What's the deal with the Neil Diamond singalong at Red Sox games?

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So my son and I were up in Boston and seeing a Red Sox game at Fenway. Part of the way into the game they played Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" and all these 40 and 50 year-ol women in the centerfield beachers where we were sitting, started singing along and adding their own parts to it. Nothin' nasty like the U. of Md college kids version of Rock & Roll Part II, just extra "whoa whoa whoas" and stuff. It was kind of weird. It wasn't the 7th inning stretch song. Is that done elsewhere?

― steve-k, Thursday, 2 September 2004 03:26 (twenty years ago)

In Baltimore at the seventh inning they go from "take Me out to the Ballgame" to John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" (cuz they used to play that 20 years ago). In Boston they played a tradional version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and then a rocking version.

Other songs heard through the game: Jonathan Richman's "New England,"
the Ramones, Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" when the Tigers pitcher got uh, taken out. Oh yeah, before the game the organist played the Left Banke's "Walk Away Renee", an old Neil Young song, and some other great late 60s rock and r'n'b.

― steve-k, Thursday, 2 September 2004 03:30 (twenty years ago)

those ladies probably have a cassette copy of 'love at the greek' n their car tape deck. neil rules.

― keith m (keithmcl), Thursday, 2 September 2004 03:37 (twenty years ago)

this will surprise all of you, but in houston at minute maid park they play "deep in the heart of texas" after "take me out to the ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch. everyone sings and claps along merrily. and neil does rule.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Thursday, 2 September 2004 03:41 (twenty years ago)

If the Sox are playing "Walk Away Renee" then that guarantees they will make the post-season, advance past the A's and the Angels (sorry Yankee' fans) and then lose in seven games to the vaunted Cardinals. BAAWWW!

― jim wentworth (wench), Thursday, 2 September 2004 03:47 (twenty years ago)

Because no Red Sox fan will ever give you a straight answer, the mass "Sweet Caroline" singalong at Fenway Park started sometime in the late 90's, and was one of those spontaneous -> viral things. It's generally played sometime in the late innings, everyone from the bleachers to the boxes join in, and the additions are all globally agreed upon ("so good, so good, so good", etc.).

And every college in the Mid-Atlantic region will claim that they added the "hey... you suck" chant to "Rock & Roll Part II."

― MC Frosty Flake, Thursday, 2 September 2004 06:08 (twenty years ago)

I only see sports that aren't so boring that songs etc. must be played to keep the spectators from falling asleep.

― Sasha (sgh), Thursday, 2 September 2004 06:24 (twenty years ago)

At Fenway, they play "Dirty Water" after Red Sox wins. Very cool.
It's not a 'jock jams' soundtrack over there. They actually play some decent songs before and during the game.

― Rocco, Thursday, 2 September 2004 11:12 (twenty years ago)

well fenway is on landsdowne street. which is nothing but rock and dance clubs. hehehe

― kephm (kephm), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:18 (twenty years ago)

I believe Sweet Caroline's placement has stabilized to the middle of the 8th, although it did move around a bit in the early stages, AFAIK.

I'm not sure how the Fenway DJ rates among all MLB DJs, but she (I think it is usually a she) does do a pretty amusing job of picking topical stuff to go along with game events.

― southern lights (southern lights), Thursday, 2 September 2004 12:53 (twenty years ago)

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