Watch Eddie Vedder Sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ at Wrigley
The much-anticipated debut of New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard and the emergence of Chicago Cubs phenom Kris Bryant weren’t the only reasons to show up at Wrigley Field Tuesday night. In what’s become almost an annual tradition, Eddie Vedder dropped by the stadium to lead Cubs fans through a singing of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the 7th inning stretch.
The well-dressed Pearl Jam singer – complete with a #14 button on his blazer as a tribute to late Cubs legend Ernie Banks – delivered a rousing rendition of the baseball staple. After completing the song, Vedder flung a Cubs hat into the crowd.
Vedder, who spent his early years in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, remained a passionate Cubs fan even as he moved westward, and the singer continues to make near-annual treks to the legendary Wrigley Field to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”
For nearly two decades, beloved Cubs announcer Harry Caray lead the crowd in the singing of the mid-7th inning anthem, but after Caray passed away prior to the 1998 season, special guests began filling in on “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” on a daily basis. Vedder was among the first to pay tribute to Caray by singing at Wrigley in 1998, as evidenced by the Caray badge on his jersey:
Vedder continued to show up at Cubs games throughout the years, including this performance from the press box in 2007, with Vedder wearing a Kerry Wood jersey:
Here’s Vedder singing in 2014 accompanied by his niece and nephew: