Baseball's Greatest Hits Explained

Baseball's Greatest Hits is the name of two different CD collections of songs and other recordings connected with baseball, released in 1989.

The eclectic collections include vintage songs such as Les Brown's "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" from 1941, Teresa Brewer's 1956 number "I Love Mickey" (with a cameo by Mickey Mantle himself), and Danny Kaye's humorous 1962 recording about the Los Angeles Dodgers. Spoken entries include verbiage such as Russ Hodges' call of Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning home run in 1951, Tommy Lasorda's rant about Dave Kingman, and the Abbott and Costello classic, "Who's on First?".

However, due to licensing restrictions. Rhino was unable to include "Centerfield" by John Fogerty.

Baseball's Greatest Hits (1990)

"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (Excerpt) – Doc & Merle Watson
"Who's on First?" – Abbott and Costello
"Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" – Les Brown and His Orchestra with Betty Bonney and Joe DiMaggio
"Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song)" – The Treniers with Willie Mays
"I Love Mickey" – Teresa Brewer with Mickey Mantle
1. "Van Lingle Mungo" – Dave Frishberg "D-O-D-G-E-R-S (Oh, Really? No, O'Malley!)" – Danny Kaye
"Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?" – Count Basie & His Orchestra
1. Lou Gehrig's farewell speech July 4, 1939 – Lou Gehrig "Move Over, Babe (Here Comes Henry)" – Bill Slayback
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" – Bruce Springstone (a Bruce Springsteen imitator)
"(Love Is Like a) Baseball Game" – The Intruders
"Willie, Mickey and the Duke (Talkin' Baseball)" – Terry Cashman
"The Land of Wrigley" – Stormy Weather
"A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request" – Steve Goodman
"The Ball Game" – Sister Wynona Carr
"Baseball Dreams" – The Naturals with Mel Allen
"Baseball Card Lover" – Rockin' Ritchie Ray
Tommy Lasorda talking about Dave Kingman's May 14, 1978 game – Tommy Lasorda
1. 1. "We Are the Champions" – Big Blue Wrecking Crew Bobby Thomson's shot heard 'round the world – Russ Hodges "Casey at the Bat" – DeWolf Hopper

Intro: Mr. Cub – Ernie Banks, Hall of Fame, August 8, 1977
"It's a Beautiful Day for a Ball Game" – The Harry Simeone Songsters
1. "The First Baseball Game" – Nat King Cole with Orchestra conducted by Ralph Carmichael "Robbie-Doby-Boogie" – Brownie McGhee
"Let's Keep The Dodgers In Brooklyn" – Phil Foster with music by Rey Ross
Bogey on baseball circa 1950 – Humphrey Bogart
"Baseball, Baseball" – Jane Morgan with the George Barnes Quintet
1. "The St. Louis Browns" – Skip Battin "You've Gotta Have Heart" – Original cast recording from Damn Yankees
Casey and the Mick – Casey Stengel, Mickey Mantle, and U.S. Senator Estes Kefauver
1. 1. 1. 1. "Right Field" – Peter, Paul and Mary "Knock It Out the Park" – Sam and Dave with the Dixie Flyers "Play-by-Play (I Saw It On the Radio)" – Terry Cashman "Hammerin' Hank's Historic Homer" – Milo Hamilton "That Last Home Run" – McKinley Mitchell with Willie Dixon's Chicago Blues All-Stars
  2. "Baseball Blues" – Claire Hamill "Will You Be Ready (At the Plate when Jesus Throws the Ball)?" – Elmo and Patsy "What Sparks a Champion?" – unknown artist
  3. "The Philadelphia Fillies" – Del Reeves "The Bingo Long Song (Steal On Home)" – Thelma Houston "The Cubbies Are Rockin'" – M.C. Gary/D.J. Barry & The Aggregation
2. The game for all America (a definition of baseball) – Ernie Harwell "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" – The C. Norman Ensemble of The First Baptist Church of Crown Heights