Leagues, Teams, and Players

The Music Division’s collections contain a number of baseball songs and instrumental works dedicated to both major and minor leagues, often including photographs of the team managers or players on the covers. Appendix B in the accompanying baseball bibliography offers comprehensive lists of music arranged alphabetically for leagues and teams, and players represented in the Music Division’s repertoire. This page provides an overview of that Appendix.

The following titles offer a representative sample and link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

The Magnates March and Two-Step by Henry Ditzel
Call Number: M28 .D
Published/Created: 1897
"The Magnates March and Two-Step" by Henry Ditzel (center) was dedicated to the Magnates of the National League and American Association of Base Ball Clubs. On the cover is a photograph of the seventeen "delegates to the Schedule Meeting of the National League and American Association of Base Ball Clubs" held in Baltimore, 1897. Two years later, these delegates would solidify the establishment of the two-league organization we enjoy today.
National League two step by Roy B. Simpson
Call Number: M31 .S
Published/Created: 1896
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the world's oldest existing professional team sports league. It was founded on February 2, 1876. Shown is the 1896 National League March by Roy B. Simpson.
The American League March by Frank H. Losey
Call Number: M1046.L83 A4 1904
Published/Created: 1904
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It originally evolved from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, and eventually assumed major league status in January of 1901. The leagues’ original eight franchises were the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Americans, Chicago White Stockings, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Senators. Pictured here is the piano part from "The American League March" by F[rank] H. Losey, published in Philadelphia, PA in 1904. According to the Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music, Composers and their Music, starting in 1902, Losey composed and arranged music for publisher Carl Fischer and later became editor-in-chief of the Vandersloot Music Publishing Company.
Base Ball: American Association vs. [NL] League by George A. Cragg (music); Dockstader (lyrics)
Call Number: M1978.S7 C
Published/Created: 1886
The American Association of Base Ball Clubs was a professional baseball league that played for ten seasons from 1882 to 1891. Often, the AA was simply referred to as "the Association," or the "Beer and Whiskey League," since they allowed the sale of alcohol at their events. The lyrics of this song, Base Ball: American Association vs. [NL] League cite the eight teams that played in the league’s 1886 season including the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Red Stockings, Louisville Colonels, Philadephia Athletics, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, St. Louis Browns, New York Metropolitans, and Brooklyn Atlantics.
Western League march by John Lipman
Call Number: M28 .L
Published/Created: 1896
The 1893 incarnation of the Western League, a minor league association hired Ban Johnson as its president in 1894. After enduring years in the minors, Johnson changed the name from the Western League to the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs after the 1899 season, claiming major league standing in 1901 (the year now recognized as the league’s first official season). The American League was finally granted equal status by the older National League in 1903. Team managers represented on the cover of the Western League March are from Kansas City, Indianapolis, St. Paul, Grand Rapids, Minneapolis, Columbus, Detroit and Milwaukee.
For we were boys together by Martin Saxx
Published/Created: 1890
Brotherhood Players League: The Brotherhood of Professional Baseball Players (or simply the Brotherhood) introduced the first serious effort to organize a baseball players' labor union. Led by star player and activist John Montgomery Ward, the Brotherhood was formed in 1885 and led to the creation of the Players' National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (PL) for their lone 1890 season. The league folded in 1891. Offering higher salaries and improved working conditions, the PL comprised eight teams: the Boston Reds, Brooklyn Ward’s Wonders, Buffalo Bisons, Chicago Pirates, Cleveland Infants, New York Giants, Philadelphia Athletics and Pittsburgh Burghers. Two different editions of For We Were Boys Together were published, a “Schottische” for solo piano and a piano-vocal version.
The Fed's are here to stay by Augusta Gebhardt
Call Number: M1978.S7 G
Published/Created: 1914
The most recent league to challenge the National League and the American Leagues, the Federal League, was the third major league in baseball from 1914 and 1915. Perhaps its most lasting contribution to baseball is the ballpark now known as Wrigley Field (then called Weeghman Park), where the league's Chicago Whales played. The league comprised eight teams in Brooklyn, Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Kansas City, Buffalo and Indianapolis. Even though new parks had been constructed in all eight cities, the league, nonetheless, was short-lived with 1915 being its final season. Besides The Fed’s Are Here to Stay, the Music Division holds two additional works for the Federal League: "Federal League March and Two Step" by O. Nielsen and E. DeLamater, 1914; "Be a Federal League Fan" by Everett J. Evans, Wm. A. Steiner, James K. Porter and Thomas Arrigo, 1915.
The Copper League Waltz by W. P. Vitulu
Call Number: M32 .V
Published/Created: 1915
"The Copper League Waltz" by W. P. Vitulu was published in Albuquerque, NM., 1915. The Copper League enjoyed a rich history that included connections with Albert Spaulding beginning in the 1880s, match-ups with the Chicago Cubs, and was the home to several “outlaw players,” banished from organized baseball. Photographs on the cover include team photos of the Santa Rita, Silver City, Fort Bayard and Hurley (New Mexico) Base Ball Clubs.
That "Wolverton" rag by Clay Chipman
Call Number: M1978.S713 C
Published/Created: 1913-1914
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League. Pictured is That “Wolverton” Rag with an image of team manager Harry Wolverton.
The pennant march and two-step by Stewart W. Allen
Call Number: M28 .A
Published/Created: 1909
The Carolina Association was a minor league baseball league with six teams that played from 1908 to 1912. The Pennant March and Two-Step published in 1909 is dedicated to that year’s pennant winner, the Greensboro Baseball Club and Mr. Tony Walters.
Ball Club March by J. Thomas Baldwin
Call Number: M28.B
Published/Created: 1888
Ball Club March by J. Thomas Baldwin, 1888. Dedicated to the Boston Base Ball Association and “played with great success by Baldwin's Boston Cadet Band.” Once band leader Patrick Gilmore and his famous band moved away from Boston to New York in the early 1880s, it was J. Thomas Baldwin who successfully rebuilt the Boston band under his own name.
On the diamond schottische by Harry Kalisky
Call Number: M31 .K
Published/Created: 1889
On the diamond schottische, "Respectfully dedicated to T.P. Robinson, manager, Oakland Base Ball Club." The Oakland Baseball Club was a member of the California League. Their singular rise to victory came in 1889, when, under the management of Tom Robinson, the Colonels won the league title. Four years later after a scandal involving Robinson’s past military service hit the news, the team folded. Their final season in 1893 included player Clark Griffith, a future MLB player and future owner of the Washington Senators.

