Take Me Up to the Ball Game
Encyclopedia
Take Me Up to the Ball Game is the sixth animated television special from Nelvana
Limited, released in September 1980. The title is a play on the song title "Take Me Out to the Ball Game
".
team (consisting of anthropomorphic animals) encounters a talent scout from outer space named Irwin (voiced by Phil Silvers
), who offers them the chance to play against a team from another planet. They later discover that they're playing in a championship game, and that the opposing team has never been defeated because making up one's own rules — which Earthlings call "cheating" — is a common practice in interplanetary baseball.
During the first few innings, the Earth team is not doing well against their opponents, and some of the players suggest that they should cheat as well; the team's leader, however, insists that it would be wrong because "cheaters never prosper" (an assertion that provokes laughter from the entire stadium).
The Earth players start anticipating their opponents' tricks and countering them without breaking the rules; the spectators are thrilled by this unexpected turn of events, and the Home Team actually enjoys having a genuine challenge to face despite the fact that the Earthlings are now winning. Irwin, who'd bet heavily against the Earth team, tries to put the odds back in his favor by entering the game himself, but it's no use; the Earthlings win the game.
of The Band
:
videocassette Nelvanamation 2 (1990); this tape is currently out of print.
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
Limited, released in September 1980. The title is a play on the song title "Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
"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 baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song. The song is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of...
".
Synopsis
A children's baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team (consisting of anthropomorphic animals) encounters a talent scout from outer space named Irwin (voiced by Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers was an American entertainer and comedy actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah." He is best known for starring in The Phil Silvers Show, a 1950s sitcom set on a U.S...
), who offers them the chance to play against a team from another planet. They later discover that they're playing in a championship game, and that the opposing team has never been defeated because making up one's own rules — which Earthlings call "cheating" — is a common practice in interplanetary baseball.
During the first few innings, the Earth team is not doing well against their opponents, and some of the players suggest that they should cheat as well; the team's leader, however, insists that it would be wrong because "cheaters never prosper" (an assertion that provokes laughter from the entire stadium).
The Earth players start anticipating their opponents' tricks and countering them without breaking the rules; the spectators are thrilled by this unexpected turn of events, and the Home Team actually enjoys having a genuine challenge to face despite the fact that the Earthlings are now winning. Irwin, who'd bet heavily against the Earth team, tries to put the odds back in his favor by entering the game himself, but it's no use; the Earthlings win the game.
Songs
There are three songs in this special, all sung by Rick DankoRick Danko
Richard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.-Early years :...
of The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
:
- Hey Kids, in which Irwin is talking the Earth team into playing against the alien team.
- We'll Find a Way, during which the Earth team is being badly beaten by their opponents.
- Cheaters Never Prosper, during which the Earth team is making a comeback.
Availability
This special was paired with Easter Fever on the VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
videocassette Nelvanamation 2 (1990); this tape is currently out of print.