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In 2005, more than half of the major league's 30 ballparks still feature live organists, although only the Cubs still play organ music almost exclusively. In recent years, many organists have seen their playing time reduced in favor of recorded music, however, polls of fans consistantly show that they prefer more organ music and less canned music at the ballpark. That being known it doesn't make much sense to us, but that's the way it seems to be. We at BallparkTour indeed hope the warm & fuzzy sounds of the ballpark organ continue to provide the soundtrack of big league baseball games well into the 21st century.
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Organists - They're out
Today's major league organists
Minnesota Twins, 1998-present
Has also played for: Minnesota North Stars, NHL; Minnesota University hockey, NCAA
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Chicago White Sox, 1970-present
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Los Angeles Dodgers, 1988-present
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Cincinnati Reds, 1999-present
Previously played for the Reds in the 1980s
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Florida Marlins, 1993-present
Has also played for: Florida Panthers, NHL
New York Yankees, 2004-present
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Philadelphia Phillies, 1970-present
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Pittsburgh Pirates, 1970-present
Has also played for: Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL
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Arizona Diamondbacks, 1998-present
Has also played for: Phoenix Firebirds, PCL
New York Mets
Also plays for NY Knicks and NY Rangers
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Chicago Cubs, 1987-present
Kansas City Royals, 1999-present
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Milwaukee Brewers, 2003-present
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Cleveland Indians, 2000-present
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Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 1998-present
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St. Louis Cardinals, 1971-present
Has also played for: St. Louis Blues, NHL
Boston Red Sox, 2003-present
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• Notable former ballpark organists •
Eddie Layton, New York Yankees
Photo credit: G. Paul Burnett/The New York Times, 2003
Listen to Eddie's, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" - Eddie Layton's music from Amazon.com
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His death was announced by the Yankees, who said it came after a brief illness. The Yankees did not know his age but Layton listed his birthdate as Oct. 19, 1925, on a bio sheet when he was inducted into the N.Y. Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 -- making him 79 at the time of his death.
"Eddie Layton was a treasured member of the Yankee family and as a gifted musician, he made Yankee Stadium a happier place," George Steinbrenner said in statement released by the team. "Eddie was a dear friend who will be missed by all who come to Yankee Stadium."
Wearing his oversized eyeglasses and his captain's hat (he owned a maroon and green tugboat he piloted on the Hudson River), sitting on his padded bench at his 50,000-watt Hammond organ, Layton was a fixture at Yankee Stadium.
He played at Yankee games for more than three decades, although he missed a few years during the 1970's while pursuing other musical commitments. He was as familiar as Bob Sheppard on the public-address system, Phil Rizzuto in the broadcast booth and Robert Merrill singing the national anthem.
He played the organ at Madison Square Garden from 1967 to 1985 for Knicks and Rangers games. He also played at Islanders games in the Nassau Coliseum for a few seasons in the 1990's.
If the occasion fit, Layton would depart from his standard fare. When the Yankees' Alberto Castillo got a hit in mid-May 2002, after going 0 for 14 to that point in the season, he played the "Hallelujah" chorus. When a Rangers opponent went to the penalty box for slashing, "If I Had the Wings of an Angel" might accompany him.
Layton had five World Series rings, but wore only the smallest one, from 1978, fearing that he might play a wrong note if encumbered by the heavier ones.
He was a member of the New York Sports Hall of Hall Fame, and had an ironman record that would make Cal Ripken proud. He never missed a day of work due to sickness since debuting in the Bronx in 1967.
"I never get headaches," Layton once said. "I never get colds."
In addition to his sports work, he has issued over twenty albums. His most popular, "Ya Gotta Have Heart," a compilation of his Yankee Stadium tunes, sold more than three million copies. Layton performed at concerts with Guy Lombardo and Lawrence Welk, played at New York's Copacabana Night Club and Radio City Music Hall and also toured the world for the Hammond Organ Company.
A native of Philadelphia, Layton was the son of a supermarket owner. He graduated from West Chester State Teachers College in Pennsylvania, where he majored in meteorology and minored in music, having played the organ since he was 12 years old.
A former U.S. Navy X-ray technician, Eddie stumbled upon the Yankees gig while playing background music for such CBS soap operas as "The Secret Storm," "Love of Life," and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing." He moved into the sports world when CBS bought controlling interest in the Yankees. Mike Burke, who was running the Yankees for their owner, CBS, in the 1960's, heard him play and asked him to become the Yankee organist. The hiring of Layton was probably the best thing that occured during the CBS era of ownership. Layton had never been to Yankee Stadium and knew nothing about baseball.
"I thought that a sacrifice fly had something to do with killing an insect," he recalled in an interview with National Public Radio, shortly after his retirement at the end of the 2003 baseball season. "I didn't know where first base was or third base. But I quickly learned.