Over 75 baseball teams are represented among the Music Division's baseball music collection with approximately 380 songs either dedicated to a single team or included references to multiple teams. Sixty-percent of the estimated 380 songs are affiliated with the following top 12 teams:

Brooklyn Dodgers – 35 (9.2%)
Chicago Cubs – 27 (7.1%)
New York Yankees – 26 (6.8%)
Boston Red Sox – 23 (6.1%)
Chicago White Sox – 21 (5.3%)
New York Giants – 21 (5.3%)
Detroit Tigers – 17 (4.5%)
Philadelphia Athletics – 16 (4.6%)
Pittsburgh Pirates – 14 (3.7%)
New York Mets – 13 (3.4%)
LA Dodgers – 12 (3.2%)
Philadelphia Phillies – 11 (2.9%)

Roy Ross, composer. Sam Denoff and Bill Persky, lyrics. "Let's Keep the Dodgers in Brooklyn," 1957. M1978.S713 R. Library of Congress Music Division.

Arthur Marshall, composer. H. R. Sweirngen, lyrics. "The Glory of the Cubs," 1908. M1978.S713 M. Library of Congress Music Division

Mark F. Richardson, composer. "The Giants Mascot March," 1895. M28.R. Library of Congress Music Division.

The Music Division has estimated that about 300 baseball songs in its collection make reference to individual players, whether it be an entire song dedicated to a single figure [e.g., Did you see Jackie Robinson hit that ball? or one that mentions several players’ names [e.g., Van Lingo Mambo]. The players with the highest total of both individual songs and whose names show up in multiple referenced works follow.

Peter DeRose, composer. Charles Tobias, lyrics. "Babe," 1947. Featuring Babe Ruth on the cover. M1659.5.R85 D. Library of Congress Music Division.

William Brede, composer. "King of Clubs," 1912. Featuring Ty Cobb on the cover. M28.B. Library of Congress Music Division

Babe Ruth (12%)
- Along Came Ruth (1926)
- Babe (1947)
- Babe is a Slugger (1922)
- Babe Ruth (1921)
- Babe Ruth (1922)
- Babe Ruth (1928)
- Babe Ruth (1949)
- Babe Ruth (1951)
- Babe Ruth Blues (1923)
- Babe Ruth, He’s a Home Run Kind Of Guy (1923)
- Babe Ruth Song (1921)
- Babe You’re A Bear With The Bat (1922)
- The Ballad Of Babe Ruth (1948)
- Baseball (1965)
- Baseball Papa (1951)
- Batterin’ Babe, Look At Him Now (1919; 1927)
- The Colossus Of Swat: March He Was The Greatest Of All (1949)
- He Was the Greatest of All (1949)
- Home Run Babe Ruth Memory (1922)
- Home-Run On The Keys (1936)
- Hoop, Hoop, Hooper (1915)
- I Want To Be At The Ball Game (1967)
- It’s A Grand Old Game (1931)
- Move Over Babe (Here Comes Henry) (1973)
- Oh Didn’t It Rain (1923)
- Oh Didn’t It Rain (1924)
- Oh, I Don’t Envy Babe Ruth Anymore (1921)
- Oh! You Babe Ruth (1920)
- Our Bambino: Baseball’s National Anthem (1948)
- Over The Fence (1928)
- Ripp, Ripp, Ripp, Zipp-Zipp-Zipp (Cardinals Won The Championship) (1927)
- Safe At Home (1948)
- You Make A Babe-Ruth Hit With Me (1921)
Jackie Robinson (6%)
- Baseball Papa (1951)
- Before You Can Say Jackie Robinson (1949)
- Brooklyn Dodgers (1956)
- Brooklyn Dodgers Jump (1949)
- Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball (1949)
- The First (1983)
- Jackie (1949) [C]
- Jackie (1949) [C]
- Jackie (1949) [C]
- Jackie Robinson (1947)
- Jackie Robinson (1948) [C]
- Jackie Robinson (1950)
- Jackie Robinson Boogie (1949)
- Jackie Robinson Jigger Blues (1947)
- Jackie Robinson: Play To Win (1984) [D]
- Pastime For Baritone And Orchestra (2007)
- Rickey (1948)
- Willie, Mickey and “The Duke” (Talkin’ Baseball) (1981)
Ty Cobb(5%)
- Base-Ball (1913)
- The Baseball Game (1913)
- Gee! It's A Wonderful Game (1911)
- I Am Excited At A Baseball Game (1912)
- King Of Clubs (1912)
- Our Grand Old Baseball Time (1913)
- Say Hey, Willie Mays (1954)
- Stars Of The National Game (1908)
- That’s Baseball (1919)
- They All Know Cobb (1913)
- The Tigers Went A-Hunting And Brought Back The Bunting (1907)
- Ty Cobb (1912)
- Ty Cobb, The Baseball King (1911)
- When Ty Cobb Makes the Winning Score (1910)
- The Wrong Done Speaker And Cobb; Or, The Base-Ball Scandal (1927)
Connie Mack (4.5%)
- The Boston Braves (1915)
- Connie Mack Is The Grand Old Name (1941) [C]
- Connie Mack Swing: “Golden Jubilee Song” (1950)
- Connie Mack, We Love You (1944) [C]
- Connie's Little Elephant (1907)
- Grand Old Man Of Baseball (1950)
- Hail to the Senators! (1943)
- Home Run Baker (You Are The Boy) (1913)
- It's The Crack Of A Home Run (1948)
- Let's Go Out To The Ballgame (1948)
- My Dad's The Pitcher-Man (1913)
- The Tigers Went A-Hunting And Brought Back The
- Bunting (1907)
- World's Champion March (1911)
Mike Kelly (3%)
- Baseball In Music And Song (1954)
- Medley Overture: Slide Kelly Slide (1889)
- Slide Kelly Slide (1889)
- Slide Kelly Slide (1919)
- Slide Kelly Slide (1926)
- Slide Kelly Slide (1927)
- Slide Kelly Slide (1935)
- Slide, Kelly, Slide (Trombone Blues) (1920)
- Slide Kelly Slide. Waltz (1890)

Ten additional players are credited with 5 or 6 references in song lyrics:

Hank Aaron
Frank Chance
Mickey Cochrane
Johnny Evers
Charlie Gehringer
Mickey Mantle
Christy Mathewson
John McGraw
Schoolboy Rowe
Honus Wagner

Be sure not to overlook tribute pieces for shortstop and first baseman Ernie Banks ["Banks Dreamed a Dream," 1969], Naps star pitcher Addie Joss ["When The Naps Are Playing Base Ball," 1911], the first black player in the American League, Larry Doby ["Doby’s Boogie," 1950], Pirate’s right fielder Roberto Clemente ["Song of Roberto," 1973], or three-time American League MVP Joe DiMaggio ["Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio," 1941; "Have You Met Mrs. DiMaggio?" 1954] among others.

Baseball Music and Songs at the Library of Congress

Performing Arts: Ask a Librarian

Leagues, Teams, and Players