FOX Sports: Rumors: Is A-Rod Madonna’s new bat boy?

Greta Garbo, and Monroe
Dietrich and DiMaggio

After months of divorce rumors swirling around Madonna and hubbie Guy Ritchie, Us magazine alleges that the nearly 50-year-old pop star is cavorting with Yankees’ star swinger Alex Rodriguez.

Spector: Michael Kay’s seventh inning stretch

(Cassotto voce)...I sometimes forget how Kay got/keeps his job(s)...oh, yea.

I’m glad that we have the sound up on the Yankee game in the office tonight, because it gives me the chance to correct something that Michael Kay just said in passing.

In talking about the 100th anniversary of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” Kay joked that lyricist Jack Norworth must have “had a bad home life” to write the line “I don’t care if I never get back.”

Not quite. That line - in fact, the entire seventh inning stretch standard - is in the voice of a character named Katie Casey. What is sung at stadiums across America is actually the second verse of the song, whose introduction is all about what a big fan Katie Casey is. She’s the one who wants to be taken out to the ballgame when her beau wants to take her to a show.

MLB: Bon Jovi to play free All-Star Week show

Great, what a way to give the All-Star Game the ultimate kossoff...25 hairwisping encores of “All Right Now.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg listed from his podium the names of the great performances in Manhattan’s Central Park, from Bruce Springsteen to Elton John to Dave Matthews Band to ... Simon and Garfinkel?

“Simon and Art Gar-funk-el,” quipped Jon Bon Jovi, correcting the Mayor’s mispronunciation. Bon Jovi can now add his name of the list of acts to play the outdoor venue.

At a press conference from City Hall on Monday, Bloomberg, along with Major League Baseball and the event’s sponsor, Bank of America, announced that a free Bon Jovi concert will be held on July 12 at 8 p.m. in conjunction with the 79th All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium. No more than 60,000 fans will be allowed to attend the event, which Bloomberg said he hoped would be the largest concert in the history of Central Park’s Great Lawn.

“My kids will be particularly thrilled,” Bloomberg joked. “This will be a performance by one of the biggest rock bands ever, revered by millions around the world, Bon Jovi.

“I have been a fan of Bon Jovi since I had the same haircut in the ‘80s.”

MLB: Fiery Furnaces heat up for the White Sox

Holy Cow Language School!

The Brooklyn-based brother-and-sister rock act known as the Fiery Furnaces is known for multi-layered, highly conceptualized, deeply personal and complex music and whirlwind live shows that border on insanity.

...Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger grew up outside of Chicago and have pleasant memories of their early days as die-hard White Sox fans. Matthew even credits a White Sox employee for musical inspiration, believe it or not.

Matthew also mentioned that he cried when the South Siders finally won a World Series in 2005, and he has no love for the Cubs.

“I grew up with a lot of Cubs fans,” Matthew said. “I don’t really want to wish them bad, but I hate the Cubs. They get what they deserve, in my opinion, and they deserve to lose.”

Listening party scheduled for upcoming Baseball Project release

The Baseball Project’s upcoming release, Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails, has confirmed for a July 7 full-album stream on www.spinner.com, a day before the album’s scheduled release date.

I got my pre-ordered copy today and on first listen I’d say it’s better than I expected. A first-rate effort from Steve Wynn, Peter Buck, Scott McCaughy and Linda Pitmon. The McCaughy songs are very Golden Smog-like and Buck adds some nice guitar and mandolin work. Wynn’s songs are on the darker side but still make you smile often.

Sadly, I think this album will be lost on most current players. But for the indie rock/baseball geek crowd of a certain age (anyone else here used to read the ‘zine Chin Music?) and Peter Gammons, it’s a fun listen.

ESPN: Take Me Out to the Ballgame: Battle of the Bands

To commemorate the 100-year anniversary of baseball’s most famous tune, “Baseball Tonight” has asked nine popular musical artists to record a rendition of the song and engage in a battle of the bands. Based on the schedule below, each version will debut during “Baseball Tonight” at 10 p.m. ET, except where noted, and then be posted on this page.

