"Nothing flatters me more than to have it assumed that I could write prose-unless it be to have it assumed that I once pitched a baseball with distinction."
- Poet Robert Frost
Since it first inspired the imagination of the
American public, baseball has been the inspiration of numerous songs
and musical compositions. On this page we have collected a few
examples of this music, prepared as MIDI files. We have also
created and are offering for download a collection of unique 19th
Century and early 20th Century sheet
music related to baseball.
Note: MIDI files can sound different of different systems, depending upon your software and sound card. These MIDI files are all prepared as basic "standard MIDI files".
That Baseball Rag
1913 - Words by Dave Wolff, Music by Clarence Jones
The Baseball Glide
1911 - Words by Andrew B. Sterling, Music by Harry Von Tilzer
I Want to Go to the
Ball Game
1909 - Words by C.P. McDonald, Music by Al. W. Brown
The above MIDIs were Sequenced by 'Perfessor' Bill Edwards
Baseball Sheet Music
All of following pieces of sheet music listed inside of this box (and more) are now available for download. The sheet music is scans of the original music, and we provide this music in "PDF" format. PDF files are viewable and printable with the easy to download and easy to use freeware program Acrobat Reader, and other free programs available online.
Sheet Music (and more) included in the collection..........
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The Atlantic
Polka
Home Run Quickstep
 The National Gameby John Phillip Sousa - 1925 With its popular reputation and good wages, the Sousa Band was able to recruit some of the best musicians around. For 39 years, this large group toured the country by train.
A Sousa Band tour would last for many months, often with
several performances each day and only a few days off for
travel between cities. The band traveled to every corner
of the United States and did several European tours and
one world tour. Together they traveled more than 1 million
miles, and they still managed to find the time for other
fun. |
The Sousa band had its own baseball team, and Sousa was
often the pitcher. They played against local baseball teams
and those of rival bands. Sousa composed the piece featured
here, "
Gee, It's A Wonderful Game
1911, Lyrics by Ring Lardner - Music by G. Harris (Doc) White
Sequenced by Linda StarHere is another version of "Gee It's A Wonderful Game".
Sequenced by Steve Whiting
The Home Run Galup
Frederick Woodman Root -1867
Sequenced by Benamin TubbsJake Jake, The Yiddisher Ballplayer
By Irving Berlin - 1913
Sequenced by Paul Wilson
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
This famous song was written by Jack Norworth and Albert von Tilzer in 1908. Sequencer unknownThe above MIDI arrangement of Take Me Out To The Ball Game is of the famous chorus to the original song. Normally, this chorus is the only part of the this composition that now performed. Here is a MIDI arrangement of the entire song, from the original sheet music.
Sequenced by Paul F. WilsonHere is another arrangement of the famous chorus.
Sequencer unknown.
An Eccentric Rag
1909, Music by: Harry L. CookThis is certainly a unique piece of music related to baseball. Titled an "eccentric rag" and carrying the subtitle information, "As used by SLIVERS in his famous pantomime, THE BALL GAME,". Slivers was a famous Barnum & Bailey circus clown by the name of Frank Oakley. Oakley most often was known simply by the name "Slivers" Oakley. His most famous routine was one where he pantomimed a baseball game, portraying all the different players. The composer, Cook also wrote another ragtime work, Shovel Fish in 1907 but little more is known about him.
Sequenced by R. Rueblin
This next MIDI is simply entitled "Baseball" and is a jazz duet for two guitars. We don't have the slightest idea who composed it or who sequenced this music, but it is an interesting piece of music.
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