"Talkin' Baseball" doesn't make the cut. Top 10 Baseball Songs

Magazine ranks the top baseball songs of all time, but Terry Cashman's tune is not among the top 10.

By Mike Penner, Los Angeles Times
mike.penner@latimes.com
April 7, 2009

Just in time for opening day, PasteMagazine.com offered its "10 Best Baseball Songs (That Aren't John Fogerty's 'Centerfield')."

And the winners are:
[No. 1] "The Ballad of Russell Perry" by Vigilantes of Love. Said the magazine: "Bill Mallonees' heartfelt tale of a wily, navel-gazing Tennessee fastballer."

[No. 2] "Baseball Dreams" by the Naturals with Mel Allen. "The Run-DMC of baseball music," the magazine said.

[No. 3] "Catfish" by Bob Dylan: "His Bob-ness waxes country-blues poetic on A's pitcher Jim 'Catfish' Hunter." Then,

[No. 4] "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?" by Natalie Cole: "An ode to the man who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier." Followed by,

[No. 5] "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" by Steve Goodman: "The most perfect, heartbreaking baseball song ever written."

No. 6: "(Love Is Like a) Baseball Game" by the Intruders: "A curveball from Philly-soul producers Gamble & Huff."

No. 7: "Pete Rose Affinity" by Summer Hymns: "A classic tale of childhood autograph-seeking gone awry."

No. 8: "Say Hey (the Willie Mays Song)" by the Treniers: "Mays actually sings backup on this big-band romp, while Quincy Jones conducts."

No. 9: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" by the Hold Steady: "No one rocks this 7th-inning-stretch tradition like Craig Finn and Co."

No. 10: "Tessie" by Dropkick Murphys: "A punked-out shout-out to Boston's famed Royal Rooters."

From PasteMagazine.com
HONORABLE MENTIONS:

“Baseball” - Sam Baker

“Baseball Boogie” - Mabel Scott

“Cubs in 5” - Mountain Goats

“The D-O-D-G-E-R-S Song (Oh, Really? No, O’Malley)” - Danny Kaye

“The Fenway” - Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers

“Glory Days” - Bruce Springsteen

“I Love Mickey” - Mickey Mantle & Teresa Brewer

“If You Can’t Make a Hit at the Ballgame, You Can’t Make a Hit with Me” - The National Pastime Orchestra

“Joltin’ Joe Dimaggio” - Les Brown and His Orchestra

“Life is a Ballgame” - Sister Winona Carr

“Move Over Babe (Here Comes Henry)” - Bill Slayback

“Piazza, New York Catcher” - Belle & Sebastian

Many of the super-awesome songs highlighted here can be found on the equally super-awesome 1989 Rhino Records compilation Baseball’s Greatest Hits. Highly recommended for aficionados, this baby goes yard with ducks on the pond.