...

Kicking things off is a recording from ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons. His version, which is not eligible for the voting, was performed as a tribute to the late Bo Diddley.

Gammons’ version is pretty fun.

Bugs & Cranks Interview: Steve Wynn of The Baseball Project

Unfortunato...Wynn will not share the detailed formula of his PRECODA system.

B&C: I understand that you had Mark McGwire in mind when you wrote “Broken Man,” but I think it applies to most of the juiced guys of that era. In Baltimore, steroids hit the O’s pretty hard. We saw Rafael Palmeiro pretty much erased as a hero and it’s always struck me more as sad than disgraceful. Can you talk about how you feel today about McGwire? Do you feel differently about him than about others, like Palmeiro or (I gotta ask) Bonds?

Wynn: Well, Scott wrote that song and he completely nailed the hypocrisy of the steroid scandal. Bud Selig (who truly IS the antichrist-don’t get me started) could have shut down the steroid scandal 3 years ago by granting amnesty to the past and laying down impossibly strict rules for the future. But he was having too much fun enjoying the increased revenue that the steroid-infused home run derbies brought to the game. And by the way, you could make a case that the Rangers of the early 90’s were a kind of petri dish for the steroid era (Palmiero! Canseco! Gonzales!). And who was their owner. George W. Bush. Please. Don’t get me started. As for Bonds, I think the Yankees should sign him immediately.

B&C: Will baseball ever be able to come to terms with the steroid era?

Wynn: Baseball is all about statistics. And the steroid era messed with statistics. Which messes with records and the Hall of Fame. What’s that line from “Network?” YOU have meddled with the primal forces of nature, Mr Selig. And YOU WILL ATONE”

Rush vocalist makes donation to Negro Leagues Museum

Close to 200 baseballs, all autographed by former Negro Leagues baseball players or backers, have been donated to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum by a somewhat surprising fan ... Rush singer/bassist Geddy Lee.

Really Repoz should write this intro, not me.

SNY: Jane Jarvis has fond memories of her years at Shea

But do the Mets have fond memories of Jane Jarvis...and her thump-a-whump Jimmy McGriff-ey is not your savior knuckle bashing style?

Now, as the Citi Field construction cranes continue their daily work beyond the outfield fence building a new monument to history and memory, the Mets are honoring those who made a significant contribution to the team’s 44 years since moving from the Polo Grounds.

“I can’t even bear to even think about it,” she said, her voice filling with the emotion as she speaks about the Shea’s final season. “All the memories that go with it.”

The question now is whether the organization feels just as warmly about Jarvis.

“The current management group doesn’t have any special feeling toward me,” Jarvis said. “But I would love [to be a part of that countdown] celebration. You can’t imagine what that would mean to me. I’m very frail, and I would have to have somebody walk with me.

“I think it would be wonderful if she were welcomed back as part of the countdown, or, even better, if she had a chance to play her music one last time at Shea “ said Howie Rose.

Ryan Parker Songs: Jay Bruce Almighty (Video/Song)

Ok, ok...so it ain’t Rostam Batmanglij fronting Justice of the Unicorns to dish out some Upper West Side Soweto meets Hush Folk twangle.

He’s not the Pearl from Tennessee,
He’s not the Boss from New Jersey,
He’s not the Earle from Ohio State,
But his name is Bruce and his game is great,

He don’t sing in commercials like Bronson Arroyo,
He hits homers like Griffey and Dunn,
And he gives us more reason to have hope this season,
Cause we all believe he’s the one,
Who was called up from Louisville to live out and fulfill,
His destiny truly and mighty,
So in praise of his name I now stand and proclaim,
He is Jay Bruce Almighty,

Spin Magazine: “Y.M.C.A.” (An Oral History)

Jeff Pearlman freelances a baseball-centric spin on an American original, from its New York origins to current ballplayers’ opinions, with a dash of Musto beard-stroking.

