Our language has many idioms that have come from the sport of baseball. For the next couple of weeks I will investigate some of them.

But for something not related to grammar, I’ll start with the history of the song whose chorus is sung during the seventh inning stretch.

In 1908, Jack Norworth spent fifteen minutes writing the lyrics on some scrap paper during a train ride and before the year was over, a hit song was born.

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don’t care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don’t win it’s a shame.
For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out,
At the old ball game.

For the complete lyrics and more details, visit the Baseball Almanac.