There Used to Be a Ballpark
Encyclopedia
"There Used to Be a Ballpark" is a song written by Joe Raposo
and recorded by Frank Sinatra
for Sinatra's 1973 album, Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back
.
The song expresses sadness at the loss of a baseball team and its ballpark, which once gave its fans and players joy, along with other childhood delights such as "rock candy
and a great big Fourth of July
".
A key phrase in the song is "Now the children try to find it / And they can't believe their eyes / For the old team just isn't playing / And the new team hardly tries."
The song has often been cited by books and websites that discuss old-time baseball. It is typically assumed to be about Ebbets Field
and the Brooklyn Dodgers
, even though composer Joe Raposo once told Larry King
the song was actually about the Polo Grounds
, which had been the home of the New York Giants
until 1957 and which had been the home of the New York Mets
in 1962 and 1963 (who, ironically, won the National League pennant in 1973). The song, however, could be about any ballpark and team.
The song can also be seen as a metaphor for any kind of loss, as suggested by the next-to-last line in the song, which is not necessarily connected with baseball: "And the sky has got so cloudy, when it used to be so clear..."
It was used in the HBO documentary Brooklyn Dodgers: Ghosts of Flatbush
.
Joe Raposo
Joseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH was a Portuguese-American composer, songwriter, pianist, television writer and lyricist, best known for his work on the children's television series Sesame Street, for which he wrote the theme song, as well as classic songs such as "Bein' Green" and "C is for Cookie"...
and recorded by Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
for Sinatra's 1973 album, Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back
Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back
Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back is a 1973 album by the American singer Frank Sinatra.Sinatra returned from his brief retirement with the appropriately titled Ol’ Blue Eyes Is Back...
.
The song expresses sadness at the loss of a baseball team and its ballpark, which once gave its fans and players joy, along with other childhood delights such as "rock candy
Rock candy
Rock candy is a type of confectionery mineral composed of relatively large sugar crystals. This candy is formed by allowing a supersaturated solution of sugar and water to crystallize onto a surface suitable for crystal nucleation, such as a string or stick...
and a great big Fourth of July
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
".
A key phrase in the song is "Now the children try to find it / And they can't believe their eyes / For the old team just isn't playing / And the new team hardly tries."
The song has often been cited by books and websites that discuss old-time baseball. It is typically assumed to be about Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
and the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, even though composer Joe Raposo once told Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
the song was actually about the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, which had been the home of the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
until 1957 and which had been the home of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in 1962 and 1963 (who, ironically, won the National League pennant in 1973). The song, however, could be about any ballpark and team.
The song can also be seen as a metaphor for any kind of loss, as suggested by the next-to-last line in the song, which is not necessarily connected with baseball: "And the sky has got so cloudy, when it used to be so clear..."
It was used in the HBO documentary Brooklyn Dodgers: Ghosts of Flatbush
Brooklyn Dodgers: Ghosts of Flatbush
Brooklyn Dodgers: Ghosts of Flatbush is a heart wrenching 2007 documentary film produced by HBO sports chronicling the last ten years of the Brooklyn Dodgers tenure in the borough of churches...
.