Joseph Malloy (former general partner, New York Yankees): It was the opening of Legends Field, our spring-training stadium in Tampa, and a couple of the grounds crew guys approached me with the idea of bringing a little excitement to the exhibition games. In the middle of the fifth inning, when they dragged the infield, the guys wanted to do the arm motions to “Y.M.C.A.” I hadn’t heard the song for a long, long time, but the crowd absolutely loved it. I thought, “Hmmm, this might work in New York.” ....

Juan Gonzalez (from his New York Daily News column, October 29, 1996): They began to dance, strut, and gyrate around second base while they dragged the field. The capacity crowd roared with approving laughter. We all cheered and applauded, and for a moment we all felt a little warmer inside. It was baseball poking fun at itself, reminding us all that this huge, multibillion-dollar, cutthroat business is, after all, about people having a good time.

Molloy: I remember looking at [Yankees] Wade Boggs and Derek Jeter and seeing them swaying to the music. When those grounds crew guys dropped their rakes and performed, you had to watch. From the owner’s box, I would do the Y-M-C-A motions with the crowd. I should have trademarked it.

MLB: Lasorda to sing during seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field

That Suzyn Waldman - Roseanne Barr tribute to The Shaggs ballpark tour...is just going to have to wait their turn!

Hall of Fame Manager and Special Advisor to the Chairman Tommy Lasorda will sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field. Lasorda will make his sixth appearance at Wrigley Field tomorrow singing baseball’s anthem, as his previous performances came in 1999, 2002, ‘03, ‘05, and ‘06.

“Singing ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ during the seventh-inning stretch is an institution in baseball,” said Lasorda. “I am honored to be asked, and look forward to leading the fans in the song.”

The Columnists: Allen: Robert Merrill was a great Dodgers fan

The new Post Office in New Rochelle, New York, a suburban community in Westchester County, just a $50 gas tank fill up from Manhattan, will be named and dedicated in honor of Robert Merrill on June 2.

...Joan Hodges, widow of Dodger great Gil Hodges, remains a close friend of Marian Merrill. They will be together at the Post Office dedication in Merrill’s name next month.

“I’m a great opera fan,” Joan Hodges said. “That was long before we knew Bob and Marian. Still, I bet we will be talking a lot of baseball that day. Especially about the Brooklyn Dodgers. Bob always said he wanted to play for the Dodgers.”

Tommy Holmes had a nice baritone voice. Bob Merrill could play a little baseball. Somehow their careers went in the proper directions. It is the way things work.

The 42 cent Sinatra stamp will be available at the Robert Merrill Post Office in New Rochelle. Only fitting. Too bad it isn’t at the Robert Merrill Post Office in Brooklyn.

Woo-hoo...Can’t wait for the Ronan Tynan EWTN Knickknack outlet store in Dublin!

Yep Roc Records: Baseball Project Volume One: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails

New handle alert!..."The joyous chorus of “Ted ####### Williams”.

What happens when two great songwriters decide to focus their talents upon their favorite sport? You get the highly entertaining debut disc from The Baseball Project, Volume One: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails. The album is the brainchild of Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3) and Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, Minus 5, and R.E.M). The two musicians were longtime fans of each other’s work throughout the 80s but never met until the early 90s. Wynn recalls, “I honestly think the first time we met was side-by-side at the urinals at the Offramp in Seattle when I played there in 1992.” He adds, “Scott didn’t try to shake my hand.”

...The end result is an album that impresses not only with its depth of both widely known and obscure baseball lore, but with its melodic sensibility, walls of guitars, and catchy choruses. No, Frozen Ropes & Dying Quails does not require a PhD in pitching mechanics or membership in three fantasy leagues to enjoy on a purely musical level. The joyous chorus of “Ted ####### Williams” would probably compel Babe Ruth to sing along. “Broken Man” is about slugger Mark McGwire, yet anyone can identify with the semi-tragic tale of being built up and then being humiliated in public in such a brief span of time. And in “Jackie’s Lament”, Mr. Robinson’s trials while breaking baseball’s color barrier become an anthemic call to anyone who overcomes life’s obstacles.

