VOA标准英语2012--Play Ball - Songs About the 'Great American Pastime'

Play Ball - Songs About the 'Great American Pastime'

It’s not uncommon¹ for musicians to play a concert in the outfield of a baseball stadium-but how about scheduling tour dates around baseball? After all, why visit Boston when the Red Sox are out of town, if it’s possible to arrange a gig during a home stand?

That’s what Mandolinist Sam Bush has been known to do. Sam’s team is the St. Louis Cardinals², and he’s such a fan that he wrote a song about the Cards great Ozzie Smith on his "King of My World" CD. Sam’s tribute to the now retired³ back-flipping shortstop is called "The Wizard of Oz."

Baseball has been celebrated⁴ in song almost since the first pitch was tossed. "The Baseball Polka" was written in the late 1850s. Since then, baseball songwriters have included Irving Berlin and Bruce Springsteen, with Frank Sinatra and Meat Loaf among the singers praising the game.

Bob Dylan wrote a baseball song, too. It was about the late pitcher⁵ "Catfish⁶" Hunter, not only one of the best pitchers⁷ ever, but one of the most important to those enjoying multi-million-dollar playing contracts today.

Catfish Hunter was one of baseball’s most dominant⁸ pitchers during a 15-year career that brought him five World Series rings with the Oakland Athletics⁹ and the New York Yankees. He also strung together five straight 20-victory seasons, pitched a perfect game, and also won a Cy Young Award, given annually¹⁰ to the outstanding pitcher in each of the two major leagues. 

But Catfish Hunter is also remembered for what Bob Dylan sang about: signing a five-year, $3.75 million contract with the Yankees in 1975, making him the games first multi-millionaire player. Catfish retired after the 1978 season, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987. If you ever pay a visit to those hallowed halls, you might see Bob Dylan’s autographed album featuring the song "Catfish"”

Singer-songwriter Chuck Brodsky is known for including a baseball tune¹² or two on his albums, and even released a collection of just baseball ballads¹³. "Moe Berg: The Song" is the story of a real life Dodgers¹⁴ player in their pre-Los Angeles days, when they called Brooklyn, New York home. Moe Berg lived a double life: baseball slugger and American spy. 

The most famous baseball song ever written sprang from a most unlikely source. When Jack¹⁵ Norworth wrote "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" in 1908, he had never even been to a major league game. But inspiration struck on a subway train as he stared at an advertisement for a game. And the rest, as they say, is history.

A few years ago, Sam Bush had the opportunity to play his version of the classic baseball tune during the seventh inning stretch (a break) at a St. Louis Cardinals game. Bush says he’ll never forget standing¹¹ on top of the dugout and hearing thousands of fans singing the words as he played the tune on his mandolin.

1 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

2 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

5 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

6 catfish   

n.鲶鱼

参考例句：

• Huge catfish are skinned and dressed by hand.用手剥去巨鲇的皮并剖洗干净。
• We gigged for catfish off the pier.我们在码头以鱼叉叉鲶鱼。

7 pitchers   

大水罐( pitcher的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Over the next five years, he became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball. 在接下来的5年时间里，他成为了最了不起的棒球投手之一。
• Why he probably won't: Pitchers on also-rans can win the award. 为什麽不是他得奖：投手在失败的球队可以赢得赛扬奖。

8 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

9 athletics   

n.运动，体育，田径运动

参考例句：

• When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
• Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中，我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。

10 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

11 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

12 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

13 ballads   

民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴

参考例句：

• She belted out ballads and hillbilly songs one after another all evening. 她整晚一个接一个地大唱民谣和乡村小调。
• She taught him to read and even to sing two or three little ballads,accompanying him on her old piano. 她教他读书，还教他唱两三首民谣，弹着她的旧钢琴为他伴奏。

14 dodgers   

n.躲闪者，欺瞒者( dodger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a crackdown on fare dodgers on trains 对火车逃票者的严厉打击
• But Twain, Howells, and James were jeeringly described by Mencken as "draft-dodgers". 不过吐温、豪威尔斯和詹姆斯都是被门肯讥诮地叫做“逃避兵役的人。” 来自辞典例句

15 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。