As American as Apple Pie

The seventh inning stretch personifies baseball. It unites the crowd, and typifies America's past-time. Baseball is a summer sport because it's leisurely, slow-paced, and relaxing. So relaxing in fact, that in the 1880s the seventh inning streth was developed so baseball fans would not fall asleep in the mid-day summer heat.

The song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" became a staple of the seventh inning stretch in the 1970s when the White Sox announcer Harry Caray would sing the song in the booth during the seventh inning. The owner, Bill Veeck, moved a microphone into the booth so that Caray could lead the stadium in baseball's anthen. Since then, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is sung at every game during the seventh inning stretch.

Following 9/11, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" was temporarily replaced by "God Bless America" in many stadiums. Yankees fans hear Kate Smith sing this anthen about 80 times a season in addition to "Take Me out to the Ball Game."

Other teams have traditions associated with the seventh inning stretch as well. The Astro's play "Deep in the Heart of Texas" during the seventh inning stretch, while the Red Sox play "Sweet Caroline." Nearly all teams replace the phrase "home team" with the name of the actual home team.

During the 15 inning All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium, fans participated in the traditional seventh inning stretch with "God Bless America" sung by Josh Groban followed by 'Take me out to the Ball Game." However, during the 14 inning, fans were asked to stand again and sing baseballs anthen.

The question arises, what do the winter leagues in Central America do during the seventh inning stretch? After the void begins in America, baseball season begins in Central America with the Caribbean Winter Leagues featuring teams from Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. Their season runs from October to the first week in January. Playoffs start with a two week Round Robin during the second and third weeks of January. Locals and players from the Minor Leagues play in the Winter Leagues and players such as Bernie Williams have participated.

Although they play traditional baseball, there is no seventh inning stretch and no singing baseball anthems. However, in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, there is a 15 minute smoke break between the fifth and sixth innings. The Seventh Inning Strech must be as American as Apple Pie and Baseball.