Baseball-Themed Songs Trivia

By Paula Green

Major League Baseball is back and in full swing! It's time to enjoy the hits, hot dogs, and cold brews. Another highlight is the amusing songs played at the ballpark, so sit back and sing along as we focus on baseball-themed tunes.

Before any pitch is thrown, baseball fans sing The National Anthem as they remove their hats and honor our country. The seventh-inning stretch is enjoyable when we sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game. This classic song was written in 1908 by lyricist Jack Norworth and composer Albert Von Tilzer. The two were inspired to write it while riding the subway, where they spotted an advertisement for an upcoming game. Surprisingly, neither one ever attended a baseball game!

Another popular baseball tune is Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen, in which he sings about an encounter with an old friend who was a star baseball player in high school. John Fogerty knows how to get fans rocking with his hit song Centerfield. Fogerty even owns a Louisville Slugger guitar, which he uses when performing Centerfield in concert. 

The Intruders combine romance and athletics in (Love Is Like a) Baseball Game. Les Brown's Joltin' Joe DiMaggio pays tribute to the legendary outfielder, while Wilco also honors the Yankee great with Joe DiMaggio’s Done It Again.

Randy Newman's The Natural is an iconic baseball song. Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball salutes the athlete’s historic achievement as the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. Tessie celebrates the Boston Red Sox and their devoted fan base. The song Baseball highlights the connection between America's beloved sport and its fans. America's Favorite Pastime serves as a soulful ode to baseball. Knock It Out of the Park is another song that strikes up enthusiasm.

Talkin' Baseball is a 1981 song that describes Major League Baseball from the 1950s to the early 1980s. Other energetic sports songs include Baseball Boogie, Baseball Glove, Brand New Game, Load Up the Bases, Say Hey, and Willie Mays Is Up at Bat. Now that we've covered ballpark-themed songs let's test your baseball knowledge. Get ready to don those ball caps because it’s time to get a little trivial.

1. In the 1989 baseball film Major League, Charlie Sheen portrays pitcher Rick Vaughn. What was his entrance theme?

   
   

2.  What song by Don Henley has the same title as a book by Roger Kahn about the Brooklyn Dodgers?

   
   

3. In 1973, this famous singer released the tune There Used to Be a Ballpark on his Ol' Blue Eyes is Back album.

   
   

4. Name the song by Meat Loaf that features a baseball verse narrated by sports announcer Phil Rizzuto?

   
   

5.  He sings the song Catfish as a tribute to the legendary baseball pitcher Catfish Hunter.

   
   

6. This song is played at home Steeler games, but it is also the walk-up song for Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar.

   
   

7. In John Fogerty’s Centerfield, he sits on the bench with which fictional baseball team? 

   
   

8. Simon & Garfunkel mention this legendary ballplayer in the tune Mrs. Robinson.

   
   

9. In 1979, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series. What was their theme song that year?

   
   

10. The song, The Greatest, is about a Little League player who believes he is a great baseball player. Who sings it?

    
    

11. Name the Alabama song that is a reminiscence of minor league baseball in the narrator's hometown in the Midwestern United States.

    
    

12. This musical trio released the song Right Field in 1986.

    
    

13. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam sings the tune All the Way about which National League Central team? 

    
    

14. Who sings Night Game, which showcases the magic of baseball played under the lights?

    
    

15. This song is sung during the seventh inning stretch on Sundays, and patriotic holidays.

Answers: 1. Wild Thing 2. The Boys of Summer 3. Frank Sinatra 4. Paradise By the Dashboard Lights 5. Bob Dylan 6. Renegade by Styx 7. the Mudville Nine 8. Joe DiMaggio 9. We Are Family by Sister Sledge 10. Kenny Rogers 11. The Cheap Seats 12. Peter, Paul & Mary 13. Chicago Cubs 14. Paul Simon 15. God Bless America

Sources: top40weekly.com/best-baseball-songs/, www.mlb.com/news/top-10-baseball-songs-of-all-time/c-45126030, www.sporcle.com/games/TheInfam0usThey/baseball-songs, americansongwriter.com/the-story-behind-the-baseball-classic-take-me-out-to-the-ball-game/, www.songfacts.com/facts/bruce-springsteen/glory-days, chalkandclay.com/best-baseball-songs/