The Stories Behind Baseball's Best Traditions
From “Sweet Caroline” to the mascot that swims in a beer barrel to “Take Me Out To Ballgame.”
The sport of baseball has been around a long time and that means teams have had a long time to come up with interesting (and sometimes questionable) traditions.
Maybe the summer sun went to their heads?
The Last Night’s Game Team
Who doesn’t love to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch? Legendary Chicago Cubs announcer Harry Caray was the “best” at it. (Meaning he was no Whitney Houston but it was iconic Cubs). After Caray passed away, the Cubs began bringing in celebrity guests to sing the famed song. Some were better than others but at any given home game you could see the likes of Mr. T, actor Vince Vaughn or even the Cookie Monster up in the booth singing to the crowd. BUY ME SOME PEANUTS AND CRACKER JACKS
The tradition of singing “Sweet Caroline” during the 8th inning wasn’t always a thing. It started in 1997 with ballpark music maestro Amy Tobey playing the song for her new daughter Caroline. Tobey would only play the song between the seventh and ninth innings when the Red Sox were winning the game. Then a new member of the front office saw how the fans were responding to it and pushed for it to become the Red Sox's ‘thing,’ being played at every home game regardless of whether or not the team was winning. And the rest is history. GOOD TIMES NEVER SEEMED SO GOOD
Bernie Brewer, the beloved mascot of the Milwaukee Brewers, has a fan-favorite tradition of sliding down a giant yellow slide after every Brewers’ home run. This trip from his “dugout” down the slide wasn’t always so family-friendly. Back in the seventies, Bernie would slide from his beer barrel chalet, which looked like something out of Disneyland meets the Alps, into a giant mug of beer to celebrate. His splashdown shifted to the tradition we know today when the team opened their new stadium in 2001. BOTTOMS UP
You may have never voted for your presidential candidate based on their 40-yeard dash speed, but you will when you go to a Washington Nationals game. Hold onto your hats because in the fourth inning, some of your favorite presidents race for the title of champion. The President’s Race is a tradition that started back in 2006 and you can catch your favorite Mt. Rushmore presidents: Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson and Roosevelt trotting around the outfield track during every home game. Sometimes they’re joined by special guests like Coolidge, Hoover and Taft. At Sunday home games, you can find these fast-footed presidents in their "Sunday Best" period costumes, which were modeled after a Bette Midler concert puppet. FINALLY, SOMETHING POLITICAL WE CAN ALL AGREE ON
In order to pay homage to Houston’s Union Station, which now partly serves as the team store, a train was installed in the Houston Astros stadium, Minute Maid Park, back in 2000. The train takes a 40-second trip back and forth for every home run hit by the home team. ALL ABOARD
5 Women Changing Sports For The Better
This isn’t your typical list. It’s made up of #GSDers who are taking their seat at the table.
We all know about the great work that female athletes like Serena Williams and the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team are doing for women in the sports world, but what about those who are just outside the spotlight? These five women are flying under the radar (sort of) but making things happen on and off the field.
Look out world,
The Last Night’s Game Team
PS – Every year for International Women’s Day (March 8) we report on women #GSDing in the sports world and we’re in awe how much this list has grown since last year. Go girls go!
1. Playing together on the same team for the first time since college are sisters Nneka and Chiney Ogwumike of the Los Angeles Sparks. The two are more than teammates, they’re advocates for the women who make up the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association). They’re women just like us, students, mothers and businesswomen who happen to dominate on the court. Nneka and Chiney, who are leaders of the league’s players association, led the player negotiations that lead to maternity benefits, higher travel standards and increases to player cash compensation and benefits. RAISING THE BAR
*Chiney opted out of the 2020 season for medical reasons, but she will return to the Sparks this season.
2. Move over Jerry Maguire, Nicole Lynn is here. In last year’s NFL Draft (National Football League), Lynn, 30, became the first black woman to represent a top-five NFL draft pick. Before the draft, she took to the internet to figure out what other women agents have worn and found no inspiration because only two women have ever represented players in the draft previously. The next in line will have Lynn to look up to. TAKE YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE
3. Becky Hammon is setting the NBA (National Basketball Association) on fire. She’s currently the lead assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs and with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich out, fans are wondering why Hammon isn’t being allowed to step into the head coaching position. The team instead brought in former player Tim Duncan to replace Popovich even though it seems Hammon is doing the work. They might want to watch out because she’s already the first woman ever to interview for an NBA head coaching job and it’s a matter of time until another team hires her to be the boss. SLAM DUNK
4. Last week, Maia Chaka’ became the first Black female referee in the NFL (National Football League). Chaka has been in the training program since 2014, working college football games as part of the process. Chaka is only the second female referee in the league. She follows in the footsteps of Sarah Thomas, who recently became the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl. JUST THE BEGINNING
5. Soon baseball will no longer be left to the “boys of summer.” Kudos to Justine Siegal who paved the way for so many women when she became the first woman to coach for a Major League Baseball (MLB) organization (Oakland Athletics Fall League, 2015). This year, the San Francisco Giants hired Alyssa Nakken as an assistant coach on their big league roster. Both the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees appointed women to their minor league coaching staff. WHO’S ON FIRST
Athlete Wives Who Bring Home The Bacon
Successful, powerful and making it happen.
Being an athlete’s wife often carries a stereotype, but these women have blown that bias out of the water.
A seat at the table,
The Last Night’s Game Team
1. The legend of this group is undoubtedly Victoria (Adams) Beckham. She and David Beckham met at a charity soccer match at the height of her career as a member of the Spice Girls. She followed him to Los Angeles for his career, but she had already made a name for herself in the states with her luxury fashion brand Victoria Beckham. She recently added Victoria Beckham Beauty to her long list of accomplishments. AND SHE MAKES IT LOOK EFFORTLESS
2. Many regard Tom Brady (NFL - National Football League) as the G.O.A.T., but he hasn’t always been paid that way. He took pay cuts to direct the team money toward bringing in better players to build an overall better team. How? As he once said in an interview, “My wife makes a lot of money. I’m a little smarter than you think.” Gisele Bündchen was the highest-paid model for 10 years in a row, but did you know that she has released a handful of covers of popular songs? She’s also a New York Times bestseller, an entrepreneur building Ipanema sandals, a philanthropist, environmentalist and a mom, whose net worth is more than her husband’s. BRING OUT THE BIG GUNS
3. She may have been a small-town girl when she won “American Idol,” but Carrie Underwood had her eyes on a successful career and has never looked back. We all know she’s a multiple Grammy Award-winning artist, but she’s also the founder of athleisure company CALIA by Carrie Underwood. She met now retired NHL (National Hockey League) player Mike Fisher when her bassist set them up on a blind date and the rest is history. For all that they have, they still enjoy the simple life. For Christmas, Fisher bought her two cows for their property outside of Nashville. SIMPLE AND SWEET
4. If you love to cook, you’ve likely cooked a recipe created by Ayesha Curry. The Canadian chef and TV personality has written bestselling cookbooks, opened her own restaurants across the country and has her own cookware line at Target. She does that while raising three children with her husband, NBA (National Basketball Association) great Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors). SHE DOES IT ALL
5. Long before she was Mrs. Russell Wilson, we knew Ciara for her “Goodies,” “1,2 Step” and her acting career. She and Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks - NFL) first stepped out in 2015 and have been head over heels for each other ever since. The two bonded over faith (they were famously celibate until they married) and philanthropy. The singer who has had her singles reach the top ten Billboard Top 100 spots eight times is still cranking out hits to this day. THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE