On September 4, 1814 Baltimore attorney-turned prisoner exchange agent Francis Scott Key watched from a the British ship HMS Minden as English ships bombarded the city of Baltimore and Fort McHenry.  After a long, rainy, terrifying night, the fort held and triumphantly raised a large American flag (which at the time had 15 stars and 15 stripes), a sight that so moved Key that he penned a poem called “Defence of Fort McHenry.”  Key’s brother-in-law took the poem and set it to the music of “The Anacreontic Song,” composed by John Stafford Smith, which was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, an 18th-century club of amateur musicians in London. The poem and accompanying tune was then taken to a Baltimore printer, who produced broadsheets that were quickly picked up and reprinted by the city’s two newspapers.  The Star-Spangled Banner was born. 

In 1918, the tune was played at the World Series, inextricably linking it the national pastime forever. 

Key no doubt would have been delighted about the treatment his poem received last Saturday at Isotopes Park, as 125 singers came out to audition to perform the National Anthem at a ‘Topes game this season.  It was the largest turnout in the seven-year history of the event and testament to the excitement around Albuquerque for the upcoming baseball season, the Isotopes’ first as Triple-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.  

If you were one of the brave singers that auditioned, thanks for your patience and participation.  A huge thanks also to our great panel of local celebrity judges; Jaimey B. from 100.3 The Peak, Tony Lynn, Myles, and Nikki from Big-I 107.9, Antoinette Antonio from KOB-TV 4, and David Jubb from 610 The Sports Animal.   Lauren Farris from the Isotopes staff organized everything and did a great job, as usual.  

If you didn’t get a chance to audition and still want to sing at Isotopes Park, don’t fret.  Simply drop off a CD or video of you or your group performing the anthem at the Isotopes administrative offices located on the second floor of the ballpark.     

On the field, the Isotopes will play their first exhibition game this Friday, March 20 against the Columbus Clippers (Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) and Opening Day is right around the corner, April 9!   

 

 

When you hear the National Anthem 72 times during the course of a season, there are a few things that inevitably find their way under your skin.  The first is those singers who treat the National Anthem like an American Idol audition and carry out every note to show their “range,” thereby increasing the length of the song from its intended minute and a half to an excruciating five minutes.  It’s reminiscent of the classic Dancin’ Homer episode of the Simpsons where Bleeding Gums Murphy is singing the National Anthem at a Springfield Isotopes contest and a clock behind him reads 6:45.   As he continues through the song, the scene shifts to the Simpsons sitting slumped in their setas in left field bleachers before finally Bleeding Gums wraps up the song as the clock behind tolls 7:00.  Nothing can zap the energy from a crowd like a long National Anthem. 

The second, and granted this is pretty nit-picky, is people’s insistence on singing about the “per-OL-ous” fight instead of the “per-IL-ous” fight.  In the history of mankind, nothing has ever been in “perol.” 

With those two valuable nuggets of information, the Isotopes invite all of those interested in singing the National Anthem to come to Isotopes Park this Saturday, March 14 for open tryouts.  There is no need to reserve a spot, just show up to the park beginning at 10:00 AM and check-in.  Anthem auditions begin at 11:00 AM and will last until 1:00 PM.  

The auditions are part of a big day at Isotopes Park that includes an Open House complete with guided tours of the ballpark, a Select-A-Seat where prospective season ticket and mini-plan holders can literally pick their seat for the upcoming season, and the official on-sale of individual game tickets.  Everything starts at 10:00 AM and fans can buy tickets at the Isotopes Park Box Office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone with Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com, or www.albuquerquebaseball.com.   For the big dates (Opening Day, July 3, etc.) it’s a good idea to get tickets Saturday or else you’ll be in “peril” of missing out on all the great fun this year.

When you hear the National Anthem 72 times during the course of a season, there are a few things that inevitably find their way under your skin.  The first is those singers who treat the National Anthem like an American Idol audition and carry out every note to show their “range,” thereby increasing the length of the song from its intended minute and a half to an excruciating five minutes.  It’s reminiscent of the classic Dancin’ Homer episode of the Simpsons where Bleeding Gums Murphy is singing the National Anthem at a Springfield Isotopes contest and a clock behind him reads 6:45.   As he continues through the song, the scene shifts to the Simpsons sitting slumped in their setas in left field bleachers before finally Bleeding Gums wraps up the song as the clock behind tolls 7:00.  Nothing can zap the energy from a crowd like a long National Anthem. 

The second, and granted this is pretty nit-picky, is people’s insistence on singing about the “per-OL-ous” fight instead of the “per-IL-ous” fight.  In the history of mankind, nothing has ever been in “perol.” 

