Various artists
Baseball’s Greatest Hits
A typically high-quality compilation from Rhino Records, this 22-track set includes several well-known numbers, plus a few obscure ones such as “Land of Wrigley” by Stormy Weather.
Chuck Brodsky
The Baseball Ballads
Some call Brodsky baseball’s poet laureate because his songs have a literary air about them. Whatever. Tracks here include “Moe Berg: The Song,” “Dock Ellis’ No-No” and “Bonehead Merkle.”
John Fogerty
Centerfield
The title track is really the only baseball number, but many people believe that “The Old Man Down the Road” is loosely based on the Cubs’ reacquisition of Greg Maddux.
Steve Goodman
No Big Surprise: The Steve Goodman Anthology
Let’s agree to forgive the late, great Goodman for penning the syrupy “Go Cubs Go” and focus instead on the wonderfully lyrical “Dying Cubs Fan’s Last Request.”
Various artists
Baseball
Any disc that opens with Garrison Keillor reading Walt Whitman is worth a listen. Unfortunately, this soundtrack to Ken Burns’ series gets a little stuffy at times (just like the series itself), and unless you’ve seen the documentary, some of the selections probably won’t make much sense. There are period pieces from Count Basie and Duke Ellington, plus contemporary interpretations from Natalie Cole, Carly Simon and Bruce Hornsby. How can you tell Burns is not a Cubs or White Sox fan? Easy. He failed to include “Hey Hey Holy Mackerel” or Steam’s “Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye).”
Terry Cashman
The Money Doesn’t Matter to Me
Cashman’s the king of baseball music, and this is a good sampler set of his work. It includes his classic “Talkin’ Baseball (Willie, Mickey & the Duke)” plus tributes to Pete Rose and Rusty Staub.
Various artists
Diamond Cuts Vol. 1
A thoughtfully chosen combination of songs (Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” is a nice touch) and poetry (Rev. Jesse Jackson’s reads a heartfelt eulogy to Jackie Robinson) that touches ’em all.
Frank Sinatra
Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back
OK, only one song is actually about baseball (“There Used To Be a Ballpark,” an ode to Ebbets Field), but owning this album shows everyone you’re not just some seamhead fantasy geek.
Phil Coley
Baseball Songs Sports Heroes
Heavily New York-Boston-centric, with corny songs about Fenway Park and the curse of the Bambino, but there’s one track sure to please Cubs die-hards: “God Is Not a Mets Fan.”
