Tessie
After trying several times to write about the Astros tonight, it just became too depressing, so I decided to write about something else in baseball...a little history if you will.
Last night I watched the movie Fever Pitch. In the movie there's a song that I like, but I didn't understand it. The song is called "Tessie", and it's by a band from Boston called Dropkick Murphys. The song mentions someone named Tessie, but it also references other people along with the Red Sox team. I couldn't figure out the connection or who Tessie was, so I did a little research:
"Tessie" was originally a Broadway hit. With respect to baseball, the song was first sung by the Royal Rooters (die-hard South Boston Irish fans, one of which was JFK's grandfather) in 1903 at a game between Boston and Pittsburgh. Apparently the song, which was sung over and over, was so annoying to the Pittsburgh players that it helped Boston win the first ever World Series.
"Tessie" continued to be played/sang by the Rooters in Boston and at opposing fields until 1916; then she was never heard again. The Sox did win again in 1918, but afterwards the Babe was sold to the Yankees, and as everyone knows, the Sox didn't win again until 2004.
Coincidentally, in summer 2003 (I think), Dropkick Murphys recorded a modern-day version of "Tessie" (with new lyrics), with a few Boston players (Johnny Damon, Bronson Arroyo, and Lenny Dinardo) singing back-up.
One has to wonder, was it really the Curse of the Bambino, or was it Tessie all along...
Last night I watched the movie Fever Pitch. In the movie there's a song that I like, but I didn't understand it. The song is called "Tessie", and it's by a band from Boston called Dropkick Murphys. The song mentions someone named Tessie, but it also references other people along with the Red Sox team. I couldn't figure out the connection or who Tessie was, so I did a little research:
"Tessie" was originally a Broadway hit. With respect to baseball, the song was first sung by the Royal Rooters (die-hard South Boston Irish fans, one of which was JFK's grandfather) in 1903 at a game between Boston and Pittsburgh. Apparently the song, which was sung over and over, was so annoying to the Pittsburgh players that it helped Boston win the first ever World Series.
"Tessie" continued to be played/sang by the Rooters in Boston and at opposing fields until 1916; then she was never heard again. The Sox did win again in 1918, but afterwards the Babe was sold to the Yankees, and as everyone knows, the Sox didn't win again until 2004.
Coincidentally, in summer 2003 (I think), Dropkick Murphys recorded a modern-day version of "Tessie" (with new lyrics), with a few Boston players (Johnny Damon, Bronson Arroyo, and Lenny Dinardo) singing back-up.
One has to wonder, was it really the Curse of the Bambino, or was it Tessie all along...
posted by paige at 8:36 PM
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