On Tuesday, I had a unique visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. My dad and I drove three hours up from Rockland County and listened to baseball songs most of the way.

It had been thirty years since my last visit to the Hall when I was playing for the Clarkstown Tigers in the Westchester Adult Baseball League and competed in high stakes four day tournament at the legendary Doubleday Field. During one of our extended rain delays, I bowed out of the poker game and walked the halls slowly with two teammates (Richie Cesca and John McNamara) soaking in as much as I could.

I remember spending a good deal of time in the plaque room feeling I was on sacred ground.

This time, I had the great pleasure of private tour of not only the museum, but also the archives below where I got to hold (with gloves on of course) the mitt of Vida Blue used in a no-hitter, grip George Brett’s bat, and see up-close the vibrant colors and detail of a warm up sweater from the great Christy Mathewson.

I must say, the interactive technology at the museum is cutting edge and provides a treasure trove of baseball lore and facts that dazzle visitors. My favorite part of the tour was seeing the bright colored uniforms and artifacts from the 70s and 80s, the eras that shaped me as a young man.

For whatever reason the actual batter’s circle from the old Forbes Field on the building’s 3rd floor gave me chills. I envisioned myself standing on the mat swinging the heavy stick waiting my turn at-bat.

My favorite part of the day though was meeting the guys that worked at the Hall. For the sake of privacy I won’t get into the who and what, but let’s just say we are kindred spirits and hope to meet them again.

Right out the gate before entering the lower level archives, our host asked the simple (but powerful) question… “who is your favorite team and what is your favorite player on that team?”. The instant engagement set the tone for the day. A special thanks to Jason from Milwaukee, who is the biggest Robin Yount fan I’ve ever met.

For the next four hours we talked baseball. The conversation flowed like we had known each other for thirty years. No one looked at their phones or watches for that matter.

By the way, mine was the NY Mets and Darryl Strawberry.

At some point during our most enjoyable baseball ramble, music came up. It usually does when I meet people I like.

We saw a Catfish Hunter jersey and I asked if they ever heard Bob Dylan’s ode to baseball’s first big money free agent. Later when talking about whether Richie Allen would be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, I brought up “Letters in the Dirt” by Chuck Brodsky. The gang was very glad to learn about the songs.

One of the gents leading our tour did some digging on me and asked about the Thunderbird Ranch Ramble. (Very humbling.) One thing led to another and we got talking about my latest story on Jimmy Buffett (click here) and I introduced Jerry Jeff Walker and his great tune “Nolan Ryan”.

Later after a cocktail, we talked enthusiastically about the similarities between the magic of baseball and music that not only connects generations, but also provides an instant bridge bonding strangers in a meaningful way. The conversation went a bit deeper and landed on comparisons to the bond between Grateful Dead fans.

Beyond the obvious baseball anthems like Bruce’s “Glory Days” and John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” there are plenty of other songs that capture the spirit of America’s pastime.

My favorite baseball song happens to be Steve Goodman’s “Dying Cub Fans Last Request” (see below).

As a compliment to this story, I pulled together a “Baseball Gems” Spotify playlist to make it easy for you to check some of these out.

Click here for my Spotify page.

How cool would it be if Josh Rawitch and his gang allowed me to help them with a baseball and music exhibit. (wink – wink). The exhibit would certainly include some of the great renditions of the National Anthem and Take Me Out to the Ball Game. (See Huey Lewis from the 1987 World Series below).

The exhibit would also give a nod to…

+ great rockers (like George Thorogood and Charley Pride) that played professionally

+ great players that rock out (Bernie Williams, Denny McClain and Barry Zito)

+ 1979 Disco Sucks Rally at Comiskey Park

+ great songs that pay homage to the game

Just like rambling on about music and baseball… I hope you enjoy this piece.

PLAY BALL!!