Knock This Baseball Stadiums Quiz Out of the Park

Legendary broadcaster Harry Caray started singing the song when he was the announcer for the Chicago White Sox in the 1970s. He brought it across town when he moved to the Cubs in 1982 and sang it during the seventh-inning stretch until his death in 1998. To honor Caray, the Cubs continued the tradition, with guest singers stepping up to the plate during home games at Wrigley Field.

Each spring, a parade of Clydesdale horses leads the way at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. It’s a nod to the team’s owners, brewer Anheuser-Busch, which introduced the Clydesdales following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. They’ve been marking the start of the season in St. Louis since the 1970s, followed by an iconic beer wagon. The stadium’s even been specially designed to allow the horses to enter the right-field gates.

Several teams feature mascot races, but Milwaukee’s might be the tastiest tradition. It started out as a video featuring animated sausages running through the streets of Milwaukee before arriving at the stadium. These days, the race features five live sausage contenders that honor the city’s immigrant roots, and battle for that game’s glory: Bratwurst, Polish, Italian, Hot Dog, and Chorizo.

Having the Commander-in-Chief throw out the first pitch of the game was the brainchild of Washington Nationals manager Jimmy McAleer, who hoped to drum up publicity and enshrine baseball as America’s pastime. He invited William Howard Taft to do the honors in 1910. Taft tossed the ball from the grandstand, a tradition that continued until Ronald Reagan became the first to throw from home plate in 1988.

This salty-sweet concoction was the brainchild of Frederick “Fritz" Rueckheim, a German immigrant to Chicago, who teamed up with his brother to sell the snack at Chicago popcorn carts and then at the 1893 World’s Fair. “Cracker Jack” was an instant success, and by 1908 had become such a favorite at ballparks that it was immortalized in a new song, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

The Yankees boast the most MLB Hall of Famers of any team, so it’s not surprising that this storied team continues to honor the past. Since 1947, the organization has hosted an annual celebration of former Yankee greats, which features players, broadcasters, and managers. The festivities are often capped with a quick game between honorees, split into two teams, the Clippers and the Bombers.

You can thank a baby for this tradition featuring the Neil Diamond classic. It began in 1997 as a way to honor the newborn of a Red Sox staffer’s friend. Initially used late during games that seemed a certain win, it’s now played every game. Diamond appeared at Major League Baseball’s oldest stadium to sing the song in 2013, and several sporting teams around the world now use the song as well.

New York’s “Big Apple” nickname inspired this Mets favorite. Introduced in 1980 to boost enthusiasm during a downturn in the team’s fortunes, the original Home Run Apple featured a magician’s hat and the lettering “Mets Magic.” That one was retired when they left Shea Stadium in 2009. The original apple now sits outside Citi Field, while a new one, nearly twice as big, continues to entertain fans.

The Boston Ivy-wrapped walls at Wrigley Field are one of the most beloved features in baseball. They were installed in 1937, part of renovations designed to improve fan experience and give Wrigley Field the outdoorsy feeling of nature, rather than a generic stadium. The walls, along with the rest of Wrigley, have local landmark status, and there’s even a special set of rules for balls hit into the ivy.

Historians are still debating the origin of the iconic “seventh-inning stretch.” The first mention of the tradition dates back to the 1860s and the first professional baseball team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings. It likely originated as a chance for fans to stretch their legs and buy concessions, and by the early 20th century it had become a standard part of ball games across the country.