How baseball got its beat
Summary
Host Randa Abdel Fattah explores the history of music in baseball, tracing its evolution from the 1862 national anthem to modern walk-up songs. The episode features MLB historian John Thorne, who reflects on the loss of the game's traditional silence, and Nancy Faust, the Chicago White Sox organist who pioneered improvisational crowd engagement in the 1970s. Together, they discuss how musical rituals like "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and player-specific anthems have shaped fan culture and the atmosphere of the sport over the last century.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: Mattress Firm
Edwin Diaz's walk-up song and the viral moment
Introduction: The history of music in baseball
Sponsors: Mattress Firm, FX's The Drop, Bowlin Branch
John Thorne on the silence of early baseball
John Thorne's first game and the sound of the bat
The National Anthem and the 1862 Union Grounds
The 7th Inning Stretch and 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game'
The suffragette origins of the ball game song
Tin Pan Alley, radio, and early baseball music
Transistor radios and fan noise in the stands
Listener mail and sponsors
Nancy Faust and the 1977 'Hey Hey Goodbye' incident
Nancy Faust's path to becoming a stadium organist
Bill Veeck and the outdoor organ booth
Improvising for players and the influence of Gladys Gooding
The impact of organ music on players and fans
Nancy Faust's legacy and playing by ear
Retirement and the shift to pre-recorded walk-up music
Debate: Distractions vs. community in modern baseball
Outro, credits, and sponsors
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