"I was the first one to do the rhythmic 'bom-bom-bom-bom' on the organ," Layton said in 1998. "I didn't think about what I was actually doing at the time. I just started playing those four notes and the fans began to clap along. Then I played 'da-da-da-dum-tee-da' and everybody yelled 'Charge!' and I was on my way."
Layton was not supposed to play during the baseball action, but he told National Public Radio how once "I just got lost in the moment" with the Yankees' Reggie Jackson at bat.
"I kept playing and playing and playing and playing," he remembered. "And Reggie looked up at the booth, and the umpires looked up at the booth. Reggie threw down the bat and he started dancing at home plate."
But there were also somber times. When the Yankees played the Baltimore Orioles on Sept. 11, 2002, the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Layton played a slow, poignant version of "Ave Maria" after a moment of silence at 9:11 p.m.
Layton lived in an apartment building in Queens, where he played a miniature version of his Yankee Stadium organ.
He never married. The Yankees' announcement of his death did not list survivors.
As the summers passed, recorded music pumped in through speakers cut into Layton's musicianship at Yankee Stadium.
But he expressed no regrets.
"I've had my day," he told The New York Times in October 2003 as he closed his career. "Playing with 50,000 watts of power, what rock star has an amplifier like that? I play for up to 56,000 people a night. Not even Madonna has done those kind of numbers."
Sources: Richard Goldstein/NY Times; IMDB; M.A. Mehta/The Star-Ledger
Shay was a virtuoso on the Hammond Organ and toured internationally as half of a concert duo with Axel Alexander. They produced several albums and tons of goodwill.
Ultra-Lounge CD featuring Shay
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Helen Dell, Los Angeles Dodgers. A mainstay at Chavez Ravine from 1970 until she retired in 1987.
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Ronnie Newman, Minnesota Twins, 1977-1998
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Frank Charles, Milwaukee Brewers, 1972-1986.
His rendition of "Roll Out the Barrel" is fondly remembered by Brewers fans. Frank also played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Milwaukee Admirals. He is currently retired, although he does still perform occasionally, and resides in Naples, Florida.
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Jane Jarvis, Milwaukee Braves and New York Mets.
Jane Jarvis on the Thomas Organ was a Shea Stadium staple from the mid-60s to 1979. Her renditions "Mexican Hat Dance" and "Meet The Mets" are remembered fondly by millions of fans. Jane has returned to Shea for special occasions, bringing her keyboard magic to a new generation. She also played for the Milwaukee Braves. Approaching 90, she remains an accomplished jazz musician, still playing gigs in the New York area.
-- Thanks to Greg Prince for this submission!
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John Kiley, Boston Red Sox. Played the organ at Fenway Park
and Boston Garden for more than 40 years. Died in the mid 1990's.
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Gladys Gooding, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1942-1957.
Larry MacPhail discovered Gladys Gooding at a hockey game at Madison Square Garden, where she played the organ for the New York Rangers and, later, the basketball Knickerbockers. He thought organ music might be a fine thing for Ebbets Field. Beginning in 1942, she was a favorite of Dodger fans and a celebrity in her own right until the team went west in 1958. She wrote the words and music for "Follow the Dodgers," the team's fight song even after the move to Los Angeles.
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Joe Tripoli, California Angels, 1987-1995.
Joe also played the Hammond organ at the Fabulous Forum for the Los Angeles Kings from 1983-1988. At the Forum, Joe played right out in the open, allowing fans to go right up and say hello or just watch him play awhile (Which I often did!). If anyone knows what Joe is doing these days or has any contact information, please contact us - we'd love to hear from him!
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Carolyn King Jones, Atlanta Braves, 1988-2004.
Hired by Ted Turner, fresh out of high school, Carolyn became one of the youngest organists in the big leagues. Her "Tomahawk Chop" became famous, and was the anthem of the Braves success in the 1990s. In 2004, after 17 years behind the Braves organ at Fulton County Stadium and Turner Field, she retired at age 34 to spend more time with her family.
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Danny Topaz, San Diego Padres. Danny entertained several generations of fans at Jack Murphy Stadium for the Padres throughout the 70s and 80s, as well as playing local nightclubs, and for the San Diego Conquistadors of the ABA.
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Ronnie Dale, Cincinnati Reds. Ronny was a fixture for many years at Crosley Field.
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Toby Wright, New York Yankees, 1965-66
Not too many people remember that Eddie Layton was the second Yankee Stadium organist. Toby Wright was the first, hired in 1965 and playing for two seasons before team president Mike Burke hired Layton after hearing him play in several CBS (who also owned the Yankees) soap operas. We mistakenly stated before that Yankee Stadium didn't feature organ music before 1967. Many thanks to Pete Cipriano of Clinton, NJ for sending in this information, along with this clipping from the Yankees 1966 yearbook.
Also played for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks of the NHL
Peggy's CD's Peggy's website
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stadium organist ,baseball organist, hockey organist
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