"Talkin' Baseball" is a 1981 song written and performed by Terry Cashman. The song describes the history of American major league baseball from the 1950s to the beginning of the 1980s. The song was originally released during the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, and was inspired by a picture of the three outfielders of the title (Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Duke Snider) together. The original sheet music for the song is a part of the Cooperstown Collection, and Cashman will be honored at the 2011 Hall Of Fame weekend. [1]
A modified version of the song, entitled "Talkin' Softball", sung by Cashman, appeared in the episode of The Simpsons "Homer at the Bat".[2] The Minnesota Twins did a version of the song in their 2010 Baseball Commercials. The Twins reference Joe Mauer, Francisco Liriano, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, Tony Oliva, Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, and their outdoor stadium Target Field.
The song quickly gained popularity among baseball fans and soon Cashman began recording alternate versions of the song, each focusing on a single major league team. In some cases, the team-specific versions have been rewritten and updated over time.