It's been about 3 years since I last posted a list of baseball songs for kids, and it's time I updated it, methinks. Unfortunately, my team is winless even though the season hasn't even started yet, but why should that dampen your kids' enthusiasm for America's pastime?
As always, leave comments below -- i.e., additional suggestions -- if you've got 'em...
-- "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (well, duh) -- try Wiggleworms Love You, from the Old Town School of Folk Music (nicely bipartisan, cheering for both the Cubs and White Sox), or also the Hold Steady's version.
-- "Baseball Dreams" -- off At the Bottom of the Sea, by Ralph's World (Cubs all the way in this one)
-- "I'm Gonna Catch You" -- off Under a Shady Tree, by Laurie Berkner (it has one relevant line -- "So I jumped into Saturday / And I had a baseball batter-day" -- yes, this one's a bit of a stretch)
-- "Pop Fly" -- off Justin Roberts' album by the same name, about a daydreaming boy playing the outfield...
-- "Centerfield" -- off Centerfield, by John Fogerty (not kids' music, but a great song anyway). See also Visqueen's rendition on the Desoto Records kidscomp Play!
-- "Talkin' Baseball -- off countless albums by Terry Cashman, who just re-recorded and updated his song every few years -- baseball history lesson in 3 minutes
-- "Big Train" -- off the RTT's Turn It Up Mommy!. About Walter "Big Train" Johnson. I'd probably disagree that he's the best pitcher ever, but that's another blog. Good song.
-- "Right Field" -- Peter, Paul and Mary.
-- "Cryin' in the Dugout" -- off Daddy-A-Go-Go's Eat Every Bean and Pea on Your Plate album. A humorous song, "Baseball Dreams" played for laughs instead of nostalgia.
-- "The Greatest" -- Kenny Rogers.
-- "Roll Around" -- Peter Himmelman, off of his My Lemonade Stand CD. A fun, rollicking song about a baseball who retires, then comes back to his true calling.
-- "Baseball Tips with Professor Buckley -- Peter Himmelman, My Green Kite, an amusing little spoken-word piece.
-- "Baseball" -- Milkshake, off Play!. Guest-starring Cal Ripkin, Jr.
-- "The Challenger Baseball Song" -- Ben Rudnick and Friends. All about the Challenger Division of Little League, for kids with mental and physical disabilities.
-- "Baseball, Baseball" -- Stephen Cohen, off Here Comes the Band.
-- "Hey! Batter!" -- Hank Cooper, from Playground Fortune Teller -- all about the language of baseball...
-- "High Five" -- They Might Be Giants (at least in part anyway, and the video features some baseball players -- and c'mon, the team sponsored a Little League baseball team...)
-- "Bruce Springstone's" version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
-- Kathy Kallick's "brilliant refashioning" of Count Basie's "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball"
-- "Bring 'Em In" -- the Deedle Deedle Dees (off their American History + Rock 'n' Roll = The Deedle Deedle Dees album)
-- "I Love Baseball" -- Jim Cosgrove (off Ooey Gooey)
-- "Home Run Ronnie" -- Debbie and Friends (off More Story Songs and Sing-Alongs)
-- "Lullabye with Baseball and Trains" - Peter Himmelman (off My Trampoline)
-- "Cool Papa Bell" -- The Deedle Deedle Dees (off Strange Dees Indeed, watch an early Lloyd Miller rendition here)
-- "Tommy Got in Trouble Today" -- the Bazillions (off Rock 'n' Roll Recess)
-- "Not So Good at Baseball" -- Barry Louis Polisar (off Old Enough to Know Better)
-- "Catfish" -- off Bob Dylan's Bootleg Series. I am unfamiliar with this one. But it's Dylan.
-- "Joe DiMaggio’s Done it Again" -– Wilco and Billy Bragg, from their Mermaid Ave Vol. 2 (not "kids music," per se, but totally OK. Great, even)
-- "A Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request" –- Steve Goodman. See "Talkin' Baseball," above.
-- "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" -- Brave Combo. It's Brave Combo, how could it not be fun?
-- "Jackie" -- Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band (from Lishy Lou and Lucky Too).
-- "My Baseball Bat" -- The Boogers (Let's Go)
-- "Jackie Robinson -- Ellis Paul (The Hero in You)
