My dad's health was never very good, and he spent a lot of time listening to the Cubs games on the radio when I was a young boy. We lived in southern Wisconsin and this was in the mid 1930s. He taught me how to keep score, and I used to listen to the games with him and keep a scorecard. I even remember Gabby Hartnett's "homer in the gloamin' when the Cubs went on to win the pennant in '38. My dad used to sing a song that I've never heard of or seen mentioned anywhere else. I have no idea where he learned it. He used to sing it with a kind of (poorly done) Irish accent. As near as I can remember, it went something like this:

The Day I Played Baseball

Me name it is, Waddle-de-wee,
Me name is Influenza,
I moind me bizness, stay to home,
Me wants are few and small.
Until one day some blaggards come,
With whiskey, gin, and wine and rum,
And hauled me out in the b'ilin' sun,
To play a game of ball.

The Chicago nine had Spaulding out,
His pitchin' was underhanded,
And when he got on the Caballico Twist.
Sure, an' no one could hit him at all.
The umpire called three strikes on me.
"How's that?," sez I, "Yer out!", sez he.
I lit on his nose like an angry flea,
The day I played baseball.

I picked up a bat, I hit the ball,
I thought 'twas in San Francisco.
I run the bases three by three,
I run the bases all.
The crowd let out with a horrible howl,
Saying, "Good auld boy, ye hit a foul."
They rubbed me down with a Turkish Towel,
The day I played baseball.

(A couple of lines I can't remember)
They put me out in the centerfield.
I paralyzed them all.
I put up me hands to catch a fly,
When, Holy Mither, she hit me eye.
They hung me on the fence to dry,
The day I played baseball.

I think there may have been another verse which I've forgotton, too. Anyway, if ANYONE out there has heard of this song or knows anything about it, or anything that resembles it, I'd greatly appreciate hearing from you. Many thanks.

Bryce bandz@sedona.net

HTML line breaks added. -JoeClone 29-Mar-01.