Jazz. com: Kurtz: Kerouac, Jazz, and Baseball

What in the name of Maynard Ferguson G. Krebs brought this on?

On those rare occasions when he spelled a musician’s name right and matched him with the correct instrument, Kerouac still managed to make a fool of himself. Jazz fans have no doubt heard, for example, “the sudden squeak uninhibited that screams muffled at any moment from Dizzy Gillespie’s trumpet.” Say what? An uninhibited squeak that screams muffled! Oh, yeah, far out. Not only does the squeak scream, it’s so uninhibited it’s muffled. Hey, pass those bennies over here, man.

All of which brings our roundabout safari to “Congo Blues.” In his magnum opus On the Road (1957), Kerouac cites this track as an early Dizzy Gillespie record with Max West on drums. Who?  For working stiffs without the benefit of bennies, Max West was a baseball player, not a drummer. For that matter, “Congo Blues” was not a Dizzy Gillespie record. It was by Red Norvo & His Selected Sextet. What’s especially galling, though, is Kerouac’s reference to this “valued” record. Sure, so valued Jack can’t recall the bandleader, and thinks the drummer had a .254 lifetime batting average and made the 1940 National League All-Star Team.

This is a sad fate to befall an important Swing-to-Bop transitional track. Recorded on the first anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion during World War II that signaled the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, “Congo Blues” signaled the beginning of the end for the Swing Era. But besides its historical importance, this track is more fun than a barrel of beatniks washing over Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls, slowly iTunes...Giant Steps by Giant Steps.

Mets by the Numbers: The World’s Baddest Met Fan: The George Thorogood Interview

I once saw an interview with John Fogerty where he said that George Thorogood knew more about baseball than any other rock dude...but then again Fogerty also said that ‘Mardi Gras’ was CCR’s best album. (BONK!)

So you’re a big Met fan. But why? Most kids growing up in Wilmington would be Phillies fans.

I was a Phillies fan, and then came 1964. They had 12 games to go and they lost 10 of them. I said, you know what? If I’m going to root for a team that’s going to lose, I’ll pick the biggest losing team of all time. A team with no expectations. And I wanted them to be in New York, and in the National League, and carry on the tradition of the Giants and the Dodgers. It was the Mets by default.

I liked the Mets, and the tough Cleon Jones. Not just Cleon Jones, see, but The Tough Cleon Jones. When ever my friends mention him to me it’s The Tough Cleon Jones. So they’re my team, and they’ve been my team since 1965.

When they won the World Series in 1969 it was the greatest thing to happen in baseball. It was David slaying Goliath. It was fantastic. After that, I was content for them to slide back into the second division.

What happened last year was the Mets meeting all of my expectations. These were the Mets I loved. These were the real Mets! When you walk around in the streets who can you identify with? Derek Jeter? He’s so beautiful, he looks like Harry Belafonte. He’s going to the Hall of Fame. The real baseball fan identifies with Wally Backman or Ed Kranepool. The salt-of-the-Earth regular guys. The Dodgers had Gil Hodges. The Mets had Ron Hodges.

MLB: Tommy Lasorda to be guest conductor for the Jr. Philharmonic Orchestra

Evgeny Sveltanov he ain’t!

Hall of Fame Manager and Special Advisor to the Chairman Tommy Lasorda will participate in the Jr. Philharmonic’s “Battle of the Batons,” it was announced today. Lasorda will lead the orchestra in “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” as the Jr. Phil celebrates the 100th anniversary of baseball’s official anthem. The concert is this Sunday, May 4, at the Shrine Auditorium.

“I gave up a lucrative musical career for baseball,” said Lasorda. “All kidding aside, it is an honor to be asked to conduct the orchestra. I just hope the musicians follow direction better than some of my players did.”

