Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 4 July 2017

1918 World Series key in US love affair with National Anthem

By DON BABWIN of the White Sox, instead band began to play. times during the game, from then on it was played
Associated Press of their new home at Wrig- All of them except Red Sox once during the anthem at all opening days and
CHICAGO (AP) — On ley Field, what was called infielder Fred Thomas . and twice when the um- World Series games,” Leeke
Tuesday afternoon, the Weegham Park at the time, Thomas was in the Navy pire was calling him out on said.
crowd at Wrigley Field will because it held more fans. during the series — he strikes. The song was played just
be asked to stand and But in a city jittery over played on the team fielded The leader of the Navy on holidays or special oc-
“gentlemen” reminded the bombing and weary by the Great Lakes station band at the time was con- casions for years, in part
to remove their caps for from the war, Game 1 that that was also home to the ductor and composer John because ballparks didn’t
the playing of “The Star- day attracted fewer than band — but was granted Philip Sousa. He was not at have the kind of sound sys-
Spangled Banner.” Fans tems they do today and
who can recite the words owners were loath to pay
as easily as the alphabet for a band more than they
will sing or listen to the story had to. It wasn’t until the
of a flag that continued to 1940s during World War II
wave throughout one of that major league teams
the most famous battles in started playing it every
American history. day. Ironically, Cubs owner
What they may not know P.K. Wrigley decided the
is that Francis Scott Key, song would be played only
apparently better at lyrics on major holidays and for
than melody, put his de- special events.
scription of the battle of “Wrigley thought it cheap-
Fort McHenry to an old Eng- ened the anthem to play
lish tune that had a lot less it every day,” said Marc
to do with patriotism than it Ferris, author of “Star-Span-
did with booze and wom- gled Banner: The Unlikely
en. Or that this year marks Story of America’s National
the 100th season since the Anthem.” In 1967, the Cubs
song was played for the put the song on the daily
first time at a World Series playlist, a patriotic gesture
game — an event that during yet another war, this
helped cement it in the na- one in Vietnam.
tional consciousness and On a recent day at Wrigley,
become the national an- In this May 25, 2014, photo, fans watch as four L-39 Albatros high-performance jet trainer aircraft fans stood as one for the
perform a fly-over during the national anthem before the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race in
them that is now simply as- Indianapolis. The anthem has been a standard part of U.S. sports games since World War II. anthem.
sumed to be part of game (AP Photo/Tom Strattman) “It still sends a chill down
day in American sports, my back,” said 90-year-old
from Little League to the 20,000 fans, the smallest furlough so he could play. the game, but had recently Victor Holliday of Cham-
Super Bowl to medal cer- World Series crowd in years. When the Wisconsin na- arranged the standardized paign, Illinois, his time as a
emonies at the Olympics. When they got there, they tive heard the music, “he version of the song that is Marine during World War II
“Certainly the outpouring didn’t make much noise, turned toward the flag, still played today The 1918 written right there on his red
of sentiment, enthusiasm, though that could have kept his hat on and gave World Series would have cap.
and patriotism at the 1918 had something to do with a military salute,” said Jim been one of the first times The respect for the song
World Series went a long the 1-0 masterpiece Ruth Leeke, author of “From the the band could test drive was not lost on his son,
way to making the (song) was pitching — yes, pitch- Dugouts to the Trenches: the new version, according who recalled the Vietnam
the national anthem,” said ing — for the Red Sox. Baseball During the Great to Mike Bayes, senior chief war era when the anthem
John Thorn, Major League “There was no cheering War.” musician for the Navy Band was not always warmly re-
Baseball’s official historian. during the contest, nor was A few fans began to sing. in Washington. ceived.
On Sept. 5, 1918, newspa- there anything like the usu- Then others joined in “and “It was a very important “It changed radically after
pers were dominated by al umpire baiting,” report- when the final notes came, thing for him to put the an- 9/11,” said Shawn Holliday,
news of World War I, includ- ed one Boston newspaper. a great volume of melody them on a national stage in 58. “And even today, with
ing the latest American Then, in the seventh in- rolled across the field,” the its new form,” Bayes said. so many differences in the
dead. In Chicago, one of ning, a band from the Navy Times reported. And when It wasn’t until 1931 that country, so much division,
the headlines read, “Chi- training station north of Chi- it ended, “onlookers ex- Congress and President I think we again are falling
cagoans on the List,” and cago started to play “The ploded into thunderous Herbert Hoover officially back for comfort on these
it was a particularly harrow- Star-Spangled Banner.” applause and rent the air designated the song as the kinds of symbols.”
ing moment in the city for The song had been played with a cheer that marked national anthem. Still, it was And if anyone did not show
another reason: Someone, before at major league the highest point of the clear the song was on its the proper respect for the
possibly self-proclaimed games, from at least 1862 day’s enthusiasm.” The way after that day in Chi- song, others in the stadium
anarchists and labor ac- and on opening day in Red Sox went on to win the cago. were ready.
tivists, had the day be- 1897, in Philadelphia, Thorn game and the series, part For one thing, it was played “Come on, they can cool it
fore tossed a bomb into a said. But this time, reported of a Cubs’ championship when the series got back for a minute and a half and
downtown federal building The New York Times, some- drought that ended up to Boston. And as one story put down their phones,”
and post office, killing four thing happened that was lasting 108 years but was a goes, Red Sox owner Harry said Wayne Messmer, who
people and injuring dozens “far different from any in- mere decade old in 1918. Frazee was so impressed has sung the anthem nearly
more. cident that has ever oc- Not everyone thought what with the way the song qui- 5,000 times over more than
The World Series was in curred in the history of happened was a big deal. eted rowdy fans that the three decades of perform-
town, with the Cubs host- baseball.” Chicago sportswriter Ring next season that he or- ing, most notably before
ing Babe Ruth and the Bos- Players took off their caps Lardner mentioned it, but dered the band to play it Cubs games at Wrigley. “I
ton Red Sox. The Chicago as they faced a flag that only as a punch line as he while the flag was present- will stare people down if
games were played at fluttered atop a pole in reported that Thomas had ed on the field. they are talking when I’m
Comiskey Park, the home right field as the 12-piece stood at attention three “It was a turning point and singing.”