On occasion the two will converge. "Damn Yankees", "Centerfield", "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request", "Meet the Mets", "Jake, Jake the Yiddisha Ball Player" (yeah that's a real song written by Irving Berlin), hell even Danny Kaye doing "The D-O-D-G-E-R-S Song", all of them are great.
I would even advocate for a constitutional amendment making Take Me Out To The Ball Game the national anthem. Yes, I'm that fanatical when it comes to the intersection of the national pastime and syncopated rhyme.
For the start of the 2014 season, I'd like you to take a listen to the newest addition to the genre, an album by the alternative rock band known as The Baseball Project.
By way of introduction, the players in TBP (Steve Wynn, Linda Pitmon, Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck, and Mike Mills) started this as a side project to the bands they were in, a tribute to the game they love or maybe a goof, your choice. Their first two albums, "High and Inside" and "Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails" were a collection of anthems and ballads, quiet love songs and rousing rockers to subjects as diverse as Ted Williams ("Ted Fucking Williams"), The Minnesota Twins ("Don't Call Them Twinkies") and their greatest achievement, at least to this SF Giants fan, "Panda and The Freak".
The have now released their third album, appropriately called "3rd". As with so many rock bands the third album is where they have gotten it all together. Musically tight, lyrics that bite, amuse, or break your heart all while experimenting brilliantly with various forms of music. Consider:
Hola America a salsa inflected cancion that tells the story of Orlando (El Duque) Hernandez and his fairy tale journey from Cuban boat refugee to World Series pitcher in a matter of only a few months.
13 is a Tejano revenge song out of a Tarantino movie recounting the saga of Alex Rodriquez.
Monument Park is a power pop tune that imagines Bernie Williams patrolling Yankee Stadium's centerfield magnificently for years, only to be forgotten when the greats are spoken of. Oh wait, that is the reality.
To the Veteran's Committee is a plea to allow in a certain Atlanta Braves two time National League MVP outfielder who nevertheless is not in the Hall Of Fame
Box Scores is a love song to the joy of an early morning cup of coffee and the sports page.
They Don't know Henry imagines all the things Mr. Aaron was thinking as he took the epithets and the insults of growing up in the deep South, becoming the greatest home run hitter of all time while never getting the admiration or love attained by certain other players, and then having to see his record fall to a somewhat dubious new champion.
The Day Dock Went Head Hunting--no not another retelling of Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter when high on LSD. Instead it focuses on Ellis' second most famous outing, the day in 1974 he started a game against the Cincinnati Reds by hitting Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Dan Driessen, then walking Tony Perez (after throwing pitches at his head) then throwing two more pitches at Johnny Bench before being relieved.
The Oakland A's -- who are these guys in the other city by the bay (and do they know the way to San Jose) who beyond all reason every year make it to the post season? Even a shout out to Dallas Braden's Mother's Day perfect game.
Pascual on the Perimeter -- the ballad of Pascual Perez, a middle level pitcher who most famously missed a start in 1982 because he got lost on Hwy 285 looking for the exit for the stadium
The Baseball Card Song is a confession of sorts, an admission that when the guitar got put down at the end of rehearsal our hero went off to his hidden collection of Topps and Fleer. Thank god my parents didn't throw them away he says and the end of the song will show you why.
Nails to Thumbtacks tells of the ballplayer known as Nails, Lenny Dykstra and his fall from the heights of million dollars homes to living in his car.
Larry Yount is where we learn of Larry Yount's tale of promise curtailed by an injury while warming up in the bullpen before his major league debut, never to play again, then having to deal with his younger brother Robin becoming a Hall of Famer. Oh what might have been.
A Boy Named Cy never won the award named for him. And Lou Gehrig got the disease with his name. And Tommy John had the surgery known by his name.,
Stats is an emo tune consisting only of famous numbers from baseball history. A true fan understands it's deeper meaning.
If you're looking to get your 2014 season off to a great start, take a listen to "3rd". It's available from all the usual outlets as well as being streamed on Spotify. It's as satisfying as spending an afternoon in the sun watching your favorite team take a close one with a ninth inning rally and a walk off homer.
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