More from Philip Graitcer

Blind Willie McTell lives on in Thomason (00:04:07)
From: Philip Graitcer

Bluesman Blind Willie McTell travelled throughout the South, but he made frequent stops in Thomson, Georgia where he was born. Now the city celebrates its favorite musical ...

Chopsticks - Made in America (00:03:02)
From: Philip Graitcer

Coals to Newcastle: Chopsticks made in Georgia are being exported to China

The Hidden History of a One Room School (00:05:14)
From: Philip Graitcer

When the tiny African American community on Georgia's St Simon's Island set out to save its one-room schoolhouse, it didn't realize that the building was a link to an ...

Delta Deli Blues (00:04:26)
From: Philip Graitcer

Greenville, Mississippi is singing the blues about the corned beef luncheon.

Piano Red - Dr. Feelgood: The Music Makes You Feel Good (00:04:01)
From: Philip Graitcer

Piano Red's music makes you tap your feet and smile.

Braves Organist Tweets a New Tradition (00:04:15)
From: Philip Graitcer

At Atlanta's Turner Field, the Braves organist is twittering a new baseball tradition

Is Our Town Our Town? (00:03:21)
From: Philip Graitcer

Thornton Wilder's Our Town is the most produced play in America, but does it need an update for today's America?

Power of Half (00:03:34)
From: Philip Graitcer

It sounded like a goofy, crazy downsizing plan. The Salwen family downsized - moving from a 7-bedroom mansion into a smaller house and giving the proceeds to charity. But ...

How Coca Cola Became Kosher (00:04:30)
From: Philip Graitcer

The story of how one rabbi got Coca Cola to become kosher

The Art of Field Recording (00:07:58)
From: Philip Graitcer

Folk music is still being played by the "folk."

Related Pieces

Broadcast History

Versions broadcast on "Only A Game" and WBEZ' 848 in September, 2010

Intro and Outro

Since the forties, the ballpark organ has been synonymous with baseball.

The organ is baseball’s loudest fan, and, like peanuts and hot dogs, hearing the national anthem, the Mexican Hat Dance, and “Take Me Out to The Ballgame”, played on a ballpark organ is a baseball summer tradition.

But that’s changing. This season only about half of the 30 major league teams had real live organists. Their music is being replaced by canned music and DJs. At the end of this season, Nancy Faust, who has been the White Sox organist for 41 seasons, is retiring.

Independent producer Philip Graitcer has this tribute.

Faust's will continue to play day games until October, 2010. And next season, although Faust won't be there, ball park music will continue: The White Sox auditioning a replacement organist.

Images

• "Nancy Faust, White Sox organist for 41 Seasons"
  Credit: Philip Graitcer
  
  original
• "Faust wears a Sox 2005 World Series ring"
  Credit: P. Graitcer
  
  original