Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Lyrics by Jack Norworth; illustrated by Jim Burke, with an introduction by Pete Hamill
At one point in our history--before ESPN, before the Internet, before radio--baseball was as close to a national religion as the Constitution would allow. And going out the ballgame was no ordinary day at the park.
Burke takes us back with such authority, even the most diehard enthusiasts should be impressed. We get two stories in one: how Norworth thought up the lyrics to the beloved song. Did you know it was about a girl named Katie Casey? And that her outing was meant as a date with her beau?
And then there's the game itself, the 1908 pennant matchup between her beloved New York Giants and my new home team. The game would end in one of the biggest controversies to ever dog the sport--the notorious Merkle Boner, when a runner neglected to tag second base as fans rushed the field. It cost the Giants big time.
Hey, this is what they did to aggravate fans before steroids were invented, okay?
As the fictional Katie and the game's history collide at home plate, I got a little tingly. I did! It's owing in no small part to Burke's meticulous realism. He captures it all: The ladies' fashions with their frills and plumage, the men's straw boaters, the easy formality and politesse you can see in every pose and gesture.
His oil paintings are set off with a white border across from both the lyrics and the historical narration. Within each frame is a masterpiece of classical composition and light; each a study in period detail, and each is what artsy types call a "storyteller"--a stand-alone narrative.
I'd even say they were elegant, except for Katie's wonderfully manic expressions; the picture of her making frustrated, scrunched-up faces behind the much-abused umpire is straight out of Norman Rockwell.
We get to meet a real a hero in Christy Mathewson, "The Christian Gentleman" because he promised his Momma he wouldn't play on Sundays. Do they make 'em like that anymore?
Anything else? Ah, yes, the origin of crackerjack. The fate of the famed Polo Grounds where the Giants played. And whatever happened to that poor Merkle fellow.
Rating: *\*\*\*\
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