The Orchestra’s 71st Anniversary Concert Spectacular will be under the baton of long-time concertmaster Gary S. Greene. Wink Martindale will serve as the emcee and legendary Hollywood columnist Army Archerd will host the annual, celebrity “Battle of Batons.” Actress June Lockhart will be a special guest.

N.Y. Daily News: Sources: Roger Clemens had 10-year fling with country star Mindy McCready

Hell...Guys do it all the time.

Roger Clemens carried on a decade-long affair with country star Mindy McCready, a romance that began when McCready was a 15-year-old aspiring singer performing in a karaoke bar and Clemens was a 28-year-old Red Sox ace and married father of two, several sources have told the Daily News.

The revelations could torpedo claims of an unsullied character that are central to the defamation suit Clemens filed Jan. 6 against his former personal trainer Brian McNamee. Vivid details of the affair could surface in several media projects that McCready is involved with - including a documentary that begins filming today in Nashville, a new album and a reality show.

...Contacted by the Daily News Sunday through his lawyer Rusty Hardin, Clemens confirmed a long-term relationship but denied that it was of a sexual nature.

“He flatly denies having had any kind of an inappropriate relationship with her,” Hardin said. “He’s considered her a close family friend. ... He has never had a sexual relationship with her.”

51s shortstop Rex Rundgren not following musician father Todd

He was the nazz, with god-given assertion…

Rex Rundgren was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 11th round of the 2001 draft and played in their organization for seven seasons before being released on the last day of spring training this year.

“I learned everything I know about baseball after he was drafted,” Todd Rundgren said.

..."Rex has had a reputation of being a very, very good defensive shortstop,” 51s manager Lorenzo Bundy said. “A lot of people in the Marlins organization said he could play shortstop in the big leagues, defensively. But he’s got to work on his offense.”

Rex Rundgren, batting .259 (7-for-27) in 12 games, hit his first home run of the season in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to Sacramento. He hopes to play well enough to earn a return trip to Las Vegas next year.

“I want to give the Dodgers a good impression,” he said. “I wouldn’t be playing this game if I didn’t think there was a shot for me to go up.”

Mercury News: Giants’ closer requests loud music

Brian Wilson’s selection, “Rise Up,” has the same hard edge, though it’s not instantly recognizable to most fans. That’s because it’s a song by the Christian Rock group Disciple. Wilson, a born-again Christian, was inspired by the lyrics and felt they fit the energy of a save situation:

“I will not sit silently as you mock and curse my God/Stand against Him, you will be brought down/Here I come/I’m ‘bout to rise up/With all of my people/We’re ‘bout to rise up.”

It’s not the Christian theme but the public’s unfamiliarity with the song that gives pause to Bryan Srabian, the Giants’ director of marketing and entertainment. That’s why, at least for now, Srabian’s staff doesn’t plan to boost the decibel levels.

“We’ll play the song and read the situation,” Srabian said “You’ve got to let the fans cheer him on. We don’t want to manufacture any false atmosphere. So we’ll play his song and hope that it builds up organically.

“It’s still your traditional hard rock closer-entrance music. The message might be a little different than ‘Hells Bells,’ obviously.”

All of a sudden...Sabeanessence ain’t good enough for Brian Wilson?

Stephen Malkmus: Indie rock’s fantasy baseball king

(Do Not Feed The) Royster...mainly because he was a blasted DH for 4 games in 1987!

NP Frank Thomas was hitting up a storm last week.
SM I know. I didn’t pick him up either because he’s a DH. You can only put him in the utility slot. It was kind of frustrating that he didn’t have any position. But yeah, I prefer the National League, myself. To me, there are just a lot more young prospects that are playing. I don’t know the AL as well, of course. It just seems like all the hysteria’s over there for the young pitchers, in the NL. The rookie sensations and stuff. And besides the fact that I just don’t like the DH and just my complete disdain for the Red Sox and Yankees, and their shenanigans. They just sort of overshadow the rest of the league, from my perspective. I just can’t stand them.

NP Well, I’ll stop there, I don’t want to get you too riled up over it.
SM I know. I could go deeper. I can go really deep. But it’s a shame the Expos had to leave because you had a Canadian National League team.

