Seventh-Inning Stretch Tradition

Lore & Background

The origin of the seventh-inning stretch is much disputed, and no definite history can be certified. One claimant is Brother Jasper (Brennan) of Mary, F.S.C., who called a timeout during a hot June 1882 game at Manhattan University to let restless fans stand and unwind. Another early reference is a June 1869 New York Herald report of a game where a 'laughable stand up and stretch' occurred at the close of the second inning. A letter from 1869 by Harry Wright, manager of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, noted that spectators arose between halves of the seventh inning to extend their legs and arms. A popular story involves President William Howard Taft standing to stretch on April 14, 1910, but this date is later than other accounts, so he may have only given publicity to an existing tradition. The term 'seventh-inning stretch' has no written record before 1920.

In Their Own Story

The California sun began to dip behind the Hollywood Hills, casting long shadows across the warning track at Dodger Stadium. As the seventh-inning batter stepped up, a hush fell over the crowd, broken only by the crack of the bat and the distant hum of traffic on the freeway below. Suddenly, the organist struck the opening chords of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame.' Thousands of fans rose in unison, stretching their arms high above their heads, a sea of blue jerseys swaying gently. For three verses, the rivalry with the Giants faded; there was only the song, the shared history, and the collective spirit of the Dodger faithful.

Reader's Guide

In modern baseball, standing up and singing 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' during the seventh-inning stretch is a popular tradition. The song was first played at a ballpark at a high school in Los Angeles, California in 1934. The practice gained exceptional popularity from broadcaster Harry Caray, who sang the song in the broadcast booth for the Chicago White Sox and later for the Chicago Cubs, where he regularly led the crowd in singing. Many teams also play local traditional songs before or after 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.' For example, the Baltimore Orioles play 'Thank God I'm a Country Boy,' the New York Mets play 'Lazy Mary,' and the Texas Rangers play 'Cotton-Eyed Joe.' The New York Yankees and Washington Nationals play 'God Bless America' before 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.'

Did You Know?

• In Japan and South Korea, the seventh-inning stretch is known as the 'Lucky 7.'
• In Japan, the stretch consists of two parts: the away team's fight song after the 6th inning, and the home team's fight song after the top of the 7th inning.
• In softball, amateur baseball scheduled for seven innings, or minor-league doubleheaders, a 'fifth-inning stretch' may be substituted.
• The composers of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game,' Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, had never attended an actual baseball game prior to writing the song.