The Time is Now to Move on from a "Timeless" Song

Many would describe me as insatiable, some may even call me irresistible. But I prefer to call myself a baseball romantic, I love sitting in the bleachers, eating a sausage and drinking a beer. That is the true American Dream. One of my favorite things to do from April to October is to attend as many baseball games as I can. But recently I've become fed up with the playing of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".

"Take Me out to the Ball Game" was released in 1908 by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tizer. As we all know its about wanting to go to a ball game, hossing down some cracker jacks, and rooting for the home team. The song itself is not entirely where my problems lie, but mostly its the timing of when its played.

The song is played in many ballparks during the seventh inning stretch. First and foremost the thousands of people at the stadium ARE ALREADY AT THE BALL GAME! Why are we singing about going to a ball game when we are already here? Its asinine. Name another situation where its acceptable to sing about wanting to go somewhere when you are already there. It just doesn't happen. Seriously where do we get off here?

Second, the seventh inning stretch is 2 minutes and 15 seconds to be able to get up, get loose, and get ready for the next two and a half innings and nothing gets the blood pumping quite like a 110 year old song. NOT! I think that a more upbeat song should be played in order to provoke movement and blood flow throughout the masses. A few ideas for what song should replace take me out to the ballgame are as follows:

Moves Like Jagger-Maroon 5: M5 puts people in the seats but when this classic comes on people get out of them. It is such a catchy song people cant help but to sing and dance along. If teams want people to stretch get Adam Levine on those speakers and let everything else play itself out.

"Centerfield"-John Fogerty: This is a very obvious choice for many reasons. This song is actually a classic. Also its the seventh inning its time for the manager to start making substitutions for either defensive or offensive reasons and what better way to remind them than singing "Put me in coach, Im ready to play."

Another option is any song that is about the teams respective city or something of that nature. For example "Tessie" by The Dropkick Murphys would be a great song to be played during the seventh inning stretch for the Red Sox. Another example would be anything by Drake for the Blue Jays. Really a lot of better options out there than "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"

Finally my last problem is with the lyric "buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks." I get this song was written in 1908, but in 2018 there are so many better options out there than Cracker Jacks which don't even have real prizes anymore, you're lucky if you get a sticker. But when you got baseball helmets filled with ice cream, hot dogs 2 feet long, and fried chicken sandwiches with a side of cinnamon sugar donuts, peanuts and Cracker Jacks need to take a back seat.

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" has served its purpose for 110 years but as the game of baseball is ever changing. I feel like its time to spice up the seventh inning stretch playlist. Its true what they say, evolve or die. The time for change is now.