NP And there’s no affinity in Canada at all to the Washington Nationals.
SM I know.

NP But I mean, I think at least a few people in Quebec followed the Colorado Avalanche.
SM Yeah, but that’s hockey, though. It’s OK, nobody cares about the Nationals in Washington either. Don’t feel bad.

DORIS DAY’S SECRET AFFAIR WITH SPORTS STAR MICKEY MANTLE

With sex you get eggroll on your face…

Singer/actress DORIS DAY once embarked on a whirlwind affair with late American baseball player MICKEY MANTLE, according to an upcoming book.

American author David Kaufman clams in his tell-all tome Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door that Day met Mantle on the set of 1962 movie That Touch of Mink.

He writes, “A notorious womaniser, Mantle boasted to friends that not only had he slept with Day at his regular suite in New York’s St. Moritz Hotel, but that she was ‘one of the best f**ks of his life.’”

However, a spokeswoman for Day has refused to comment on the reports.

Neil Diamond To Perform At Fenway Park

Too bad the Rubin-produced Peter Lemongello recordings went nowheresville…

Singer Neil Diamond will perform in concert later this summer at Fenway Park in Boston.

Diamond made the surprise announcement in a big-screen broadcast at the Red Sox home opener Tuesday, during the traditional eighth-inning sing-along of his “Sweet Caroline,” which has become an anthem for Boston fans.

Since 2002, it has become a tradition in the middle of the eighth inning.

The Red Sox unveiled a new scoreboard video of Diamond in a Red Sox jacket singing his 1969 hit. Red Sox owner Tom Werner also appeared in the video.

The Aug. 23 concert will be part of Diamond’s upcoming world tour.

nydailynews.com: Runoff to determine Mets’ new 8th inning song

The organization received 5 million votes on its Web site after inviting fans to choose from among 10 selections to potentially replace Sweet Caroline. An issue arose, however, when FARK.com readers bombarded the Mets with gag votes for a write-in candidate: Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up.

The Astley tune actually won.

Rather than commit to that as the new eighth-inning tune since it probably doesn’t reflect the fan base’s wishes, the Mets will play the top six selections once apiece during the first six games of their home stand. The one that draws the largest crowd response will stick.

Bugs & Cranks: Yankees Prefer New Kids On The Block To Jimi Hendrix

I once asked Curtis Knight about having Hendrix in his band...but I was supremo drunko and don’t remember his answer. That is all.

Attending the first and third games of this weekend’s Devil Rays-Yankees series in the Bronx, I was disturbed by what I learned from watching the jumbotron. In a between-innings advertisement sponsored by XM Radio, the crowd was treated to videotaped responses by many Yankees to the seemingly innocuous question of which of three songs by a certain artist they would prefer to hear.

...Then, during Sunday’s game, the question was which Jimi Hendrix tune the Yankees would want to hear.

And that’s when Joba Chamberlain said, “Never heard of him.”

Seriously.  Chamberlain said he had never heard of Jimi Hendrix.

Derek Jeter then said he didn’t want to hear anything by Hendrix.

Johnny Damon surprised me by not choosing “Foxy Lady,” instead opting for “Purple Haze.”

BTW...That’s my Axis: Bold Lettering as Love. 

Baltimore Sun: 4-0 since disappearing act of ‘Orioles Magic’

If something seemed like it was missing at Camden Yards last week, you deserve points for your observational skills.

The campy “ Orioles Magic” song that hearkens to the days when there was a “thundering roar from [Section] 34” got scratched after Opening Day.

In the past four games, the Orioles have darted out of the dugout before the first pitch to “Click Click Boom,” a song by the rock band Saliva, which might or might not have been inspired by former Oriole Roberto Alomar.

The concept of never-say-die Orioles Magic seemingly expired years ago, and now the song has taken at least a temporary hiatus from pre-game at Camden Yards.

Uggh...Just pull something off ‘A Date With John Waters’ and be done with it.

