South Bend Cubs dedicate plaque to Indiana born composer of 'Take Me Out To The Ballgame'

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- We're taking you out to the ball game! Did you know the iconic seventh inning stretch song was written and composed by Hoosiers?

If you've ever been to a baseball game in person, there's a pretty good chance you know the tune, and its sing-along lyrics.

The South Bend Cubs have put up a plaque near the team store, honoring the song 'Take Me Out to The Ballgame', and on that plaque, giving the story of the song's Indiana roots, and Jewish connection as well.

Take Me Out to The Ballgame is an old song with ties to the Hoosier state, thanks to its composer, Albert von Tilzer.

"He wrote the song Take Me Out to The Ballgame, this great baseball song which we all know and love, and so we're celebrating the fact that albert was born in Indianapolis, so he's a Hoosier, and we want to celebrate the fact that a Hoosier is the creator, the composer of this great iconic baseball song," said Rabbi Michael Friedland, of Sinai Synagogue in South Bend.

The location for the plaque is very intentional. It sits just outside the Cubs' team store, which was once the Sons of Israel synagogue, an ode to von Tilzer's Jewish upbringing.

"To have it there, right next to the synagogue, it made a lot of sense, and we're honored to have it, the ballpark is sparkling new in terms of amenities and all the growth we've achieved, I love the fact that the state of Indiana, and the city of South Bend, were so supportive, it really was an ultimate team project and I think it was really lovely," said Andrew Berlin, owner of the South Bend Cubs.

While the song itself was written and composed around 120 years ago, it only started gaining popularity in baseball during the 1934 World Series. It tells a story of a woman who is infatuated with baseball and is telling her potential boyfriend he may have a chance to pursue her, but only if he takes her out to a ballgame.

"I really feel like we're not just in the baseball business, but we're in the business of bringing people together, and so whether someone is Jewish, or Christian or anything, whatever your belief system is, everyone is welcome at the ballpark, and so at the end of the day, it's a very lovely thing to have at our ballpark," said Berlin.

For Rabbi Friedland, being at this plaque dedication is personal for him as a Jewish person, and as an avid baseball fan, even if I did have to inquire if his White Sox fandom might get in the way of the celebration.

"It's connected to many of the teachings of Judaism, of course the most obvious one is the goal of baseball is to come home, whether that's for Jews, we're blessed to live in a generation where Israel exists so Jews have always sought to come home to their homeland, and of course, spiritually, we're always looking to come home, to return to our roots," said Friedland.