With those two valuable nuggets of information, the Isotopes invite all of those interested in singing the National Anthem to come to Isotopes Park this Saturday, March 14 for open tryouts.  There is no need to reserve a spot, just show up to the park beginning at 10:00 AM and check-in.  Anthem auditions begin at 11:00 AM and will last until 1:00 PM.  

The auditions are part of a big day at Isotopes Park that includes an Open House complete with guided tours of the ballpark, a Select-A-Seat where prospective season ticket and mini-plan holders can literally pick their seat for the upcoming season, and the official on-sale of individual game tickets.  Everything starts at 10:00 AM and fans can buy tickets at the Isotopes Park Box Office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone with Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com, or www.albuquerquebaseball.com.   For the big dates (Opening Day, July 3, etc.) it’s a good idea to get tickets Saturday or else you’ll be in “peril” of missing out on all the great fun this year.

When you hear the National Anthem 72 times during the course of a season, there are a few things that inevitably find their way under your skin.  The first is those singers who treat the National Anthem like an American Idol audition and carry out every note to show their “range,” thereby increasing the length of the song from its intended minute and a half to an excruciating five minutes.  It’s reminiscent of the classic Dancin’ Homer episode of the Simpsons where Bleeding Gums Murphy is singing the National Anthem at a Springfield Isotopes contest and a clock behind him reads 6:45.   As he continues through the song, the scene shifts to the Simpsons sitting slumped in their setas in left field bleachers before finally Bleeding Gums wraps up the song as the clock behind tolls 7:00.  Nothing can zap the energy from a crowd like a long National Anthem. 

The second, and granted this is pretty nit-picky, is people’s insistence on singing about the “per-OL-ous” fight instead of the “per-IL-ous” fight.  In the history of mankind, nothing has ever been in “perol.” 

With those two valuable nuggets of information, the Isotopes invite all of those interested in singing the National Anthem to come to Isotopes Park this Saturday, March 14 for open tryouts.  There is no need to reserve a spot, just show up to the park beginning at 10:00 AM and check-in.  Anthem auditions begin at 11:00 AM and will last until 1:00 PM.  

The auditions are part of a big day at Isotopes Park that includes an Open House complete with guided tours of the ballpark, a Select-A-Seat where prospective season ticket and mini-plan holders can literally pick their seat for the upcoming season, and the official on-sale of individual game tickets.  Everything starts at 10:00 AM and fans can buy tickets at the Isotopes Park Box Office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone with Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com, or www.albuquerquebaseball.com.   For the big dates (Opening Day, July 3, etc.) it’s a good idea to get tickets Saturday or else you’ll be in “peril” of missing out on all the great fun this year.

The Dodgers have added a pair of Minor League free agents that could be Isotopes this season in outfielder Timo Perez and left-handed starter John Koronka, both of whom inked Minor League deals with invites to Major League Spring Training.  Isotopes fans will remember Perez from the 2007 Triple-A All-Star Game at Isotopes Park, where he was named “Star of the Game” after going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI as a member of the Toledo Mud Hens, Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.   That season was a big one for the veteran outfielder, who finished the year with a month in Detroit, where he batted .389 in 29 games.  After spending the entire 2008 campaign with the Mud Hens, Perez played last year in the Mexican Summer League, batting .323 in 77 games with Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz.   In addition to his stint with the Tigers, Perez has seen Major League time with the St. Louis Cardinals (2006) and Chicago White Sox (2004-05), but has logged most of his Big League service time with the New York Mets (2000-03). 

To those who have been to a lot of ‘Topes games in the past six years, Koronka’s name will no doubt ring a little familiar.  After coming up in the Cubs organization, playing for Iowa in 2004-05, the southpaw has played for three PCL teams; Oklahoma (2006-07), Colorado Springs (2007), and New Orleans (2009).  Last year, Koronka saw the Major Leagues for the first time since 2005, starting a pair of games for the Marlins.   

Until then, if anybody has an extra rookie Nolan Ryan they could part with, I have a mint condition 1984 Rick Camp and an ’89 Wayne Tolleson I can trade. 

The second, and granted this is pretty nit-picky, is people’s insistence on singing about the “per-OL-ous” fight instead of the “per-IL-ous” fight.  In the history of mankind, nothing has ever been in “perol.” 

The auditions are part of a big day at Isotopes Park that includes an Open House complete with guided tours of the ballpark, a Select-A-Seat where prospective season ticket and mini-plan holders can literally pick their seat for the upcoming season, and the official on-sale of individual game tickets.  Everything starts at 10:00 AM and fans can buy tickets at the Isotopes Park Box Office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone with Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com, or www.albuquerquebaseball.com.   For the big dates (Opening Day, July 3, etc.) it’s a good idea to get tickets Saturday or else you’ll be in “peril” of missing out on all the great fun this year.