<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Take Me Out to the Ball Game Typical modern ball park instrumental version performed by Kaila Rochelle on a Roland GR - 09 organ with a Roland RD - 700 keyboard midi controller . The performance is on the' Chorus .' </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Problems playing this file? See media help . </Td> </Tr> <P> "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song . The song's chorus is traditionally sung during the middle of the seventh inning of a baseball game . Fans are generally encouraged to sing along, and at some ballparks, the words "home team" are replaced with the team name . </P> <P> Jack Norworth, while riding a subway train, was inspired by a sign that said "Baseball Today--Polo Grounds". In the song, Katie's beau calls to ask her out to see a show . She accepts the date, but only if her date will take her out to the baseball game . The words were set to music by Albert Von Tilzer . (Norworth and Von Tilzer finally saw their first Major League Baseball games 32 and 20 years later, respectively .) The song was first sung by Norworth's then - wife Nora Bayes and popularized by many other vaudeville acts . It was played at a ballpark for the first known time in 1934, at a high - school game in Los Angeles; it was played later that year during the fourth game of the 1934 World Series . </P>

Who wrote the lyrics to take me out to the ballgame