Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

JOSEPH MARTIN SIGNS WITH BVPL ANGELS FOR SPRING 2008

By Michelle "Mommy" Martin

Daily Gazette

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- March 29, 2008, BVPL (Blossom Valley Pony League) Opening Day Ceremonies.

Hundreds were in attendance to hear commencement talks, enjoy carnival-style games, delicious food, and camaraderie. Slightly cooler temperatures and soggy fields were not enough to squelch the day’s excitement. Among the players was our very own Joseph Martin. Having just ended the season with the YMCA Warriors, Joseph is wasting no time. Dressed in red, white, and blue, Joseph is ready to play America's favorite pastime. Go Angels!!

"Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,

I don't care if I never get back,

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don't win it's a shame.

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,

At the old ball game."

A bit of history: This song was written in 1908 by a man named Jack Norworth. One day when he was riding a New York City subway train, he spotted a sign that said "Ballgame Today at the Polo Grounds." Some baseball-related lyrics popped into his head, that were later set to some music by Albert Von Tilzer, to become the well known baseball song, "Take Me Out To The Ballgame." Despite the fact that neither Norworth or Tilzer had ever been to a baseball game at the time the song was written, it is one of the most widely sung songs in America.

(Source: http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/ballgame.htm)

The audio visual recording of the song was played on a 1900 Autophone Roller Organ. To learn more about this interesting instrument, visit www.theantiquesalmanac.com/rollerorgan.htm or http://home.vicnet.net.au/~wolff/mechmusic/GemRollerOrgan/Gem.htm

More pictures....

Following in his sister's footsteps, it seems rather fitting that, by pure coincidence, both Joseph and Danielle were assigned the No. 1 jersey.