Bugs & Cranks: Luke Scott wants to be your dog.

And so long as they don’t dive into the meaning of “TV Eye”…

When Orioles left fielder Luke Scott came to the plate in the fourth inning of yesterday’s Opening Day loss to Tampa, the Camden Yards PA system pounded out an unmistakable few bars of Iggy and the Stooges’ 1969 song “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”

We’re still learning about Scott. He came to Baltimore as part of the trade that sent Miguel Tejada to Houston. He’s said to hit with some power, cranking out 18 homers last year. And during spring training, fans learned that Scott is the holder of a permit to carry a concealed firearm. Oh, and he’s a born again Christian.

The Stooges, of course, are Iggy Pop’s band of strung-out miscreants and misanthropes, the band that ushered out hippie music and, along with the MC5 and the Velvet Underground, paved the way for angry punk rock acts like the Ramones, the Clash and the Sex Pistols. And “I Wanna Be Your Dog” isn’t exactly a tune you’ll hear in church. I’ve never been able to figure out what exactly is so lewd about “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” but there’s something vaguely creepy about it. I love it, of course.

So, could Luke Scott also be a Stooges fan? Seems an odd match. I guess there’s always the possibility that he didn’t choose the music himself.

MLB Band List, Part II - American League

Ted Nugent pursues Damn Yankees reunion: Slays Mo Tucker with crossbow

New York Yankees are Led Zeppelin: Loved and hated in nearly equal measure. Bombastic cultural touchstone, definitive in the genre despite a sizeable portion of their work being appropriated from other sources (Kansas City A’s / free agency; Robert Johnson / J.R.R. Tolkien). Wore the same clothing for decades. Personality clashes defined and seemingly enhanced the quality of their performance. Much of their cachet derived from metaphysical sources (the occult; “mystique and aura").

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Opening Special Baseball Exhibit

Oh, goodie! Just in time for the SABR convention! I better put a rush on those acetylene balloon bomb instructions I ordered!

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is ready to open its newest exhibit - Take Me Out: Baseball Rocks! is devoted to the many connections between America’s most popular music form and its national pastime. The exhibit will open on Saturday, April 26th.

The exhibit will celebrate baseball as a pop-culture phenomenon through displays of sheet music, sports memorabilia, records and film. It will also include listening stations stocked with early recordings and will include displays on baseball-associated songs from “I Love Mickey,” Teresa Brewer’s 1956 Mickey Mantle tribute, to the Seattle Mariners/New York Mets anthem “Who Let the Dogs Out?” (Baha Men, 2000). A second area will cover the early to mid 20th century and focus on musical tributes to Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Larry Doby, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and entire teams such as the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees.

In addition, the exhibit will include artifacts related to baseball players who were also musicians, like the Milwaukee Braves’ Lee Maye, who enjoyed a successful career as an R&B singer in the mid-Fifties. Rock ‘n’ roll references to baseball, from Chuck Berry’s “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” to Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” to John Fogerty’s “Centerfield,” will also be featured.

GAC: Keith Anderson Hails National Pastime

I’d pay good money to see Tex Rubinowitz wail away a deft El Kabong on Anderson, but that’s just me.

Before he became a country artist, Keith Anderson considered the idea of a career in Major League Baseball, and he was good enough that he caught the attention of the Kansas City Royals. However, Keith suffered a shoulder injury that derailed those dreams, but he still is a big fan of the game, even while it endures controversy over steroid use.

“Unfortunately, baseball’s taken a hit lately, just because there’s so much going on,” Keith told the national radio show GAC Nights: Live From Nashville. “I have no doubt it’s gonna come back and they’ll get through these things right now. But I think it’s just such a great, relaxing thing. You can go there and hang out all day, especially in the summertime — the great weather, get a cold beer or a soft drink or whatever, a hot dog, and not only watch the game, but there’s so much going on. The people-watching, the things going on between [innings] — it’s just a great time to take a friend, take whatever and hang out and just catch up on life. It’s a great, relaxing thing to do.”