold an 8th inning tradition, with fans singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'". The practice came under controversy when the song's author, Steve Perry, a Bay Area native and San Francisco Giants fan asked the Dodgers to stop the tradition. The team refused and continue to play the song through the 2010 season.[5] The Minnesota Twins, who played the same song, ended the tradition upon moving to Target Field in 2010.
The Journey song "Lights" is frequently played at San Francisco Giants baseball games (including a version led by Perry himself in the middle of the 8th inning during Game 2 of the 2010 World Series[6]) and the cross-bay Oakland Athletics after-game fireworks starts.
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the song God Bless America became common during the seventh-inning stretch, sometimes in addition to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and sometimes replacing it entirely. Some stadiums play God Bless America only on Sundays. At Yankee Stadium and Dodger Stadium the song is now played at every game, in addition to Take Me Out to the Ball Game.
Renowned Irish tenor Ronan Tynan is famous for his version of the song, which has gained notoriety for its length (his version includes the song's rarely heard prologue). Since 2002, God Bless America has been performed at all Major League Baseball All-Star Games and playoff games, often with a celebrity recording artist (Take Me Out to the Ball Game is sometimes done afterward with a recording of the legend Harry Caray), as well as Opening Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Patriot Day, and many post-season games.
During the deciding Game 5 of the 2011 National League Division Series, Lauren Hart (the daughter of Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster Gene Hart) appeared at Citizens Bank Park to sing God Bless America during the seventh-inning stretch as she had become a fixture at Philadelphia Flyers games singing that song in duet with Kate Smith as the Flyers' good-luck charm before important games, with the hope that Hart would also bring that luck to the Philadelphia Phillies as well.[7]